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Amaranthine Chevrolet
A teenage boy's tough ride across an unforgiving country.
In the year 1967, fifteen-year-old Robin Wallenco steals an antique pick-up truck and heads west from south Saskatchewan, driving on farmland and obscure roads to avoid police. Like Odysseus trying to return to his home, he encounters one mysterious situation after men on the run from police and their pasts, hippies trying to create a utopia, farmers switching their crop to marijuana, a raging fire in the Rockies. What he passes through is a microcosm of a massively changing society — a rural culture that, though eroding, hangs on to values of kindness and endurance, and one in which Robin must act far older than his years.
When Robin’s purpose is revealed, this story becomes at once heartbreaking and heartwarming, an indirect look at childhood trauma through the eyes of a wildly brave yet non-comprehending victim, a man-boy who is both heroic and vulnerable.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
In the year 1967, fifteen-year-old Robin Wallenco steals an antique pick-up truck and heads west from south Saskatchewan, driving on farmland and obscure roads to avoid police. Like Odysseus trying to return to his home, he encounters one mysterious situation after men on the run from police and their pasts, hippies trying to create a utopia, farmers switching their crop to marijuana, a raging fire in the Rockies. What he passes through is a microcosm of a massively changing society — a rural culture that, though eroding, hangs on to values of kindness and endurance, and one in which Robin must act far older than his years.
When Robin’s purpose is revealed, this story becomes at once heartbreaking and heartwarming, an indirect look at childhood trauma through the eyes of a wildly brave yet non-comprehending victim, a man-boy who is both heroic and vulnerable.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
256 pages, Paperback
Published June 10, 2025
2 people are currently reading
6339 people want to read
About the author
Dennis E. Bolen
13 books42 followersDennis E. Bolen has published six novels, two books of short fiction and a poetry collection; holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and was fiction editor at sub-TERRAIN magazine for ten years; has been a part-time editorial writer and reviewer for The Vancouver Sun; literary reviewer for the Georgia Straight; freelance critic for numerous publications.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 27, 2025
Genuinely, I feel that I’ve just read a hidden gem. Looking at the author’s Goodreads turns out with a paucity of reviews. Can this be possible? This story is good. Amaranthine Chevrolet is on-par with, or even more so, than plenty of other ARC novels I’ve read, but with a fraction of the hype.
When 15-year-old Robin Wallenco’s farm manager boss dies, he sets off west from Saskatchewan with an antique ‘42 Chevrolet and no driver’s license. A story described as an “Odyssey,” Robin meets situations such as break-downs, hippies, good Samaritans, and fraught family ties, all the while evading the RCMP. The writing is straightforward, the dialogue short and polite, and yet somehow it’s so very capturing.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book I requested on a whim. I really hope it gets the attention it deserves!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press/Rare Machines for the ARC.
When 15-year-old Robin Wallenco’s farm manager boss dies, he sets off west from Saskatchewan with an antique ‘42 Chevrolet and no driver’s license. A story described as an “Odyssey,” Robin meets situations such as break-downs, hippies, good Samaritans, and fraught family ties, all the while evading the RCMP. The writing is straightforward, the dialogue short and polite, and yet somehow it’s so very capturing.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book I requested on a whim. I really hope it gets the attention it deserves!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press/Rare Machines for the ARC.
May 5, 2025
“Nice to have met you Robin. Now fly like one”.
Oh, I loved this! What a wonderful novel to stumble across.
A beautiful coming of age story. I really loved traveling across the country with young Robin in his truck, overcoming all of the obstacles he faces—he is such a sweet character. “He wondered if he would ever become blasé about the sacrifices others made for him and resolved in the moment to try never to take anything like this for granted. He found himself oddly fighting back tears.” BLESS HIM! 🥺
It’s a very atmospheric novel and the writing was simply beautiful. For example, this description of (what I interpreted as) the feeling of relief actually made me pause for a moment: “an instant lightening of his heart radiated to his throat and down his arms and wrists”. ❣️
I’d say this is one for you fans of Shuggy Bain and Demon Copperhead if you fancy something a little more uplifting and hopeful/less bleak! 🛻 ✨
Thank you so much NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC! Please note that quotes I’ve included in this review are from an advanced copy of this book. 📖
Oh, I loved this! What a wonderful novel to stumble across.
