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Run for the Hills
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK Time, People, LitHub, and BookRiot
An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.
Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.
Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.
As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with every new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?
Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a novel about a family forged under the most unlikely circumstances and united by hope in an unknown future.
An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.
Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.
Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.
As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with every new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?
Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a novel about a family forged under the most unlikely circumstances and united by hope in an unknown future.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2025
About the author
Kevin Wilson
19 books5,162 followersKevin Wilson is the author of two collections, Tunneling to the Center of the Earth (Ecco/Harper Perennial, 2009), which received an Alex Award from the American Library Association and the Shirley Jackson Award, and Baby You’re Gonna Be Mine (Ecco, 2018), and five novels, The Family Fang (Ecco, 2011), Perfect Little World (Ecco, 2017) Nothing to See Here (Ecco, 2019), a New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna book club selection, Now is Not the Time to Panic, (Ecco, 2022), and Run for the Hills (Ecco, 2025).
His fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and elsewhere, and has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2020 and 2021, as well as The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife, the poet Leigh Anne Couch, and his sons, Griff and Patch, where he is an Associate Professor in the English & Creative Writing Department at the University of the South.
His fiction has appeared in Ploughshares, Southern Review, One Story, A Public Space, and elsewhere, and has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2020 and 2021, as well as The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his wife, the poet Leigh Anne Couch, and his sons, Griff and Patch, where he is an Associate Professor in the English & Creative Writing Department at the University of the South.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,979 reviews
November 28, 2024
My words will never fully capture how much I enjoyed this dysfunctional, humorous family road trip featuring a delightful cast of quirky characters!
Imagine this: on your busiest day running a farm, a man in his early forties suddenly appears, claiming to be your half-brother. He informs you that you share the same father—a man who abandoned you both—and that you also have other half-siblings scattered across the country. Shocking, right? That’s exactly what Madeline Hill (nicknamed “Mad” by the very father who left her when she was ten) experiences. But that’s just the beginning.
Her newfound half-brother, Ruben (aka “Rube”), reveals that he hired a private detective to locate their other siblings and discovered that their father is alive and living in California. Determined to confront him—or perhaps do more than just confront him—Rube invites Madeline to join his cross-country trip in his trusty PT Cruiser.
Madeline, now 34, leads a quiet, solitary life as a farmer in Coalfield, Tennessee, running the family business with her mother and preferring the company of her chickens over people. Learning that her father wasn’t just a farmer, as he had claimed, but also a married insurance agent and mystery author, is a hard pill to swallow. Even more so, knowing that he had abandoned Rube’s family just as he did hers, reinventing himself time and again while leaving a trail of broken families behind. The father she thought she knew turns out to be nothing more than an elaborate lie.
Initially, Madeline refuses Rube’s invitation. But when she learns that Rube recently lost his mother, ended a relationship, and is clearly grappling with his emotions, she reconsiders. If she doesn’t go, she knows she’ll always wonder why her father chose to live a lifetime of deception. Eventually, she agrees, and the two half-siblings set off on a cross-country adventure, meeting their 21-year-old basketball-star sister, Pepper, in Oklahoma, and their quirky, independent 10-year-old filmmaker brother, Theron, in Salt Lake City.
Once all the siblings are united, they head to California to confront their enigmatic father. But what kind of man will they find? Has he started yet another life under a new identity? Will he provide answers, or will he flee yet again? The only way to know is to reach their destination.
Overall: This book offers an incredibly compelling plotline, perfect for adaptation into an Oscar-worthy film with the right ensemble cast (I can already picture an A24 production!). It’s a heartfelt, emotional, and entertaining story of redemption and found family, blending humor and sentiment in a way that resonates across generations. Kevin Wilson has crafted another brilliantly quirky, funny, and deeply moving tale. I can’t recommend it enough!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for providing this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Imagine this: on your busiest day running a farm, a man in his early forties suddenly appears, claiming to be your half-brother. He informs you that you share the same father—a man who abandoned you both—and that you also have other half-siblings scattered across the country. Shocking, right? That’s exactly what Madeline Hill (nicknamed “Mad” by the very father who left her when she was ten) experiences. But that’s just the beginning.
Her newfound half-brother, Ruben (aka “Rube”), reveals that he hired a private detective to locate their other siblings and discovered that their father is alive and living in California. Determined to confront him—or perhaps do more than just confront him—Rube invites Madeline to join his cross-country trip in his trusty PT Cruiser.
