by Dave Eggers
First published 2016
Josie's life has collapsed. Her dental practice is gone after a former patient sued her. She and her children's father have separated. A young man's senseless death weighs on her mind. When her ex wants to introduce their kids Paul and Ana to his new fiancee's family, Josie panics. She grabs her children and heads for Alaska in a creaky RV called the Chateau. At first the adventure feels liberating. They watch bears and bison, cook hot dogs over campfires, and sleep beside cold rivers under dark trees. But wildfires push them steadily north, and Josie's past refuses to stay behind. Real and imagined threats follow her small family deeper into the wilderness. As they reach the edge of civilization, Josie must confront what she's really running from in this darkly funny story of motherhood and escape.
Genres: fiction, adventure, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: escape, found-family, grief
Setting: Alaska
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Hardcover · Knopf