This book is a book that you cannot put down. It is a charming description about a cross country journey during a time that is now lost. The reader falls in love with the dog, Charley. It is full of the love that the author has for his dog-even putting his trip on hold to have a vet look at his beloved friend. I was surprised at the irony of the ending!! I highly recommend this book to everyone. After I read the book, I researched it. One of the things that I read included a comment by Steinbeck's son that said he believed his father was writing fiction, as Steinbeck actually would have been too shy to talk to all of the strangers he met along the way. The trip was real, however. I believe the camper is on display somewhere devoted to Mr. STeinbeck.