Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Boondocking, a novel

From Library Journal
Boondocking through the lower 48, traveling by recreational vehicle from one temporary campsite to another isn't exactly the American Dream, nor are the Vaeths the ideal family. They embark on this peripatetic lifestyle to keep their granddaughter, Rita, from her unstable father, Melvin, who accidentally killed Rita's mother while driving under the influence of angel dust. Pulling up roots and leaving their ranch-style home in Baltimore wasn't the retirement the Vaeths had envisioned, but this rackety senior citizens' version of On The Road-meets-Travels with Charley has its peculiar charms. Rita thrives and decides to keep on moving, even after reuniting with her strange, disaffected father, now living in an Idaho survivalist compound. In this surprising gem of a first novel, Bauer (Working Women and Other Stories, LJ 8/95) writes with a fresh eye for the minutiae of everyday life, reminiscent of Barbara Kingsolver and Bobbie Ann Mason. Jo Manning, formerly with Reader's Digest.

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