Road Stories

Davis revisits four decades of travel by hitchhiking, hopping freight trains, bus, automobile, airplane, and foot, in this memoir compiled from individual travelogues. His writing shines in descriptive passages, showing his love of travel and landscapes, but at other times reads like a journal in need of editoral attention. Davis shares the ups and downs of train-hopping, backpacking the Pacific Coast Trail with friends, and volunteering in a Zimbabwe medical clinic. He describes experiences that have marked his life, from Obama’s inauguration to visiting a former high school classmate in prison. Food is a common theme; the author recounts a candy treat for weary hikers, a can of tuna in the cab of a train, the presentation of fried mice in Zimbabwe, and the sharing of food between prisoners and visitors. In the end, the reader may not understand Davis any more than in the beginning, due to the regular changes in point of view and the general lack of emotional insight, but the individual anecdotes are enjoyable. [em](BookLife) [/em]