Book Review – Cross-Country, by M.M. Justus (4 Coffee Beans).

Why did the woman cross the country? To get to the other side, and back again.

The author felt the need to go on a solo adventure in a big way.  She quit her job, gave up her apartment, fostered her cats, put her things in storage, bought a car, and started reading maps and listening to cassette tapes out on the open road.  The trip took about three months.  “Meg” explored many states, many natural outcroppings, both famous and obscure, plus more pedestrian tourist destinations.  Her guide books took her to out-of-the-way eateries, and they are duly reviewed.  The author noted weather patterns, appropriate clothing, things that delighted her, things that scared her, and and includes her email communications to loved ones along the way.

I found that I couldn’t read straight through this account.  The dizzying speed of reading quickly through a three-month journey sometimes seemed repetitive.  I had to stop and digest.  But the author’s style is breezy, she thoroughly enjoyed her adventure, and her humor is not overbearing.  Justus peppered her account with stories from her early years, letting us get to know her on a more personal basis.

The trip ended abruptly when her beloved car, named Owl, was totaled in a horrific accident that nearly killed the author.  A photo of the smushed Cavalier in the auto impound is included, and it’s not pretty.

As road trip diaries go, I think this is a good one.  I am happy to recommend it.

Amazon U.S. Link