A beautiful coming of age story. I really loved traveling across the country with young Robin in his truck, overcoming all of the obstacles he faces—he is such a sweet character. “He wondered if he would ever become blasé about the sacrifices others made for him and resolved in the moment to try never to take anything like this for granted. He found himself oddly fighting back tears.” BLESS HIM! 🥺
It’s a very atmospheric novel and the writing was simply beautiful. For example, this description of (what I interpreted as) the feeling of relief actually made me pause for a moment: “an instant lightening of his heart radiated to his throat and down his arms and wrists”. ❣️
I’d say this is one for you fans of Shuggy Bain and Demon Copperhead if you fancy something a little more uplifting and hopeful/less bleak! 🛻 ✨
Thank you so much NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC! Please note that quotes I’ve included in this review are from an advanced copy of this book. 📖
August 2, 2025
I savoured this book. A coming-of-age story for all ages, human and historical alike.
Set in the 1960s in Western Canada, Amaranthine Chevrolet speaks to both the reader and the present as a young man, a few months before he is the legal driving age, finds adulthood in (or one could say 'with') a 1942 Chevrolet on a road trip where he encounters a series of Elders, elder men who advise him not only on which back-road to take next so as not to be caught license-less by the cops, but also on life, passing on their wisdom to a young and, yes, straight and most likely white man.
In a culture that has been dominated by gender politics for decades, this is a voice we haven't heard for a while: the voice of Dennis E. Bolen along with the voice of men sharing their vulnerabilities, triumphs, failures and advice. As a feminist, I was not bothered by this; I barely noticed the fact that there are very few women in this book and practically no female voices until after I had finished. Straight, white men still exist. And good ones too.
Bolen's distinctive style of sparse density where nary a comma is to be found and speech tags are an ultimate 'no-no' builds a minimal narrative alive with story. Uncanny because, as I read (and one of the reasons for savouring each page and sentence), I heard the voices of each character while travelling with young Robin from Saskatchewan to the West Coast of BC where even the landscape and the 1942 Chevrolet speak to us. An impeccable book. An epic read.
Set in the 1960s in Western Canada, Amaranthine Chevrolet speaks to both the reader and the present as a young man, a few months before he is the legal driving age, finds adulthood in (or one could say 'with') a 1942 Chevrolet on a road trip where he encounters a series of Elders, elder men who advise him not only on which back-road to take next so as not to be caught license-less by the cops, but also on life, passing on their wisdom to a young and, yes, straight and most likely white man.
In a culture that has been dominated by gender politics for decades, this is a voice we haven't heard for a while: the voice of Dennis E. Bolen along with the voice of men sharing their vulnerabilities, triumphs, failures and advice. As a feminist, I was not bothered by this; I barely noticed the fact that there are very few women in this book and practically no female voices until after I had finished. Straight, white men still exist. And good ones too.
Bolen's distinctive style of sparse density where nary a comma is to be found and speech tags are an ultimate 'no-no' builds a minimal narrative alive with story. Uncanny because, as I read (and one of the reasons for savouring each page and sentence), I heard the voices of each character while travelling with young Robin from Saskatchewan to the West Coast of BC where even the landscape and the 1942 Chevrolet speak to us. An impeccable book. An epic read.
August 29, 2025
Amaranthine Chevrolet hit me like a National Film Board of Canada summer of love documentary. The tensions are very Canadian with RCMP hot on the trail of marked gas, a vaguely stolen truck, and a 15-year-old driver. The almost too likeable, viceless, and polite main character finds adventure, beauty, and wise men on the road to prepare him for traumagic (traumatic/nostalgic) meeting with his estranged father. Tight prose. Short sentences. Good story.
