The second book in the trilogy about Route 66 and this one is just as good as the first. I can't believe Charles James really walks that fast and it seems like he would mention foot problems, but since that doesn't happen, just enjoy the story! I really liked when he joined the migrant workers and really got to experience their hard life. This should help him understand his father more and maybe be able to forgive him? I will just have to read the last book and find out! ( )

By chance, this was the next title on the library shelf when I went to find another audiobook to listen to in my car--I had just about finished the first book of the trilogy at that point.

This book continues the journey Charles James (Gonzalez) began in "The Broken Road". Warning: Spoilers May Lie Ahead. Read at your own discretion

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In this book, we find out how it was that he was thought to be on the flight that crashed but really wasn't. Charles faces a choice. Stay "dead" and reinvent himself or reveal to the world that he's alive.
At first, he seems to plan that he'll walk Rte. 66 but then he changes his mind and thinks he'll do this big reveal in front of the large group that assembles for the memorial service his assistant Amanda throws at a posh venue. Actually, he is hoping his ex-wife will come to the memorial service and he can reunite with her. Not only does she not come (we find out why later in the book) but very few people attend it. (In fact, I think he is dismayed that so few people from his "office" attend. And one would think that many would since he was the boss--just to get the "brownie" points of doing so--but maybe they all decided to scramble to find other jobs--who knows.) So . . . no big reveal--and he decides to take the walking trip after all.

He has the presence of mind to transfer all his funds to a Cayman Islands account that few know about--but not the smarts to copy the account info. down in case his phone gets damaged or lost or falls in water etc. (Note to self: Make sure account access info is in multiple places if you're planning to put yourself in situations where things might go south.)

This book covers approximately the first half of Charles's Rte. 66 walk (from Chicago, IL to Amarillo, TX). At first, it seems to go well. I enjoyed reading about places along the route where Charles stops to eat, rest, visit a museum or attraction etc. (But I have to admit, that his money stash got him farther along than I thought it would. I realize he is using his credit card early on, especially for lodging, but he gets to Oklahoma/Texas and still apparently has a large amount of cash in his bag when he's robbed by the "motorcycle gang" despite visiting many attractions, eating at restaurants, etc. and certainly he can't have used his credit card in all these places for all the weeks it takes him to get to Texas. Did no one report him dead to the credit card company? Scary if not.

After he's robbed of almost everything of value, Charles meets a kind-hearted waitress who not only gives him the money the robbers left her as a tip, but also buys him his breakfast. I was a bit surprised that he didn't ask if there was a job for him there (dishwashing etc.) to earn some money to continue on--but given his recent past he may not have thought of it. It seems he thought he could just go to a bank and transfer money--forgetting, of course, that he has no account information without access to his phone.

The waitress and a migrant worker he meets named Eddie, begin Charles's route to being grateful for "normal" things like a soft bed with pillows, adequate food to eat etc. Charles meets Eddie in a group assembled outside a convenience store while they are waiting for a ride to the farm. Eddie greets Charles and gives him the scoop on migrant farm work in that area. Eddie takes Charles under his wing and helps look out for him. When Charles doesn't understand that he needs to buy food for his sustenance rather than just snacks, Eddie shares food with him. Eddie introduces Charles around to the other migrant workers, etc.

I was a bit surprised that Charles didn't take "LeGree"'s offer to stay in a slightly nicer place but glad that Charles wouldn't take special treatment that his friend Eddie wasn't going to get as well. The life of a migrant worker was an eye-opener to me. I knew there were migrant workers, but I didn't realize how some farms treated them or charged them for transportation etc. or how they were in substandard housing. Most won't complain because if they do, they risk being deported. It's sad.

I was glad to see Charles take Eddie out to a restaurant that Eddie had pointed out to him on their way to the farm and glad that Charles paid for Eddie to have a nice meal to thank him for his kindness to Charles in teaching him the ropes. I hope that we see the conclusion to Eddie's story in the last book of the trilogy--I hope that Eddie gets a chance to be with his wife who is working as a nanny in Florida and whom he usually only gets to see once a year.

At this point, Charles decides to call Amanda and reveal to her that he is still alive--mostly because he needs her help. They must have some special relationship because he asks her to wire him money and she does (from her own stash). He's also still treating her more like an assistant--though I think he is more grateful to and for her now than he probably was in the past.

The book ends as Charles sets out on the second half of the Rte. 66 journey. ( )

This was the second book of this story and it was very good. I love the day in and day out details of walking Route 66 and how this man is trying to literally be ready to revive himself from the dead. I'm hoping there is another installment to this story, can't wait to read it. ( )

Second in the series. Charles is hiking route 66 to California. His ex-wife is there. Along the way he was robbed of all money, and although a millionaire he has no access to the wealth. He has to reveal the fact that he was not killed in a plane crash to his Secretary and confident to get enough money to move on. ( )