Albyn Leah Hall, The Rhythm of the Road

The Rhythm of the Road

Albyn Leah Hall

Dunne, January 2007, $24.95

ISBN 0312359447

Not long after Josephine was born, her mother disappeared leaving behind the newborn with her father to raise her. Her daddy, Bobby Pickering, drives a truck, taking her on the road with him since she was born. Bobby has always stopped to pick up lovely hitchhikers over the years; charming many of them to warm his bed when he stops for the night.

The years have moved on; Jo is now a teen starting to desire males with a fierce need for more freedom. Bobby recently picked up singer Cosima Stewart. Jo turns to Cosima as a mother surrogate, persuading Bobby to take her to the singer's shows. However, a band member has intimate relations with Jo just before Cosima leaves to tour California. Jo mentally collapses; ignoring her father she follows Cosima to the West Coast, where her emotional collapse becomes obvious.

THE RHYTHM OF THE ROAD is not an easy tale to read, as the angst of the teen will disturb the audience because it seems so genuine. The cast makes this a powerful relationship drama, as Jo, though loving her father and knowing he loves her too, falls apart anyway. Her plea for help, especially from Cosima will touch all readers, as Albyn Leah Hall provides a deep look at a people in trouble.