Looking for Jack Kerouac

Gr 10 Up—While on a high school trip to NYC, Paul Carpetti discovers the West Village and On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Paul begins to question everything about his typical Midwestern life. He discovers he no longer relates to or loves his girlfriend Kathy, who had always assumed marriage and children were inevitable, but before he can do anything about this, his mother is diagnosed with a brain tumor. After his mother's death, Paul graduates and gets a job at the local steel mill. He lets Kathy takes on the role of acting wife with the supposition of future marriage. Paul falls into the routine and believes that this is what's in store for him. While at the steel mill, however, Paul befriends the effervescent Duke Walczek, a fellow reader and Kerouac lover. Together, Paul and Duke take to the road themselves hitchhiking their way to Florida to meet Jack Kerouac. This story is well written and well conceived. It immerses readers into life in the 1960s. Shoup takes readers into a world filled with assorted characters caught up in the attitudes and beliefs of the time. Paul's journey of self-discovery will captivate readers. He is a likable character even when he is doing things that aren't very kind or agreeable. A relatable and affecting coming-of-age story.—Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY