The Next Better Place: A Father and Son on the Road

At the age of eleven, Michael Keith left a stable life with his mother and sisters and set off to cross the country with his irresponsible hobo of a father--a real bum. The memoir, narrated without sentimentality by this funny, world-wise little boy, describes their life on the road--the characters they meet hitching rides, their adventures with bed bugs in Salvation Army bunks, the joys of finally encountering a decent meal, and the periods when Michael's father works odd jobs to make enough money for them to move on. Despite their sad, dysfunctional life, real love exists between them. The Next Better Place explores the thin line between wanderlust and compulsion, between running away and arriving, and leaves us with the understanding that the journey is often more powerful than the destination.