Madeline, now 34, leads a quiet, solitary life as a farmer in Coalfield, Tennessee, running the family business with her mother and preferring the company of her chickens over people. Learning that her father wasn’t just a farmer, as he had claimed, but also a married insurance agent and mystery author, is a hard pill to swallow. Even more so, knowing that he had abandoned Rube’s family just as he did hers, reinventing himself time and again while leaving a trail of broken families behind. The father she thought she knew turns out to be nothing more than an elaborate lie.
Initially, Madeline refuses Rube’s invitation. But when she learns that Rube recently lost his mother, ended a relationship, and is clearly grappling with his emotions, she reconsiders. If she doesn’t go, she knows she’ll always wonder why her father chose to live a lifetime of deception. Eventually, she agrees, and the two half-siblings set off on a cross-country adventure, meeting their 21-year-old basketball-star sister, Pepper, in Oklahoma, and their quirky, independent 10-year-old filmmaker brother, Theron, in Salt Lake City.
Once all the siblings are united, they head to California to confront their enigmatic father. But what kind of man will they find? Has he started yet another life under a new identity? Will he provide answers, or will he flee yet again? The only way to know is to reach their destination.
Overall: This book offers an incredibly compelling plotline, perfect for adaptation into an Oscar-worthy film with the right ensemble cast (I can already picture an A24 production!). It’s a heartfelt, emotional, and entertaining story of redemption and found family, blending humor and sentiment in a way that resonates across generations. Kevin Wilson has crafted another brilliantly quirky, funny, and deeply moving tale. I can’t recommend it enough!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for providing this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium.com
May 13, 2025
“Their father had never been a bad parent. He had always been attentive, loving and patient. He had only become a bad parent when he disappeared, when he ceased to be a part of their life.”
If Wes Anderson ever decided to go on a road trip with a pack of lovable misfits and a trunk full of unresolved daddy issues, you’d probably end up somewhere near Kevin Wilson’s Run for the Hills, and what a weird, wonderful ride it is.
Meet Madeline “Mad” Hill a 34 year old organic farmer who’s more into kale than chaos. That is, until a man named Rube shows up on her Tennessee doorstep claiming to be her half brother, announcing that their long lost father left behind a trail of mystery siblings like breadcrumbs across America. Naturally, the next logical step is to rent a PT Cruiser and go collect them all like emotionally damaged Pokémon.
The journey includes Pepper, a surly college basketball player who might elbow you for fun, and Theron, a 10 year old auteur who’s filming the trip like it’s his Sundance debut. These three (plus Rube, the philosophical glue holding it all together) form a dysfunctional, hilarious, occasionally heart melting family unit on their way to confront the ghost of their shared deadbeat dad.
Kevin Wilson is a master of mixing melancholy with absurdity, and Run for the Hills delivers that sweet cocktail in every chapter. The dialogue crackles, the banter is whip smart, and the emotions sneak up on you in between the bizarre road trip shenanigans. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you’ll definitely start Googling “PT Cruiser rentals near me.”
Is it a little over the top? Sometimes. Did I want more closure at the end? Maybe. But honestly, the charm and tenderness of this ragtag sibling odyssey more than make up for it.
A warm, weird hug of a book that reminds you family isn’t just who you’re stuck with, it’s who you decide to pick up along the way.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Text Publishing for my early readers copy.
Available now!
You can also read my review for Nothing To See Here Kevin Wilson is one of my favourite authors
If Wes Anderson ever decided to go on a road trip with a pack of lovable misfits and a trunk full of unresolved daddy issues, you’d probably end up somewhere near Kevin Wilson’s Run for the Hills, and what a weird, wonderful ride it is.
Meet Madeline “Mad” Hill a 34 year old organic farmer who’s more into kale than chaos. That is, until a man named Rube shows up on her Tennessee doorstep claiming to be her half brother, announcing that their long lost father left behind a trail of mystery siblings like breadcrumbs across America. Naturally, the next logical step is to rent a PT Cruiser and go collect them all like emotionally damaged Pokémon.
The journey includes Pepper, a surly college basketball player who might elbow you for fun, and Theron, a 10 year old auteur who’s filming the trip like it’s his Sundance debut. These three (plus Rube, the philosophical glue holding it all together) form a dysfunctional, hilarious, occasionally heart melting family unit on their way to confront the ghost of their shared deadbeat dad.