On an accessibility level, as a dyslexic, I found the lack of quotation marks on dialogue a frustrating choice. I often struggled with who was speaking.
On an accessibility level, as a dyslexic, I found the lack of quotation marks on dialogue a frustrating choice. I often struggled with who was speaking.
June 15, 2025
This was a refreshing read and I feel kind of guilty for ignoring my family while I escaped into it.
The book whisks you along on an adventure with our young traveller and his aged truck. Tensions keep you turning the pages as you know the Mounties (amongst others, including the terrain) are always a danger. There is a hint of optimism that in this day and age I found really comforting. The descriptions are beautiful yet the writing is pared down in a way reminiscent of early Cormac McCarthy without the grimness.
The book whisks you along on an adventure with our young traveller and his aged truck. Tensions keep you turning the pages as you know the Mounties (amongst others, including the terrain) are always a danger. There is a hint of optimism that in this day and age I found really comforting. The descriptions are beautiful yet the writing is pared down in a way reminiscent of early Cormac McCarthy without the grimness.
July 6, 2025
Disclosure: I'm a friend of the author's. I'd like to draw attention to the remarkable, gnarly writing which I feel people aren't appreciating as fully as they might. Every sentence is wrested from the guts into original form. The stubbled, bumpy, forged-by-hand writing provides a particular texture. And the care taken with the words and rhythms is equaled by the care that is taken with the tale of Robin and his journey.
December 21, 2025
a poorly done rip-off of ‘the lincoln highway’ by amor towles.
April 13, 2025
"Freedom for me is where this truck can get me."
At the age of almost sixteen and an antique Chevrolet pickup truck, Robin begins his travel, west from Saskatchewan to the golden shores of long island, to meet his family and to resume his studies. A journey of lifetime. Without a driver's license, without any experience of life in its raw form. What would a teenager do?
A travel of a thousand dreams, hippies weaving their mystic lands, unannounced men who gave their heart and soul, marijuana chaos, Orville and his wheels, Karen and her last orange crush, Aldis and her futile promise, Tim and the brotherly trust, John and his philosophy of people's connections- "stops are part of the fun. There's no hold-ups. Just interesting layovers."
Right from the beginning, I felt like I'm reading a work of John Steinbeck, the purity of common life scribed across the pages. Maybe that's what glued me to this manuscript until the end. Random bursts of happiness and togetherness, people having each other's backs and a community coming together to be there for them. The wildfire. The mist from the heavens. The strength of humanity.
I hope Robin finally found love. Enrolled in the school, and went to college. I hope he excelled in his studies and lead a happy life now. I hope Tim is free, away from the abusive family and making a life of his own. I hope the hippies finally reached their paradise. May the summer vacation of John be forever filled with the warm scent of waffles and the joy of Trouble. May Robin's mom finally get a chance to slow down, watch her boys become men and be proud of them. May Orville reach his destination, his ride smoother than ever. May every single soul in this book find happiness and peace. For Robin must've wished for it, one of them nights while he lied in his sleeping bag behind the pickup van, staring at the sky, the stars bleeding down.
Thank you Dundurn press and NG for this amazing book!
At the age of almost sixteen and an antique Chevrolet pickup truck, Robin begins his travel, west from Saskatchewan to the golden shores of long island, to meet his family and to resume his studies. A journey of lifetime. Without a driver's license, without any experience of life in its raw form. What would a teenager do?
A travel of a thousand dreams, hippies weaving their mystic lands, unannounced men who gave their heart and soul, marijuana chaos, Orville and his wheels, Karen and her last orange crush, Aldis and her futile promise, Tim and the brotherly trust, John and his philosophy of people's connections- "stops are part of the fun. There's no hold-ups. Just interesting layovers."
Right from the beginning, I felt like I'm reading a work of John Steinbeck, the purity of common life scribed across the pages. Maybe that's what glued me to this manuscript until the end. Random bursts of happiness and togetherness, people having each other's backs and a community coming together to be there for them. The wildfire. The mist from the heavens. The strength of humanity.
