Hope's Highway [Mass Market Paperback]

The depression-era journey across Route 66 is endangered when a pair of thiefs decide that the caravan would make an attractive target. When Brady foils their robbery attempt, one of the thiefs vows revenge--tracking the party across Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. The catty and unfaithful wife of one of the other men in the caravan adds to the problems as does Margie's father's increasing silence and anger.

Author Dorothy Garlock has obviously researched the great depression-era highway and her research shows. The slow and painful drive, frequent mechanical problems, and dangerous fellow-travellers stand in sharp contrast to today's air-conditioned high-speed freeway system and Garlock's description rings true.

After reading a few pages, I turned to the cover to find if this book was targeted at young readers. This seems not to be the case. The sexual and frequently violent content are definitely aimed for adults. But the writing is often simplistic, the characters single-dimensioned, and the plot straightforward. Garlock fans and fans of the Route 66 experience will want to add this one to their to-be-read collection

The road may be filled with hope, but it is a tedious and dangerous trek. Elmer is nasty to Marge and not much better with anyone else. Alvin is kind to all and his wife "adopts" Anna Marie as hers on the trip. Foley sees only Sugar and not how cruel she is to his children. Brady helps everyone, but struggles with doing the right thing for Anna Marie, the survivor of a family tragedy. As romance blooms between Mona and Rusty and between Brady and Marge, some will die on the trip while others will choose an alternate lifestyle than the Golden State fantasy when a new dream beckons.

The sequel to MOTHER ROAD, HOPE'S HIGHWAY, is an engaging piece of Americana before the Interstate system. The ensemble cast each has a distinct personality though Elmer and Sugar are too negative with no redeeming quality between them; the rest of the road show characters display caring warm personalities with flaws and doubts that make them human. Once again Dorothy Garlock proves no one knows the Depression Era road rules like she does.

Harriet Klausner