Kevin Wilson is a master of mixing melancholy with absurdity, and Run for the Hills delivers that sweet cocktail in every chapter. The dialogue crackles, the banter is whip smart, and the emotions sneak up on you in between the bizarre road trip shenanigans. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you’ll definitely start Googling “PT Cruiser rentals near me.”
Is it a little over the top? Sometimes. Did I want more closure at the end? Maybe. But honestly, the charm and tenderness of this ragtag sibling odyssey more than make up for it.
A warm, weird hug of a book that reminds you family isn’t just who you’re stuck with, it’s who you decide to pick up along the way.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Text Publishing for my early readers copy.
Available now!
You can also read my review for Nothing To See Here Kevin Wilson is one of my favourite authors
April 22, 2025
Kevin Wilson is back with another fun and quirky story!
This one is about four half siblings, previously unknown to each other …set off on a road trip across America,
in a PT Cruiser.. to find the father that abandoned them.
Filled with heart and humor, a really good story.
I will read anything this author writes!
Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This one is about four half siblings, previously unknown to each other …set off on a road trip across America,
in a PT Cruiser.. to find the father that abandoned them.
Filled with heart and humor, a really good story.
I will read anything this author writes!
Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 5, 2025
If Kevin Wilson has written it, you can bet the book will have a weird premise. In Run for the Hills, Mad Hill is living her life, running her organic farm with her mom. And out of the blue, Rube Hill shows up claiming to be her half brother. Yes, her father left when she was young. And according to Rube, it wasn’t the first time he’d run out on a family. Or the last. If there’s such a thing as a serial monogamist, Charles Hill was a serial parent. Once gone, he never made a re-appearance in his child’s life. Rube and his mom were the first family. Mad and her mom, the second. Then there was Pep, now in college. And then Tom, only 11. And Rube wants her to join him, meeting the other siblings and going to find their dad, supposedly now in California.
For such a wild premise, the characters all felt real and relatable. Their father leaving has left each with trouble handling relationships. Yet each has also had their own successes. These were characters I enjoyed spending time with. The story itself is heartwarming in its own quirky Kevin Wilson way. It tackles some big issues - abandonment, parenting, what makes a family, mental illness. But it delves into them without turning dark or morose. In the end, I loved how the siblings were there for each other, even though they had just met.
My thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for an advance copy of this book.
For such a wild premise, the characters all felt real and relatable. Their father leaving has left each with trouble handling relationships. Yet each has also had their own successes. These were characters I enjoyed spending time with. The story itself is heartwarming in its own quirky Kevin Wilson way. It tackles some big issues - abandonment, parenting, what makes a family, mental illness. But it delves into them without turning dark or morose. In the end, I loved how the siblings were there for each other, even though they had just met.
My thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for an advance copy of this book.
August 3, 2025
Kevin Wilson's Run for the Hills sure did warm the cockles of my heart as I listened along to this touching, inspirational and humorous story about family, connection, understanding, and forgiveness.
Narrator Marin Ireland is a superstar. She flawlessly gifts an autonomous voice to each and every one of these charismatic and dynamic characters Listening to her is always such a joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Narrator Marin Ireland is a superstar. She flawlessly gifts an autonomous voice to each and every one of these charismatic and dynamic characters Listening to her is always such a joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
May 23, 2025
I'm a huge fan of Kevin Wilson, whose stories always feature quirky, endearing characters caught in the web of complicated family dynamics. “Run for the Hills” is no exception — It’s a wonderfully oddball road trip that explores the idea of “found” family in the most literal sense.
The story kicks off in Coalfield, Tennessee, where Madeline (Mad) Hill is quietly running her organic farm. Enter a PT Cruiser — yes, a PT Cruiser, not a common sight in Tennessee —driven by a middle-aged man who turns out to be her half-brother, Rueben (Rube). He announces that they share a father, a man who walked out on Rube 30 years ago. After hiring a private detective, Rube learns their dad didn’t just vanish — he reinvented himself multiple times, fathering children across the country. Besides Mad, there’s a sister in Oklahoma and a brother in Utah. And maybe more.
So begins the road trip. Rube wants to meet the rest of their half-siblings and piece together who their father really was. The PT Cruiser becomes a character in its own right on this strange, heartfelt, and at times absurd journey. Along the way, the siblings uncover more about their elusive father, who seemed to shed identities as easily as most people change shirts.
Wilson’s signature banter is sharp and playful, and he has an unmatched talent for finding the sweet spot between humor and heartbreak. He makes the absurd feel intimate.