I hope Robin finally found love. Enrolled in the school, and went to college. I hope he excelled in his studies and lead a happy life now. I hope Tim is free, away from the abusive family and making a life of his own. I hope the hippies finally reached their paradise. May the summer vacation of John be forever filled with the warm scent of waffles and the joy of Trouble. May Robin's mom finally get a chance to slow down, watch her boys become men and be proud of them. May Orville reach his destination, his ride smoother than ever. May every single soul in this book find happiness and peace. For Robin must've wished for it, one of them nights while he lied in his sleeping bag behind the pickup van, staring at the sky, the stars bleeding down.
Thank you Dundurn press and NG for this amazing book!
April 25, 2025
4.5
This little book packs a punch!
I requested this for the journey theme (I love a good road trip!) and the nostalgic look at historical Canada from a place and perspective I've not read before. It didn't disappoint.
The ground we cover geographically and emotionally is expansive. There's grief and joy, moments that show both the good and bad in humanity, and a delightfully rag-tag group of folk we meet along the way. Robin was a fantastic character to spend time with, just a nice kid. His almost spiritual connection with the '42, and the revelations on why he was so determined to get the truck to the West Coast, were fantastically rendered. I loved how the mechanics of the '42 and Robin's knowledge of its care were worked into the narrative throughout the story. His love of the truck was infectious! The ending was profoundly moving.
The writing style and lack of grammar punctuation took a bit of getting used to but fits the work perfectly. I liked the use of unusual and made-up words and I got an immensely strong feeling of both people and place from Saskatchewan to B.C. The pace was strong: not frantic but steadily moving along, I felt tension where I was supposed to but it wasn't drawn out gratuitously. Tense moments were balanced with joyful moments too. As I said, the book packs an impressive emotional range.
The only thing that didn’t land for me was the misogynistic rhetoric some of the older men voiced about sex and women to Robin. Likely a comment on the times, but still an uncomfortable and strange thing for strangers to comment on.
Check this one out, particularly if you have a connection to the place, or have ever loved a classic truck. It won't disappoint!
Also, that cover is just stunning!
I was privileged to have my request to review this book approved by Dundurn Press on NetGalley. 🛻
This little book packs a punch!
I requested this for the journey theme (I love a good road trip!) and the nostalgic look at historical Canada from a place and perspective I've not read before. It didn't disappoint.
The ground we cover geographically and emotionally is expansive. There's grief and joy, moments that show both the good and bad in humanity, and a delightfully rag-tag group of folk we meet along the way. Robin was a fantastic character to spend time with, just a nice kid. His almost spiritual connection with the '42, and the revelations on why he was so determined to get the truck to the West Coast, were fantastically rendered. I loved how the mechanics of the '42 and Robin's knowledge of its care were worked into the narrative throughout the story. His love of the truck was infectious! The ending was profoundly moving.
The writing style and lack of grammar punctuation took a bit of getting used to but fits the work perfectly. I liked the use of unusual and made-up words and I got an immensely strong feeling of both people and place from Saskatchewan to B.C. The pace was strong: not frantic but steadily moving along, I felt tension where I was supposed to but it wasn't drawn out gratuitously. Tense moments were balanced with joyful moments too. As I said, the book packs an impressive emotional range.
The only thing that didn’t land for me was the misogynistic rhetoric some of the older men voiced about sex and women to Robin. Likely a comment on the times, but still an uncomfortable and strange thing for strangers to comment on.
Check this one out, particularly if you have a connection to the place, or have ever loved a classic truck. It won't disappoint!
Also, that cover is just stunning!
I was privileged to have my request to review this book approved by Dundurn Press on NetGalley. 🛻
May 17, 2025
This was far better than I expected it to be going into it - and it has its own inexplicable quirky charm to it…
Robin - our not quite 16 year old protagonist - is an odd little duck… a boy on the precipice of becoming a man and all he wants to do is to get back home. The characters, and circumstance, he meets along the way represent a fairly comprehensive slice of life - many characters I recognise from my own time spent out west on the family farm.
