We learn very early on that the world is made up of people, places, and things. Then, as we get older, we sort their importance. As a rule, RVers tend to be more concerned with places than things. (We only have so much space, after all.) But people are the true constant for every journey. And Erin Gordon’s fourth novel, Peeps, takes readers on a cross-country RV journey that is all about people and the questions that cut through the fiber of us all.
In this RV-driven tale, Meg, Gordon’s central character, hosts a podcast of the same name. But following her mother’s death, Meg makes a radical decision to embark on a journey across the country — as an RV newbie. In search of stories for her podcast and the missing pieces of her own story, Meg’s travels are at times inspiring and often hilarious, making Peeps a funny, charming, and relatable coming-of-age novel that proves you’re never too old for a grand adventure.
A Coming of Middle-Age Story for the Road
In the opening pages, Meg gets hit on all sides with a midlife crisis. At 51, she is orphaned, divorced, and empty-nesting. She gets closer to a breaking point with each passing day, and finds it in an unexpected place — the allure of a glamorous woman’s purse. Meg thinks that someone who needs a big purse must lead a Big Life. Which starts a train of thought on what the Big Life actually looks like. She’s never thought of herself as the kind of woman who could have a Big Life, but there’s a first time for everything.
So, Meg makes a big decision. She picks up her Small Life and shoves it into an RV. (Whom she affectionately names “Irv.”) In search of answers about her mother, she sets off cross-country to find her uncle. Along the way, she conducts interviews for her podcast. In each interview, she asks the same seven questions — with each chapter concluding with a transcription of her most recent episode. These interviews allow the reader to really connect with Meg and the people she sits across from — as they can see Meg herself wrestle with her complicated grief, feelings about her divorce, and her only son moving away to college.
Girl Camping, Interviews, and Introspection
Peeps is a novel for any adult, though its content — a first-time girl camper on the road — is clearly meant to appeal to women. It has cute moments and also shares personal insights that travelers commonly pick up along the way. Erin Gordon is a journalist herself, and it shows in Meg’s passion for the audio interview. Personally, Gordon’s writing style reminds me of an elevated John Green, with her habit of portraying action or inside jokes first with explanation second.
Gordon and Green also have a similar focus on the small pieces of a character: their habits, mannerisms, and quirks. Unlike Green, Gordon writes for an adult audience, and her characters experience adult lives and adult problems. As the premise teases, readers can expect to really enjoy the interviews in the book — even as it makes them consider their own answers to seven questions. These podcast transcriptions are also a clever device to break up the monotony of protagonists voice and allowed you to fall in love with the mundane — just as she does.
Getting Your Own Copy of Peeps
Peeps is available as both a physical book and ebook. The writing was simple and pointed without being boring. (However, I wasn’t able to find an audio book.) Readers should beware that the book deals with death, death of a parent, grief, divorce, and parental neglect, among other potentially difficult and adult topics.
Peeps was a great read that I’ve already passed along to my bookish friends. Gordon’s love of the ordinary shines through the pages to light up the simplicity in your days. It’s absolutely worth taking a chance on, and so rewarding when you do.
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