From one of the
most famous of the Beat writers, Kerouac’s final novel of brotherhood and travel,
now reissued in a standalone edition following his centenary celebration
Pic–full name Pictorial Review Jackson–is
a ten-year-old Black boy living in rural North Carolina with his grandfather in
the 1940s. When Pic is forced to move in with his aunt after his grandfather’s
passing, his older brother Slim appears to rescue him. Together, they hitch a
ride to New York City, where Slim lives with his pregnant girlfriend, but the
city’s poverty shocks young Pic. When Slim loses job after job, the brothers
will pick up and head west, making their way to California across a country
suffused with hardship, music, love, and danger. Kerouac’s last published
novel,
Pic is an endearing portrayal of brotherhood and the classic
American road trip, seen through the adventurous eyes of a child.