It did take me a while to get into the flow - especially the lack of quotation marks on the dialogue (I really dislike that approach) - but once I did it worked for me.
The prose is very spare - not a lot of words here but those that are chosen are chosen with purpose. The more I think about this book, the more I appreciate the writing. I especially appreciated that the author wasn’t in any kind of hurry to answer the question that was begging in my brain the entire time I was reading this: Why was Robin on the farm in Saskatchewan in the first place? He was content to just let the story unfold and the answer came in due course at an appropriate moment. That spoke to a maturity and confidence that is not always evident in many titles.
There is an uncomfortable darkness - and melodrama - that broods/lurks just beneath the surface throughout the book… which does finally get explained in the very last number of pages.
One complaint would be that enough of the language is archaic even for the time (1967) and I struggled to buy that the characters who were using it would actually think/speak that way.
I do find myself wondering why - when I dig into the author’s bio - in all the years that I have been the (self-proclaimed) Queen of Reading Canadian, have I never come across this author before? Hmmm….
Anyway, all in all, a recommended read.
Thank to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.
Robin - our not quite 16 year old protagonist - is an odd little duck… a boy on the precipice of becoming a man and all he wants to do is to get back home. The characters, and circumstance, he meets along the way represent a fairly comprehensive slice of life - many characters I recognise from my own time spent out west on the family farm.
It did take me a while to get into the flow - especially the lack of quotation marks on the dialogue (I really dislike that approach) - but once I did it worked for me.
The prose is very spare - not a lot of words here but those that are chosen are chosen with purpose. The more I think about this book, the more I appreciate the writing. I especially appreciated that the author wasn’t in any kind of hurry to answer the question that was begging in my brain the entire time I was reading this: Why was Robin on the farm in Saskatchewan in the first place? He was content to just let the story unfold and the answer came in due course at an appropriate moment. That spoke to a maturity and confidence that is not always evident in many titles.
There is an uncomfortable darkness - and melodrama - that broods/lurks just beneath the surface throughout the book… which does finally get explained in the very last number of pages.
One complaint would be that enough of the language is archaic even for the time (1967) and I struggled to buy that the characters who were using it would actually think/speak that way.
I do find myself wondering why - when I dig into the author’s bio - in all the years that I have been the (self-proclaimed) Queen of Reading Canadian, have I never come across this author before? Hmmm….
Anyway, all in all, a recommended read.
Thank to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.
May 19, 2025
Such a good book.
àWe know we have a young lad in search of something. What he is searching for is in our mind the entire time. But the author does not need to tell us to keep us hooked. We will find out when we need to. And when we do, it’s like saying aah, of course. As soon as he gets west we have it, but it still rising.
We have consistent examples of helpful Canadians along the way:
Putting him up for the night
Paying for breakfast
Lying to help him out of sticky situations
Giving him a new tire
He shows his selfless attitude too and the idea of karma is here
The advice he gets along the journey are the kinds of words to live by
”One day someday you will come across someone who needs something “
A bit of foreshadowing
“There’ll be dark days, but there will be lots of light too.”
This trip shows that he is capable of being a lone wolf. However, he actively seeks companionship. There is no doubt his goal is the one revealed near the end. But, this search for closeness is the need he doesn’t even realize.
I appreciate that the help he received along the way was important but they weren’t perfect, hero like fixes.
eg. the guy who helped him with the oil leak. He was a bit of a macgyver but I think it was a reasonable fix….and Robin still had to replace the part when he got to town.
But, again, each of these interactions were important to the storyline and Robins development toward manhood.
As, I write all of this I think about the writing. I agree, at first, the lack of quotations was tough but once I settled in, it worked. Other than that wrinkle, I think this is so well written.
àWe know we have a young lad in search of something. What he is searching for is in our mind the entire time. But the author does not need to tell us to keep us hooked. We will find out when we need to. And when we do, it’s like saying aah, of course. As soon as he gets west we have it, but it still rising.
