From AudioFile
At age 58 John Steinbeck and his venerable standard poodle, Charley, set out on a journey across America in a camper. For three months these companions traveled the nation, meeting friends, strangers, relatives and immersing themselves in the fabric of the country as it was at that time. Gary Sinise does a grand job giving life to Steinbeck's words. While his regional accents don't always hit the mark, the listener is happy to forgive because of the love and respect Sinise accords the Steinbeck story. Eight hours is a lot of listening time, but it passes all too quickly with this wonderful version of an American treasure. S.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

FROM THE PUBLISHER

To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck's goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.

With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. And he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, on a particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and on the unexpected kindness of strangers that is also a very real part of our national identity.

SYNOPSIS

In 1960, at age 58, John Steinbeck set out with his French Poodle, Charley, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years. Together, they crossed America from the nothernmost tip of Maine to California's Monterey peninsula, stopping to smell the grass, to see the lights and to hear the speech of the real America. Steinbeck dined with truckers, encountered bears at Yellowstone, and reflected on the American character, racial hostility, and the unexpected kindness of strangers. Lyrical, perceptive, and surprising, it's an indispensable portrait of our national identity.Unabridged 12 hours on 8 cassettes

FROM THE CRITICS

AudioFile - Sharon Grover