by Eleanor Mannikka
synopsis
In this cross-country tour of Bolivia and its various inhabitants, a truck driver has been coerced into taking on a young orphan as a "co-pilot" because the boy was desperate enough to hide out in his truck, and the trucker is a generous man at heart. As they tool along the highway, they encounter a series of adventures: the trucker loses some money gambling, argues with his wife (at home with their brood of children), helps a Native American woman get her produce to the open market -- and flirts with women along the way. Through it all, the trucker and orphan develop a solid companionship, and after they finish their run, they divide the earnings and start back home -- on a return trip that will turn out to be very different.
characteristics
- Truckdriver
- Trucker
- Stowaway
- Runaway [from Home]
- Orphan
- On-the-road