The day before her 50th birthday, Kathe Kokolias embarked on a grand adventure. She and her husband, Brian, quit their jobs, hugged their family goodbye, and headed to Mexico in their motorhome to help friends build a beachfront hotel. Restless in retirement, Kathe starts a business traveling around Mexico buying handicrafts for her shop. But when unforeseen tragedy strikes Paradise, the future of the hotel and their marriage is threatened. Hopes that once glowed as vibrant as the sunsets over Zihuatanejo Bay fade as the hotel plunges into chaos and the golden dream slips through their fingers.
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“Marvelously rich...Kokolias is a wonderful storyteller and a beautiful writer. In What Time Do the Crocodiles Come Out?, she brings her generous spirit and gifted writing to this perfect blend of memoir and travelogue.”
– Robyn Ringler, essayist on NPR and Martha Stewart Radio, and owner and creative writing instructor at East Line Books.
"If you are an armchair traveler, this is the real deal. Starting over is never easy, but Kathe Kokolias bravely begins a new life in Mexico, which challenges her at every turn. Her captivating and honest story embraces the colors, pace, and flair of her new home through her use of luscious language and good storytelling."
– Jan Tramontano, author, Woman Sitting in a Café and Inherently Buoyant
"Come play, eat, dream and evolve with Kathe Kokolias in her second memoir. The writing is wonderful and, if that’s not enough, there are scrumptious recipes peppering the prose. Life lived where you mark time by which kind of tourist you find on the beach, might seem to go too slowly for some. But not for Kathe, who uses the pace of Mexico to grow stronger and wiser. A memoir that delights the senses is ultimately about challenge and self-exploration."
– Marion Roach Smith, author, Writing What You Know: Realia
"Kathe Kokolias takes us along on an amazing journey sure to appeal to any reader with a taste for adventure. Her spirited, vivid descriptions excite the senses and invite us to share the delights and dilemmas of an expatriate in Mexico. This memoir is a candid must-read for anyone who has ever fantasized about packing up and moving to a foreign country. Gracias, Kathe, for an interesting, insightful read!"
– Ruby Dee, actor, author, activist
