THE NEXT BETTER PLACE: A FATHER AND SON ON THE ROAD (2003)

Call this a heartbreaking memoir of staggering mileage. In 1959, 11-year-old Keith and his father set off from Albany, N.Y., for the shining El Dorado of California, hitchhiking, hunkering on Greyhounds when they could, sleeping in cars, rooming in boarding houses (and skipping town without paying the rent). Keith's adventure quickly degenerated into babysitting his alcoholic dad, pushing the boundaries of personal hygiene, and flirting with the law. It's the shabbier side of America, but the sense of freedom Keith tasted comes through loud and clear, as does his affection for his father.