This is another John Steinbeck. This book is a study of characters from different economic circumstances, and from different cultures who are thrown together for a bus ride through the rain, and taking an old road because the bridges are out.
The characters are interesting in their own right. Juan Chicoy is half Mexican, and owner of the Rebel Corner Diner and also runs a bus line from there to the coast. He keeps the Virgin dangling from the mirror of his bus, Sweetheart. Pimples, who wants to be called Kit, is his assistant mechanic at the Corners. Juan's wife is Alice. She has a bad temper which gets her into trouble. She is also snoopy and wants to find out things to hold over people. The helper in the diner is Norma. Norma is somewhat lost in life. She is saving her money to go to Hollywood.
The bus passengers include the Pritchards, Mr. and Mrs. and their daughter Mildred. Mildred has an attraction to Juan. Ernest Horton is a traveling salesman. He has plans to get ahead through an invention. An old man, who is always quoting regulations and destroying everyone's fun. He has a stroke before they reach their destination. Camille is a character who changes the dynamics. She is the last to arrive. She is a real beauty and the men all want to be close to her. She is in fact a striptease artist. When the bus gets stuck, Chicoy plays with the idea of just running away. He comes to his senses, and resigns himself to his current life. This book has interesting characters, not a lot of plot, but lots of interaction between different people thrown together.
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