What If the Hokey Pokey Really Is What It’s All About?

Do happy people write in diaries? Not according to Piccolo Poggioli, whose diary describes the horror of a road trip with her manic-depressive mother.

On a trip stretching from Niagara Falls to Las Vegas, the two flunk Adventure 101 and fall out with everyone they meet–hippie pet therapists, Las Vegas showgirls, and crackpot relatives. Even their adopted dog Salsa seems to hate their guts and keeps running away.

Piccolo longs to escape this epic fail in mother-daughter bonding. Unfortunately, her parents act like children who want recess to go on forever.

Early on, she replaces her diary’s cheesy affirmations with sarcastic sayings, pet peeves, random factoids, and slogans she spots on bumper stickers and bathroom walls. With luck, her love of words will help the two of them find their way back home, where she can put away her diary for good.