6 readings for this summer with motorhomes as protagonists

The motorhomes Not only are they vehicles that allow us to explore the world freely, but they have also become fascinating settings in literature. This summer, we invite you to discover a schoice of books where motorhomes play a main role. From epic adventures to personal introspections, these stories promise to take you on an unforgettable journey. Come on board and enjoy these reads!

In 1960, Steinbeck, accompanied by his dog Charley, traveled more than 16.000 kilometers across thirty-four states, aboard your “Rocinante” motorhome. During the trip, he talked with truck drivers and farmers, feeling the fears and hopes of his compatriots.

Through his diverse encounters, Steinbeck offers an intimate view of deep America, making this work essential reading for any travel lover.

You can't talk about motorhome trips without mentioning this classic of literature beat. Although the term "camper van" is not specifically used, the characters, Dean Moriarty the mythical hipster, the hero of all beatniks, “a madman, an angel, a beggaror,” and the narrator, Sal Paradise, travel across America in a variety of vehicles, from borrowed Cadillacs to beat-up Dodges, capturing the essence of freedom and the search for identity.

A classic of North American literature that will liven up your days traveling in a motorhome.

This book, based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, tells the journey of a 24-year-old young man who abandons his conventional life to enter the most remote nature of Alaska. He had given away all his money and dreamed of a life in the wild. A Abandoned motorhome, known as the "Magic Bus", becomes his final refuge since, four months later, hunters found his lifeless body. Before he disappeared, Chris McCandless wrote to a friend: “Don't put down roots, don't settle down. Change places often, lead a nomadic life... You don't need to have someone with you to bring a new light into your life. It's just out there.".

The work explores themes of adventure, loneliness and the search for purpose, and invites us to reflect on our relationship with nature and society. And, if you like movies, director Sean Penn turned this book into a movie in 2007.

She and John Robina have shared a wonderful life for over sixty years. Now in her eighties, Ella has cancer and John suffers from Alzheimer's. In her desire for live a great adventure, they decide to undertake their last trip together in their old motorhome, the Leisure Seeker.

Despite their health problems, they embark on a journey along Route 66, remembering their years together and facing their fears. This moving tale of love and adventure will make you laugh and cry, showing how the journey can be both physical and emotional.

The book was also made into a film, with Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren as protagonists, in 2017.

Having lost his job and his wife – after a failed marriage – William Least Heat-Moon reaches a turning point in his life and decides to take his motorhome, "Ghost Dancing", and make a 13.000-mile trip along secondary roads in the United States, the so-called “Blue Highways” because they appeared drawn in blue on ancient maps.

More than a simple autobiographical novel, it is a Unforgettable trip along the roads of America, which delves into lesser-known American cities and towns, as well as the people who inhabit these places. Through encounters with unique characters and stunning landscapes, the book offers a meditation on life on the road and the country's cultural diversity.

This book, which inspired the award-winning film “Nomadland”, explores the lives of modern nomads who live and work in their motorhomes. From the beet fields of North Dakota to the National Forest campgrounds of California and Amazon's CamperForce program in Texas, employers have discovered a new pool of low-cost labor, made up primarily of adult American seasonal workers. Upon discovering that Social Security is falling short and drowning in mortgages, tens of thousands of these Invisible victims of the Great Recession hit the road in motorhomes, caravans and vans, forming a growing community of nomads: migrant workers who call themselves workampers.

In a second-hand vehicle that he calls "Van Halen", Jessica Bruder hits the road to get up close and personal with these guys. Accompanying his irrepressible protagonist Linda May and others in cleaning camp toilets, scanning products in a warehouse, in meetings in the desert and in the dangerous work of harvesting beets, Bruder tells a compelling and revealing about the dark recesses of the American economy, which foreshadows the precarious future that may await many more of us. But at the same time, she celebrates the exceptional resilience and creativity of these Americans who have given up ordinary roots to survive.

This summer, let motorhomes take you on extraordinary literary adventures. Each of these books offers a unique perspective on life on the road, whether through real or fictional stories. Whether you're planning your next RV trip or simply dreaming of the freedom they represent, these readings will transport you to new horizons.

Safe travels and happy reading!