Farewell, Route 66

The title of this book might suggest that I'm saying goodbye to the central subject of my fiction. That is not the case. A fifth and final book in this At Home and Away novel series is in progress because, like the rebirth of the Mother Road as "Historic Route 66," the story of America is always adding new chapters connected to its past. This five-volume novel series chronicles an American family during times of peace and war from 1915 to 2015. The first book, Route 66 Sweetheart, is set mostly in and around Rutherford, New Jersey, during the 1930s. Route 66 Dreamer features the son of a Swedish immigrant who pursues his dreams of American success in Kansas and Missouri in the early 1940s. However, in both books some family members move away to distant countries and unexpected challenges. The third volume, Route 66 Looking-glass, takes place primarily in Missouri in the mmid-1960s, but characters also travel far from home and familiar experiences. Farewell, Route 66 follows another generation of family members, this time from Missouri to Southeast Asia where many learn, sadly, "how to not tell a war story." In the final volume of the series, Route 66 Redux, the next generation travels to Europe and the Middle East to understand their identity in a multi-national community.