What do you do when you have lost everything in life that is important to you? When it happens to Alan, he chooses to walk across America, from Seattle, Washington, to Key West, Florida. If he can do that, maybe he can move forward with his life. He has lost his wife, his home, his reputation, and his business. He has nothing else to lose, so with the support of a few friends and the understanding and encouragement of his father, Alan sets out to walk across the country. He takes very little with him other than a road map and the few staples that will fit in a backpack. He relies on the generosity of strangers for shelter and often for food. When there is neither, he sleeps outside under the night stars.

Along the way, he interrupts the lives of many who need his help or who are there to help him. Each mile of his walk brings him friends and takes him through experiences that will affect his life for eternity. Now, in this fifth journal from his sojourn, he has almost reached the end of this journey as he crosses the state line of Florida and looks for a place to spend the night. However, instead of moving forward down this long state, Alan is drawn back to the western coast of California, where his father lies in a hospital after a major heart attack. As he sits in the airplane seat, he wonders if his father might already be dead. All the questions that come to us as adult children quietly walk across the street of his mind and emotions. Should he have stayed with his father rather than return to the Walk? If he had stayed, would he have been able to see this event coming and circumvent it somehow?

His journey is far from over. There are relationships that must be evaluated, absorbed and treasured. Even his relationship with his father will change drastically in the following days. Alan has taken us along on his journey to discover who he is and whether or not he can survive in this new world. Author Evans is a prolific writer, capturing the world’s attention with The Christmas Box and The Timepiece, which is this reviewer’s all-time favorite. He has shared with the reader stories about people with special gifts, teachers who are passionate about their students, brothers and sisters who stick together against all odds, and little girls whose only dream is to dance with their fathers. This is a book to read in one sitting, if that pleasure is available. You will learn a little geography along the way, but your heart will be filled with hope, and there is no greater gift an author can give a reader. If Richard Paul Evans is new to you, welcome to a new favorite.