Thirteen-year-old Evan Hanson is always the last in her family to know what's going on-at least, that's how it feels. Her father, Gene, who's been meaner since he began serving in Vietnam, isn't around much, and she likes it better that way. But then her brother, Adam, gets drafted and her anti-war mother, Endura, takes him across the border to Canada, leaving Evan alone with Gene and her younger, special needs brother, Teddy.
When he realizes Endura isn't returning, Gene takes Evan and Teddy to Eat and Get Gas, his mother's cafe and gas station in Hoquiam, Washington. There, as well as her no-nonsense but loving grandma, Evan encounters Aunt Vivian, a teasing but caring know-it-all; Uncle Frankie, injured in Vietnam and suffering from PTSD; Paco, the draft dodger Frankie is hiding; Hal and Hubert, the strange but gentle next-door neighbors who play the piano like virtuosos and help out when they're needed; and Louanne, Frankie's reserved, sensitive sister. She is drawn in particular to Louanne, who was disfigured by a car accident that killed the rest of her and Frankie's family.
At Eat and Get Gas, Evan finds a new freedom, and she starts to carve out a place for herself by helping in the cafe and sorting mail for Uncle Frankie, who runs a postal route in addition to running the gas station. She eventually, too, learns some of the family secrets she's been kept in the dark about-and comes to understand that her mother isn't coming back any time soon.
Then, after reading a letter that wasn't meant for her, Evan discovers the biggest secret of all.
Industry Reviews
"Surrounded by a cast of quirky characters and damaged adults, [Evan] learns a new definition of family, the cost of untold secrets, and the value of her burgeoning self-esteem.
Eat and Get Gas is a powerful story about a sad chapter in America's history that is thoroughly modern, relevant, and inspiring."
-Anne Leigh Parrish, author of An Open Door
"Eat and Get Gas is a compelling and affecting read that highlights experiences I haven't often seen in fiction. This masterful study of family acts as a microcosm of Vietnam War-era America and expresses extremely well the way the trauma of this war reverberates deeply and widely. The book hums with a deep sense of love, in complicated and sometimes painful situations, and describes a group of people loving each other in ways that are complicated and poignant."
-Pip Adam, author of Nothing to See, The New Animals, I'm Working on a Building, and the short-story collection Everything We Hoped For
"Great cast of characters, a compelling story, and convincingly told."
-Joe Bennett, New Zealand columnist and travel writer
Past Praise for the author, for How to Grow An Addict:
2016 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS - WINNER IN ADDICTION & RECOVERY
2016 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS (NIEA)- WINNER IN ADDICTION & RECOVERY
2016 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS (IPPY)- BRONZE MEDAL - LITERARY FICTION
2015 FOREWARD REVIEWS INDIEFAB BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS HONORABLE MENTION FOR GENERAL FICTION
2015 USA BEST BOOK AWARDS FINALIST FOR GENERAL FICTION
"Wright deftly and insightfully describes how a life can spiral toward addiction and rehab. The story is raw and touching and I found myself rooting for Randall as she navigates redemption and sobriety. A gritty and honest read."
-Susie Orman Schnall, award-winning author of On Grace and The Balance Project
"Wright dares to stomp where others only lightly tread, and does so with grace, craft, and an unusual ease. This is not a sob story about abuse, damage, and addiction, it's a story of how bravery, self-recognition, and the desire for happiness slap the former in the face and gleam with hope. A great read and lesson for anyone who's been there, hopes to get elsewhere, or simply needs to read a story that resonates."
-Maria Kostaki, author of Pieces: A Novel
