A Thousand Miles to Graceland

Trapped in a dead-end job and newly single after her husband asks for a divorce, Grace Johnson is stuck. She can either wallow in self-pity or take her Elvis-obsessed mother on the birthday road trip of a lifetime. Although part of her really wants to wallow, she and her mother hop in a bright purple convertible for a road trip from El Paso, TX, to Memphis, to pay homage to the King. Along the way, they discover they have more in common than they thought. Full of impulsive stops to visit psychics and the back rooms of bars, Chase’s witty debut is an exploration of mother-daughter relationships strained by the weight of family secrets. Narrator Kim Mai Guest’s performance as the down-to-earth, practical Grace and her sequin-loving, big wig–wearing mother provides both levity and depth, as each character must face the consequences of her actions.