We have consistent examples of helpful Canadians along the way:
Putting him up for the night
Paying for breakfast
Lying to help him out of sticky situations
Giving him a new tire
He shows his selfless attitude too and the idea of karma is here
The advice he gets along the journey are the kinds of words to live by
”One day someday you will come across someone who needs something “
A bit of foreshadowing
“There’ll be dark days, but there will be lots of light too.”
This trip shows that he is capable of being a lone wolf. However, he actively seeks companionship. There is no doubt his goal is the one revealed near the end. But, this search for closeness is the need he doesn’t even realize.
I appreciate that the help he received along the way was important but they weren’t perfect, hero like fixes.
eg. the guy who helped him with the oil leak. He was a bit of a macgyver but I think it was a reasonable fix….and Robin still had to replace the part when he got to town.
But, again, each of these interactions were important to the storyline and Robins development toward manhood.
As, I write all of this I think about the writing. I agree, at first, the lack of quotations was tough but once I settled in, it worked. Other than that wrinkle, I think this is so well written.
August 28, 2025
HE OPEN ROAD, THE MACHINE, AND THE BOY WHO DROVE THROUGH FIRE
Amaranthine Chevrolet is an ode to machines—our most favoured machines: motor vehicles. It’s a hero’s journey on the road, with the landscape and its people shaping every turn. At its core is the evolution of Robin Wallenco’s relationship to his truck—how he gradually frees himself from his attachment to it, to his father, and to the past.
Few narratives so meticulously depict the act of operating an engine or chart so thoroughly the vagaries of backroads. The result is a quirky road trip that still resides in my imagination. Where are these arteries now? Fenced off, surely. Policed far more than in the 1960s, when 15-year-old Robin braved the daunting task of returning home, absconding with his dead uncle’s truck. It haunts me.
Struck with wanderlust, I want to see that prairie again—with my own eyes. For I too love cars: the open road, the freedom, the mobility-flight—and, like everyone else, I’ve always been willing to pay the price.
This story has made me nostalgic. It brought to mind the men of my father’s generation—the strong, silent type. The kind who couldn’t express emotion, but could fix anything. Who always had the right tools in the trunk. Who loved exploring logging roads and obscure gravel paths, no matter what he was driving. He had his faults. But he instilled in me a love of adventure.
Bolen’s minimal prose, with its unique syntax and sparse punctuation, allows for compelling depictions of monstrous machinations: harrowing, hyper-real car crash carnage; a bulldozer carving a corridor through a savage forest fire. I felt transported. I felt the horror—the torrid heat on my skin.
Amaranthine Chevrolet is an ode to machines—our most favoured machines: motor vehicles. It’s a hero’s journey on the road, with the landscape and its people shaping every turn. At its core is the evolution of Robin Wallenco’s relationship to his truck—how he gradually frees himself from his attachment to it, to his father, and to the past.
Few narratives so meticulously depict the act of operating an engine or chart so thoroughly the vagaries of backroads. The result is a quirky road trip that still resides in my imagination. Where are these arteries now? Fenced off, surely. Policed far more than in the 1960s, when 15-year-old Robin braved the daunting task of returning home, absconding with his dead uncle’s truck. It haunts me.
Struck with wanderlust, I want to see that prairie again—with my own eyes. For I too love cars: the open road, the freedom, the mobility-flight—and, like everyone else, I’ve always been willing to pay the price.
This story has made me nostalgic. It brought to mind the men of my father’s generation—the strong, silent type. The kind who couldn’t express emotion, but could fix anything. Who always had the right tools in the trunk. Who loved exploring logging roads and obscure gravel paths, no matter what he was driving. He had his faults. But he instilled in me a love of adventure.
Bolen’s minimal prose, with its unique syntax and sparse punctuation, allows for compelling depictions of monstrous machinations: harrowing, hyper-real car crash carnage; a bulldozer carving a corridor through a savage forest fire. I felt transported. I felt the horror—the torrid heat on my skin.
