That Hidden Road

Book excerpt: On a Wednesday morning in May of 2010, 42-year-old Rocco Versaci dipped the rear tire of his bicycle into the Pacific Ocean and began to pedal, alone, across the country. He had what he thought was a simple idea-to sort out the story of his life, which had taken a couple of unexpected detours in recent years. That Hidden Road is a memoir of the two months he spent crossing the country by bike. It's a story of burning saddle sores, heart-popping climbs, and unleashed dogs with a taste for ankle. It's a story of America's less-traveled roads and the people who live there. And it's a story of rebuilding a life from fragments, the spirit of the whole journey captured in a question most of us ask at one point or another-Can I find my way home? Blending travel writing, memoir, and even comics, That Hidden Road-like Kerouac's On the Road, William Least Heat Moon's Blue Highways, and Cheryl Strayed's Wild-is an unforgettable story of being lost and found on the road in America.