Super Short Summary

Published in 1962, Travels With Charley: In Search of America is a narrative travelogue by John Steinbeck, chronicling a cross-country road trip with his brown poodle, Charley, in a custom-built camper truck named Rosinante. Seeking to reconnect with American life and coming to terms with aging, Steinbeck travels through various regions, observing landscapes, engaging with locals, and reflecting on contemporary issues like progress, politics, and identity. The book includes depictions of anti-Black racism and the Southern white response to the civil rights movement, using outdated language to refer to Black and Indigenous Americans, which some may find upsetting.