This is the story of a man, a man like any other-if not for the extraordinary choices he makes. Death visits this man's family, as it does all others; the man's beloved mother lived a long life but eventually succumbs to the ravages of time. The man is naturally grief stricken, but in his sorrow, he sees possibility-a chance to start over.

Why not, he asks himself, make a journey of enlightenment? He decides to take his remaining family-his wife, niece, and grandson-and travel to the West Coast, where the four of them will delve more deeply into their spirituality and (hopefully) arrive at a sense of peace.

So the man and his family pack their belongings into a rented minivan and set off. Their destination will, indeed, hold many of the answers they seek. Yet the road itself-and the people they meet along the way-present them with many surprises, some of them dangerous. Still, the man cannot turn back. There is no going home. And as the foursome press on, what they discover will change their entire view of themselves and their place in the universe.