First published in 1982, William Least Heat-Moon's account of his journey along the back roads of the United States (marked with the color blue on old highway maps) has become something of a classic. When he loses his job and his wife on the same cold February day, he is struck by inspiration: "A man who couldn't make things go right could at least go. He could quit trying to get out of the way of life. Chuck routine. Live the real jeopardy of circumstance. It was a question of dignity."
Driving cross-country in a van named Ghost Dancing, Heat-Moon (the name the Sioux give to the moon of midsummer nights) meets up with all manner of folk, from a man in Grayville, Illinois, "whose cap told me what fertilizer he used" to Scott Chisholm, "a Canadian citizen ... [who] had lived in this country longer than in Canada and liked the United States but wouldn't admit it for fear of having to pay off bets he made years earlier when he first 'came over' that the U.S. is a place no Canadian could ever love." Accompanied by his photographs, Heat-Moon's literary portraits of ordinary Americans should not be merely read, but savored.
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Had my atlas out tracing his journey the entire time I read it. Picked this book up on a fluke and was so glad I did....made me want to take a few months off and drive the country.

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A unique travelogue. Lots of historical data and stories about places visited.
A little disappointing at the end. Guess I wanted a better ending to the personal
and private part of the story.

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I love the back roads and enjoyed reading this classic tale. The good thing about the story, it is really a series of short stories and you can read it at any pace that you want, but then it also lacks an overall plot, which is probably typical of a travel log such as this. The real beauty of the tale is how you feel that you are right there with Least Heat Moon in the passengers seat.

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I liked the book but in spite of trying to stay with it I found it did not draw me back. I enjoyed the 1/3 of the book I finished but never got through all of it. Interesting encounters with locals and the parts I read about areas of the US with which I was familiar were quite authentically described.

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I liked Prairyerth better, but now at least I know how he got his name.

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Interesting travalogue with some humor. His other book River Horse is a better read.

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Perhaps dated now by more than 30 years, it was newly published when I first read it. The red highways (like arteries) are interstates: they don't let you get off very easily, except for gas and fast food. But the blue roads are like the Road Not Taken (Frost). Although you may no longer meet and see the same circumstances today, the possibilities are still there. This book was a great influence on the choices in my life: I still take the less travelled way whenever I can and love the realities of this country that can still be found in small towns, remote places and back roads.

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Even though this book was written over 30 years ago, it is very interesting to discover all the ways in which our culture and our society have changed. Bill did a wonderful job chronicling his journey around the US. I especially enjoyed his historical references, culinary experiences, and interactions with regular folks and, as well as his many encounters with suspicious police. I wish he'd shared a bit more about his personal life, though, and how this trip changed it. I see that he's written two other books, which I am ordering right now. :)
Gisele Herbert

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