I give Kudos to Acampora for writing this book. I think that he did a very good job of depicting the feelings of a teenage girl that is distressed with the death of her father. Not all normal authors can do that.

The book was not painful.It flew by kind of fast though in the sense of i picked it up and turned one page and then it was over. It was really nice to read though.

It's not everyone's cup of tea but it's still a really good book. those that don't like to read things about people being depicted to the T then you won't like this book. ( )

Reminded me a lot of Bauer's Rules of the Road, but still a good read. ( )

Sixteen-year-old Dulcie has a lot to deal with when her father dies in a bizarre work-related accident and her mother decides that they should move from their CT home to CA. Dulcie decides it's time she takes her life into her own hands and steals her father's '68 Chevy truck and returns back home to her grandfather. This is a refreshly touching story told with humor, imagery and symbolism. All high school students would enjoy this one! ( )

http://interactivereader.blogspot.com... ( )

When Dulcie's Father accidentally kills himself, it's a bit of a shock. When her mother decides to move them off to California, it's more than Dulcie is prepared to take. When she finds out her mother intends to get rid of her father's truck, she officially draws the line: she takes it and drives herself back to Connecticut.

Upon arrival, she meets not her grandfather, as expected, but a girl she's never seen before standing in the flowers. Roxanne, who now works for Dulcie's grandfather, knows exactly who Dulcie is, and that her grandfather has been expecting her.

The welcome isn't as warm as she had hoped. Turns out taking off and going cross-country as a teen worries your elders. But Frank does agree to let her stay. She even gets her old job back, though as punishment she will receive no pay for the summer. She also has to call her mother. This stipulation is easier to get around: she knows when her mother is going to be at work, and always makes sure to call when she won't be there.

Back at work as a janitor, Dulcie makes fast friends with Roxanne, whom Frank has somewhat adopted, as it seems she's not necessarily well taken care of at home. The night Dulcie drops by with her to get fresh clothes on their way to dinner with Dulcie's suprise-visiting mother, Dulcie finds out just how bad Roxanne's home life is. This harsh glimpse at events causes a flurry of actions on multiple fronts, which almost lead to disaster.

In the end, Dulcie, who's always known who she is, gains a greater understanding of relationships, friendships, love, and home. Roxanne, who's never had it great, adopts Dulcie's family. While perhaps no one's ended up quite where they expected, they all know they've found their place.

An excellent book, worth reading again (and again). ( )