Last Bus To Wisdom: A Novel

Content Warning: The source text includes anti-fat bias as well as outdated and insensitive terminology to refer to Indigenous Americans, people without permanent homes, and people with disabilities. The text also features the theft of Indigenous artifacts by non-Indigenous people.

Integral to the personal growth he experiences, Donal has many interpersonal encounters with others, both on and off the bus, facilitated by the memory book he carries. While his initial goal is enshrinement in Ripley’s Believe It or Not for having more memory book signatures than any other human being, the book’s purpose and significance evolves to represent the experience and wisdom he gains on his journey.

The signers leave not just a tangible signature and inscription, but also a memory and a lesson. When Donal asks three soldiers to sign, he learns their destination is Korea, causing him to reflect on these young men in light of his father’s nearly fatal D-Day experience. Some inscriptions leave feelings of bitter irony, as when the pickpocket signs his name “I.M. Desmosz,” a reference to Dismas—the thief crucified with Jesus—before stealing all of Herman and Donal’s money. Other signers, such as the Schneiders, teach Donal something about the lifestyles of others—such as traveling for pleasure—while also forming connections that help him along his journey, as when he later turns their son, the doctor at Yellowstone, for help.