A Land So Fair and Bright

Book excerpt: Hofvendahl's travels at 16 seem right out of Woody Guthrie. When he jumped ahip in 1938, he headed east through Canada, south to New Orleans via New York, and across to San Francisco. He rode the rails often, and here he tells of catching freights on the fly, of panaoramas viewed from side-door pullmans or from open gondolas snaking down California peaks. There were also times without shelter, food, or water...A rare and exhilarating true-life tale. Booklist