Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig

Ivan Doig’s prolific writing career was firmly grounded in the working class life of post war western USA.  Montana specifically was central to much of Doig’s writing.  Last Bus to Wisdom is the last novel written by this author at the age of 75 and it has been widely received as one of his best.  Filled with relatable characters, this novel centers around the orphan boy, Donal, who is sent on the journey of his life on a Greyhound bus (the “dog” bus) when his grandmother, who was raising him, falls ill and has to send him to a relative in Manitowoc.  The storyline is divided into two separate bus trips:  the first is the trip to his aunt and uncle’s and the second is his escape from the mean spirited aunt who never wanted him to come in the first place.  Each trip is filled with interesting characters who show the best and worst of human nature.  Donal’s adventures give the reader an eye witness view of this clever and mischievous young boy.  We are charmed by is imaginative stories used to entertain and rescue him throughout the novel.  There is danger at every turn it seems, but Donal manages to elude most troubles with his sharp mind and engaging personality.  Thankfully, the boy’s story is uplifting and comes to a satisfying conclusion when he is reunited with his loving grandmother in a stable environment.  If you read and enjoyed Hucklebery Finn, you will love Last Bus to Wisdom.  Donal and Huck share many of the same personality traits.  The adventures of Donal mirror Huck:  he rescues a man who will surely pay a high price for his “crimes” if he is not saved; he encounters scalliwags who take advantage of his naïveté; and he comes to realize that the world is not easy, but that if you look, you will always find good people even in the most unlikely places.  Good choice for heart warming read.