I highly recommend the audiobook version, brilliantly narrated by Marin Ireland. She brings each character to life with pitch-perfect delivery. Honestly, I don’t think I would have loved the book quite as much if I had just read it on the page. The Wilson/Ireland pairing is gold — I'll listen to anything they collaborate on.
"While Run for the Hills" doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of "Nothing to See Here", it’s still a stellar novel — funny, heartfelt, and deeply human.
The story kicks off in Coalfield, Tennessee, where Madeline (Mad) Hill is quietly running her organic farm. Enter a PT Cruiser — yes, a PT Cruiser, not a common sight in Tennessee —driven by a middle-aged man who turns out to be her half-brother, Rueben (Rube). He announces that they share a father, a man who walked out on Rube 30 years ago. After hiring a private detective, Rube learns their dad didn’t just vanish — he reinvented himself multiple times, fathering children across the country. Besides Mad, there’s a sister in Oklahoma and a brother in Utah. And maybe more.
So begins the road trip. Rube wants to meet the rest of their half-siblings and piece together who their father really was. The PT Cruiser becomes a character in its own right on this strange, heartfelt, and at times absurd journey. Along the way, the siblings uncover more about their elusive father, who seemed to shed identities as easily as most people change shirts.
Wilson’s signature banter is sharp and playful, and he has an unmatched talent for finding the sweet spot between humor and heartbreak. He makes the absurd feel intimate.
I highly recommend the audiobook version, brilliantly narrated by Marin Ireland. She brings each character to life with pitch-perfect delivery. Honestly, I don’t think I would have loved the book quite as much if I had just read it on the page. The Wilson/Ireland pairing is gold — I'll listen to anything they collaborate on.
"While Run for the Hills" doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of "Nothing to See Here", it’s still a stellar novel — funny, heartfelt, and deeply human.
April 3, 2025
This book made me laugh out loud so many times! I had no idea what I was getting myself into, because this is the first book that I have read by this author. I can tell you right now, it will not be my last! I genuinely enjoyed the quirkiness of these characters. I loved the bonding, the adventure, the mystery, and the satire of this book. The only downside to this book for me was the ending, which is why I did not give it 5 stars. Even though this book was short, it was well executed, flowed well and had a clear thesis. This book is in the literary fictional humor and satire genre. So, if you’re looking for a good laugh, this is your book to read! Just know that the ending is a bit unexpected. Overall, I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Kevin Wilson and Ecco Publishing for this advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is set to be published on May 13, 2025!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Kevin Wilson and Ecco Publishing for this advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book is set to be published on May 13, 2025!
March 25, 2025
I lost count of how many times I burst out laughing.
Shared credit goes to Kevin Wilson’s offbeat yet resonant writing and Marin Ireland’s pitch-perfect narration. I loved this author/narrator pairing in Nothing to See Here, and Run for the Hills is a spot-on reprisal.
Like the best up-lit, Run for the Hills blends humor with heart. Found family isn’t just a theme here—it literally drives the plot: a cross-country PT Cruiser road trip to track down previously unknown half-siblings and confront the shared dad with a serial habit of skipping out on his family. The characters are quirky with a capital Q, and endearing with a capital E.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Shared credit goes to Kevin Wilson’s offbeat yet resonant writing and Marin Ireland’s pitch-perfect narration. I loved this author/narrator pairing in Nothing to See Here, and Run for the Hills is a spot-on reprisal.
Like the best up-lit, Run for the Hills blends humor with heart. Found family isn’t just a theme here—it literally drives the plot: a cross-country PT Cruiser road trip to track down previously unknown half-siblings and confront the shared dad with a serial habit of skipping out on his family. The characters are quirky with a capital Q, and endearing with a capital E.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 18, 2025
Wilson is known for quirky and heartwarming, and this book is no exception.
Four half siblings, who only recently discovered the others existed, range in age from 42 to 11. When the oldest, Reuben, hired a private detective to find his father, he discovered his father had a habit of marrying, having a child, then leaving to start all over again somewhere else. Each time he moved, he reinvented himself, and ghosted his previous family.
Reuben finds Mad, his 30-something year old half-sister who is as shocked as he is to discover her father had other families, and they set off on a road trip to find the other siblings, eventually making their way to California, where they believe their father currently lives.
While the author tackles serious issues, this remains an endearing lighter read with substance. The interactions and conversations between the siblings were what made this such a fun and enjoyable read.
