by Ethan Hawke
First published 2002
Jimmy has abandoned his military post, but now faces a bigger challenge than any the army could offer. Christy carries his child and refuses to wait for his decision. She will return home to confront her history and build their future, with Jimmy or alone. Their modified Chevy Nova becomes both escape vehicle and crucible as they race from Albany through New Orleans, then on to Ohio and Texas. The miles between cities mirror the distance between who they were as conflicted lovers and who they must become as parents. Jimmy battles his own fear while Christy pushes toward a reckoning she cannot avoid. Their cross country flight transforms into something neither expected: the foundation of a family forged on American highways.
Genres: drama, family-life, american-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Albany, New Orleans, Ohio, Texas
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
240 pages · Hardcover · Knopf