A great story of sibling love and loyalty in unexpected situations. Dee (16) and Eddie (7) are left on their own and have limited funds and experience to get them cross country. They fear getting caught and separated, but Hughes manages to break up what could be a really heavy novel with moments of sweetness and levity.

Excellent look at a girl who wrestles with multiple worries/obsessions in her mind at a time in her life when she should be cared for by parents and enjoy life. Unfortunately with her mother dead and her father so enmeshed in his own grief, he's disappeared, Dee must step into the parental role. With just over $400 and a twenty year old car (but no drivers license), she strikes out from the small Arizona town where she, Dad and her younger brother landed, determined to drive all the way to Rolling Garden, the nursery in Canada owned by her Aunt Pat.
It's a long journey, not only in terms of distance, but in experiences and personal growth. Following it makes for a great read. While there are many things left unfinished by the end, readers close the cover with a sense that Dee will not only survive, but thrive. ( )

This is the first book by Alison Hughes that I've read, and I must say I like her style of writing. She brings her characters to life and you can't help but empathize with their plight. She has a realistic and straight forward way of describing settings and situations, so even though this is a work of fiction, it reads like a memoir.

I felt so sorry for Dee and Eddie, I wanted to reach into the pages and give them a reassuring hug. I so wanted these kids to have a happy ending, and though it ended differently from what I desired, I wasn't disappointed. For me it was a fitting and realistic ending to a bittersweet story about the love of siblings and their search for a place they can call home.

I read this in one sitting and give it 4 over 5 stars. Thank you to LibraryThing and Orca Publishers for sending me a copy of this book. ( )

This books was surprisingly good considering the plot was fairly simple. Hughes' amazing characters are what keeps the story going and what kept me engaged. This is a good book for all ages and the story incorporates a lot of thought provoking themes. It would be good for book clubs/groups and even for school classes to read. ( )

Dee is sixteen and has been left in charge of her seven-year-old brother Eddie while their father is off looking for antiques for his business. The book begins with Dee worried about her father who has been gone for six weeks. He has been gone for a few days at a time before this, but never this long. Dee becomes even more worried when a child protective services lady comes by and begins asking a lot of questions, so she goes to a pay phone near their trailer and tried to call her aunt who lives in Alberta, Canada so she will have some adult advice. However, her aunt and uncle are on vacation and unavailable. Dee is worried that she and her brother will be put in foster care or even separated, so she decided to drive their dilapidated car to Canada and to her Aunt Pat's home.

The good thing is that she and Eddie have valid Canadian passports since they are Canadian citizens. The bad thing is that Dee does not have a driver's license since she is a Canadian citizen and her father did not want to deal with the complications that came with getting a license for her. Dee is worried that her father may show up after they leave and not know where they went so she leaves a note to let him know where they went. Dee packs up necessities and her small hoard of just under $500.00 hoping it will be enough for the trip. Eddie packs up all he needs, too and they head off.

Dee is terrified of driving on the highway. In face, this whole trip is terrifying for her. While Eddie is having a wonderful time on the road trip, Dee is trying to keep her fears from him and keep the car going as long as possible. And then the car breaks down somewhere in Montana. The creepy guy stops to give them a ride. When will Dee get a break?

I began to wonder why didn't Dee tell the CPS lady about her father being gone so long and also that she had an aunt up in Canada? Children aren't usually separated from family if there are relatives who want them. Apparently Dee is unaware of this or is worried that they will be separated in any case.

I received an ARC to read and review. ( )