What an enjoyable tale! 11 year old Sebastien is put on a Greyhound train by his no-account mother to go across the country alone to live with his grandparents. On the way he meets Marcus, a thirty-something black man returning home after a prison sentence, who acts as a sort of father figure and protects him on his journey. Lots of strange things happen on the journey, and they become true friends, each other's experiences and perspective enriching the other's in their three days together. The major themes of this book are those of what it means to be a man and father, and what a child lacks when he lacks a father (or parent). It's a little bit sad, often funny, and overall heartwarming. Set in the early 80's, complete with cassette tapes and payphones. Unexpectedly fabulous. A 12 year old boy is essentially sent to travel across the US to go live with his grandparents because his mother and soon-to-be stepfather can't be bothered by having a kid. They also forgot to tell the grandparents he was on the way, too.The unlikely friendships he makes along the way and life lessons learned (some thanks to Langston Hughes) was heartwarming as well as heartbreaking.As a teenager in the 80's, I had to do a lot of shuffling between parents via Greyhound. This book brought back a lot of not-so-keen memories, but the book itself is well worth the read.
Do You like book Greyhound (2010)?
Great read! Simple yet brings you through many emotions. Have recommended to many friends.
—Cassie
I loved this book! Good message about making friends in the strangest of situations.
—cintym
Wish I could have read this book when I was 14.
—Patriciak01