January 16, 2026
Amaranthine Chevrolet is a haunting and quietly powerful coming of age novel that captures a moment of profound personal and cultural transition. Dennis E. Bolen crafts a journey that feels both mythic and deeply human, following fifteen-year-old Robin Wallenco across a changing Canadian landscape that mirrors his own fragile inner world.
What makes this novel especially compelling is its restraint. The episodic encounters runaways, idealists, farmers, fire, and open road form a vivid mosaic of 1967, a society in flux, without ever overwhelming the emotional core. Robin’s courage and vulnerability coexist in a way that feels painfully authentic, and the gradual revelation of his purpose lends the story a heartbreaking depth.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its empathy. Bolen portrays childhood trauma indirectly but devastatingly, allowing readers to feel its weight through action rather than explanation. Amaranthine Chevrolet is both an ode to endurance and a tender examination of innocence lost too soon. It lingers long after the final page, offering a moving reflection on survival, kindness, and becoming.
What makes this novel especially compelling is its restraint. The episodic encounters runaways, idealists, farmers, fire, and open road form a vivid mosaic of 1967, a society in flux, without ever overwhelming the emotional core. Robin’s courage and vulnerability coexist in a way that feels painfully authentic, and the gradual revelation of his purpose lends the story a heartbreaking depth.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its empathy. Bolen portrays childhood trauma indirectly but devastatingly, allowing readers to feel its weight through action rather than explanation. Amaranthine Chevrolet is both an ode to endurance and a tender examination of innocence lost too soon. It lingers long after the final page, offering a moving reflection on survival, kindness, and becoming.
October 3, 2025
In Amaranthine Chevrolet, Dennis E. Bolen takes us to an earlier, simpler time. But nothing is simple for 15-year-old protagonist Robin, who, with considerable effort and the help of a friendly notary, gets title to what was even then an antique pickup truck. Resolved to rejoin his family on the West Coast, Robin heads in that direction from small-town Saskatchewan. For most of his trip he confines himself to back roads, lanes, and barely perceptible trails in order to evade the attentions of police—police who undoubtedly would be concerned about a very young driver out on his own. A very young driver who isn’t old enough to qualify for a driver’s license.
Robin meets and deals with a wide cross-section of humanity on this Everyman’s road trip. Confronted by desperadoes and do-gooders, flower children and farmers, and inevitably the police, he pushes on. Robin’s stance on the law is a little shaky, but his feet are firmly planted in basic human principles. And in the end his trip isn’t only about the road, but the final destination.
Robin meets and deals with a wide cross-section of humanity on this Everyman’s road trip. Confronted by desperadoes and do-gooders, flower children and farmers, and inevitably the police, he pushes on. Robin’s stance on the law is a little shaky, but his feet are firmly planted in basic human principles. And in the end his trip isn’t only about the road, but the final destination.
September 7, 2025
Anyone who loves road trips will appreciate this tale of a young man driving across country on an epic quest to get an old-timey truck from the prairies to Vancouver Island. I loved the quiet pace of this book and how I could see the landscape and feel the dust in the young man's throat. My father was a mechanic so I liked the sections where the protagonist had to overcome some mechanical challenges, figuring things out on his own and using the tools at hand.
I liked his brush with other travellers, how the young man's story got woven in with theirs. It made me think of my own cross-country trek in my old VW, just me, my friend and my dog. This experience of leaving the familiar behind and striking out on one's own is one that many people can relate to. It's a way of testing oneself and seeing if we have the resiliency and creativity to not only survive but to flourish.
I like the father-son ending VERY MUCH. I like that it wasn't romantized and that the main character will carry some of the heaviness of the past on his shoulders as he walks into his future. I'm cheering for him though. I think there's a place for him in this world and that his mechanical skills are a real help to others. Thanks for writing such a beautiful book, Dennis Bolen.
