Book overview
For fans of literary classics such as The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower comes a stirring new thought-provoking novel from debut author Sam Miller about a loss shrouded in mystery with twists and turns down every railway.
Arthur Louis Pullman the Third is on the verge of a breakdown. He's been stripped of his college scholarship, is losing his grip on reality, and has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle.
It's there that Arthur discovers a journal written by his grandfather, the first Arthur Louis Pullman, an iconic Salinger-esque author who went missing the last week of his life and died hundreds of miles away from their family home. What happened in that week--and how much his actions were influenced by his Alzheimer's--remains a mystery.
But now Arthur has his grandfather's journal--and a final sentence containing a train route and a destination.
So Arthur embarks on a cross-country train ride to relive his grandfather's last week, guided only by the clues left behind in the dementia-fueled journal. As Arthur gets closer to uncovering a sad and terrible truth, his journey is complicated by a shaky alliance with a girl who has secrets of her own and by escalating run-ins with a dangerous Pullman fan base.
Arthur's not the only one chasing a legacy--and some feel there is no cost too high for the truth.
As Arthur follows the journal from California to the plains of Nebraska and beyond, he must ask himself: what's more dangerous, the truth he's chasing or the one he's running from?
- A YA Coming of Age Story: On a journey of finding yourself, Arthur grapples with his own fragile reality, a complicated new friendship, and the long shadow of his family's past.
- A Troubled Family Legacy: Arthur isn't just chasing his famous grandfather's story; he's being chased by a dangerous fan base that believes the Pullman legacy belongs to them.
- An Unforgettable Road Trip: From the coast of California to the backroads of Ohio, Arthur follows the strange, poetic clues left in a dementia-fueled journal, unsure of where they lead.
- Grief, Loss, and Identity: Perfect for readers who loved The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this powerful story explores the complexities of mental health and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.