A recent university graduate, Richard is eager to begin his career in teaching. With improbable timing, his grandfather suffers a stroke and leaves Richard as the sole full-time caregiver. Lovingly, Richard puts his entire life on hold to care for all the daily needs of his ailing relative. During their time together, his grandfather whets Richard’s appetite for travel while recounting the wondrous places he’s seen. After his grandfather dies suddenly, Richard receives the proceeds from an unexpected life insurance policy with the firm admonition to board a train and, “Go across the USA from sea to shining sea.” With a promise to correspond with a journalist friend to detail his journey and get to the bottom of the stories of the other passengers he encounters along the way, Rich sets off on the trip of a lifetime.
Rich’s Ride by Malcolm K. Chadbourne is a family-friendly tale about the interesting differences in people. As he makes his way West, Rich encounters a Tarot card reader, two sisters that enjoy quilting, a passionate Christian Scientist, and a variety of other curious characters. The premise of the story is fun, however, the descriptions of many of the passengers read too clichéd or exaggerated to feel genuine. Rich himself remains an enigma; by the end of the book, little is expressed of his personality other than his endearing childlike curiosity. The grandfather is the most in depth character in the book, but we lose him quite early on.
More character driven than plot-heavy, Rich’s Ride is a well edited and interesting read for those that enjoy studying human nature. Curiosity meets cross-county adventure in this lively account about the people in the world around us and what makes them who they are.