I liked his brush with other travellers, how the young man's story got woven in with theirs. It made me think of my own cross-country trek in my old VW, just me, my friend and my dog. This experience of leaving the familiar behind and striking out on one's own is one that many people can relate to. It's a way of testing oneself and seeing if we have the resiliency and creativity to not only survive but to flourish.
I like the father-son ending VERY MUCH. I like that it wasn't romantized and that the main character will carry some of the heaviness of the past on his shoulders as he walks into his future. I'm cheering for him though. I think there's a place for him in this world and that his mechanical skills are a real help to others. Thanks for writing such a beautiful book, Dennis Bolen.
June 10, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC of Amaranthine Chevrolet. Bolen wrote a moving story about an amazing anomaly of a pick up truck produced during World War II. As the young driver passes along through the western provinces of Canada to reach his destination of home, he encounters such an intriguing variety of different people. Each character imparts to Robin some unique advice and view of the world. I enjoyed the very tangible trek across the provinces in many places I know well from my own experiences. The writing style was a bit different and took me some time to get used to.
“Life is pretty much just trying to get through without your heart turning to frozen stone.”
“Life is pretty much just trying to get through without your heart turning to frozen stone.”
July 2, 2025
I loved this story of young Robin, so carefully crafted, this novels reads like a beautiful train ride of a young man''s journey, destination; the Canadian West Coast and the Great Pacific. Of course we wonder if this is some kind of teenage longing or a search for idyllic independence. The reality of what Robin is all about explodes like a sweet symphonic crescendo and I found my hands spread upon the page, staring straight ahead and suddenly keenly aware of life's key moments.
August 6, 2025
Once he got into BC, I was following the odyssey on the map in my head, but there were a few major ellipses – from Frank Slide to Creston, from Balfour to Valhalla (I know across the bridge in Nelson and following sign to Winlaw . . .) From Fauquier to Kelowna? He had to have gone over the Monashee and to Lumby and Vernon . . . backroads to Princeton, backroads to Lillooet and thence to Squamish, transport to Qualicum – whew!!
May 20, 2025
Fabulous book. Through the whole book cheering on the young hero and hoping none of the people he meets along the way will do him no harm. Wonderful cast of characters. Love Dennis’ writing style. Such a great book finished it in two sittings. Author from the same small town I came from and story written in the era I/we grew up in.
July 31, 2025
The paperback cover of this book has a quote from Joan Thomas, author of 'Wild Hope'. It reads, 'In spare and evocative language, Boolen sweeps you into the rhythm of the read'
It does. I just wonder if, at times, the language (and the style) overtakes the journey of the read.
Still enjoyed it though.
It does. I just wonder if, at times, the language (and the style) overtakes the journey of the read.
Still enjoyed it though.
September 9, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. A skillfully crafted page-turner telling a classic coming-of-age and road trip story all in one, whilst hearkening back to simpler times. Set amidst the mid-60s when everything was changing it is a beautiful snapshot of a pivotal moment between two eras and radically different worlds; that of the simple Saskatchewan farm life and and that of the freewheeling peace and love movement. It also slips through small towns on the back roads, a pot farm and Tofino in all its unregulated glory, and introduces us to a cast of characters along the way.
August 22, 2025
Though the string of incidents that move the narrative on seem improbable, the story is good, the writing excellent and the entertainment value high. I came of age during the same years Robin is experiencing, so the scenarios feel genuine to me. Good read.
January 30, 2025
Beautiful and moving story of a boy becoming an adult.
August 10, 2025
Beautiful book
October 14, 2025
Reminiscent of John Steinbeck
April 28, 2025
While not exactly located in the United States, the journey that Robin found himself on, through backroads full of colorful characters, in the driver’s seat of a 1942 Chevrolet pickup, gave me a very profound sense of “Midwest Americana”. Cornfields and farmhouses, life of slow ease and care. I really did enjoy the feeling of this book immensely.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!!
June 5, 2025
A modern Odyssey and coming of age story set in Canada in the 1960s. Bolen is a great, clear writer who writes evocatively. My review will be on The Seaboard Review in May, 2025.
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