Dreamer's Daughter: Surviving My Childhood and Raising My Father

A daughter's inspiring memoir of a childhood short on money, but rich in all the rest, and her eccentric and misguided father who fails spectacularly at everything--except being a loving parent.

In a mining town where hope is as tapped out as the gold, a mother abandons her two children, leaving them in the custody of their free-spirited father. Colorful and larger-than-life, Dacker Thicke is a dreamer whose schemes and small businesses never quite pan out. But he's always chasing the next big thing.

When they lose everything in a house fire, Dacker considers this the ultimate freedom and leads his children on a cross-country road trip that will force them to rely on his wits and dubious judgment. Amid the chaos, Lori must raise herself and her younger brother--and, on occasion, her father. When she strives for independence, she discovers that it's hard to leave home when home has wheels and keeps following you around.

A coming-of-age memoir, Dreamer's Daughter is a life-affirming story about forgiving our parents--and ourselves. It's a celebration of the love we find in even the most unconventional families, and how sometimes we need to leave home to find our way back.