A middle-grade novel by James Bird about a boy sent to a Native American boot camp to straighten out his life. Benjamin Waterfalls is a troubled kid: he steals as the quickest way to fill the emptiness in his life. Plus, he enjoys the danger and it makes him feel good to sneak some money into his mom’s purse when rent is due. His Native American mother has tried everything to help Benny find a better path, but when he lands in court in front of an unforgiving judge, it looks like there is no hope until the judge agrees to allow Benny one last chance at turning his life around. The only problem is, he’s being sent to stay with his father – the man Benny hasn’t seen for seven years.

When home is a car, life is unpredictable. School, friends, and three meals a day aren't guaranteed. Not every town has a shelter where a family can sleep for a night or two, and places with parking lots don't welcome overnight stays. Opin, his brother Emjay, and their mother are trying to get to Los Angeles, where they hope an uncle and a new life are waiting. Emjay has taken to disappearing for days, slowing down the family's progress and adding to their worry. Then Opin finds a stray dog who needs him as much as he needs her, and his longing for a stable home intensifies, as his brother's reckless ways hit a new high. Opin makes a new friend in the shelter, but shelters don’t allow dogs... Will anything other than a real home ever be enough?