Book review: 'Road to Somewhere' takes negative turn

"ROAD TO SOMEWHERE: An American Memoir," by James A. Reeves, W.W. Norton & Company, $25, 400 pages (nf)

It’s more than a travel book. It’s more than a biography. It’s more than a collection of pictures. It’s the history of mankind in the United States over the last 50 years with a pointed view to the downhearted.

“The Road to Somewhere,” a memoir written by James A. Reeves, is divided into chapters of Men, Country, Work, Home, Discipline, God, Guts and Strength, with pictures for each entry. The first page of each chapter asks an interesting question: “What does it take to be a man?”

As the author discusses each area of life in the chapters, it becomes obvious that he doesn’t have a positive outlook in life. He loves his parents and grandparents. But all of the rest of life he experiences driving from one end of the country to the other, as shown in the map in the back of the book, and he is afraid, angry or overwhelmed.

There are some wonderful pictures that Reeves has taken over the years, but also there are sad pictures of a bygone life. Reeves also includes radio dialogues from different parts of the country and gives a narrative about a children’s art class he observed for a week.

There is vulgar language throughout and one picture that may raise some eyebrows.

In some sense, Reeves writes positively about growing up in his family, but all the places he visits throughout the country, in his opinion, have no redeeming quality. Growing up in the Detroit area and living in New York City, Pennsylvania and other various places, he seems to be driving around as an investigative reporter more than a traveler taking a drive to enjoy the countryside. Reeves discusses, among other places, the western desert, Washington, D.C., California, the great lakes area, New York City, the Southeast and finally realizes he wants to settle in the South, where he resides in New Orleans today.

The writing is clear and concise as the descriptions are vivid, the photos are colorful and some landscapes are beautiful. For some it will open their eyes to a different point of view and lead them to the road to somewhere.

IF YOU GO ...

WHAT: James A. Reeves book signing

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.

Where: The King's English, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City

WEB: kingsenglish.com

Valerie Steimle is the mother of nine children living in Alabama and is the author of four books including "Of One Heart: Being Single in the LDS World."