The audiobook is narrated by Marin Ireland, one of my favorite narrators.
Four half siblings, who only recently discovered the others existed, range in age from 42 to 11. When the oldest, Reuben, hired a private detective to find his father, he discovered his father had a habit of marrying, having a child, then leaving to start all over again somewhere else. Each time he moved, he reinvented himself, and ghosted his previous family.
Reuben finds Mad, his 30-something year old half-sister who is as shocked as he is to discover her father had other families, and they set off on a road trip to find the other siblings, eventually making their way to California, where they believe their father currently lives.
While the author tackles serious issues, this remains an endearing lighter read with substance. The interactions and conversations between the siblings were what made this such a fun and enjoyable read.
The audiobook is narrated by Marin Ireland, one of my favorite narrators.
January 17, 2025
Kevin Wilson is back with a cross country road trip of siblings searching for the father that abandoned them.
Reuben "Rube" Hill (42), son to Charles Hill, a mystery writer, living in Boston, Ma.
Then,
Madeline "Mad" Hill (32), daughter to Chuck Hill, an organic farmer, living in Coalfield, Tennessee.
Then,
Pepper "Pep" Hill (21), daughter of Chip Hill, a basketball coach, living in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Then,
Theron "Tom" Goudy (11), son of Carl Hill, a cameraman living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
None of these siblings have ever met until Rueben hires a private detective to look into his missing father. When he finds out he's had children across the country he sets out to meet them and, hopefully, have them join him on his quest to California to find their father at the last know address the detective could find. What could possibly go wrong? You'll have to read this to find out.
"But she liked the safety in numbers, to imagine all of them, these tall, imposing children of their terrible father, moving toward him like they were Godzilla, bent on destruction."
I am a HUGE fan of Kevin Wilson's quirky stories so I was over the moon to be approved for his latest. The first third of this book was everything I could have hoped for and Wilson's trademark humor was on full display. Unfortunately this book lost it's way over the course of the novel. What started as fun became a slow and laborious crawl to the finish. And the ending? A complete disappointment. I am so bummed to have to say that but it was MY experience. Other reviewers seem to be loving this so please do read their reviews before deciding one way or the other. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for my complimentary copy.
Reuben "Rube" Hill (42), son to Charles Hill, a mystery writer, living in Boston, Ma.
Then,
Madeline "Mad" Hill (32), daughter to Chuck Hill, an organic farmer, living in Coalfield, Tennessee.
Then,
Pepper "Pep" Hill (21), daughter of Chip Hill, a basketball coach, living in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Then,
Theron "Tom" Goudy (11), son of Carl Hill, a cameraman living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
None of these siblings have ever met until Rueben hires a private detective to look into his missing father. When he finds out he's had children across the country he sets out to meet them and, hopefully, have them join him on his quest to California to find their father at the last know address the detective could find. What could possibly go wrong? You'll have to read this to find out.
"But she liked the safety in numbers, to imagine all of them, these tall, imposing children of their terrible father, moving toward him like they were Godzilla, bent on destruction."
I am a HUGE fan of Kevin Wilson's quirky stories so I was over the moon to be approved for his latest. The first third of this book was everything I could have hoped for and Wilson's trademark humor was on full display. Unfortunately this book lost it's way over the course of the novel. What started as fun became a slow and laborious crawl to the finish. And the ending? A complete disappointment. I am so bummed to have to say that but it was MY experience. Other reviewers seem to be loving this so please do read their reviews before deciding one way or the other. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for my complimentary copy.
July 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up .
Four half siblings who share the same father come together for the first time in this off the wall story to find the father who abandoned them. Together they travel cross country to confront the man who left them, never contacted them after that, taking a lasting emotional toll on each of them .
It felt a bit over the top and unrealistic at times , yet it was easy to connect with these characters . It was heartbreaking to see what the abandonment had done to each of them. There were moments that made me laugh , and moments that touched my heart as they came to know and love each other . With the realization that if their father hadn’t left to start a new life, the children following his first born would not have been born and they wouldn’t have found each other . The ending was somewhat anticlimactic, but overall a moving story.
I received a copy of this from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
Four half siblings who share the same father come together for the first time in this off the wall story to find the father who abandoned them. Together they travel cross country to confront the man who left them, never contacted them after that, taking a lasting emotional toll on each of them .
It felt a bit over the top and unrealistic at times , yet it was easy to connect with these characters . It was heartbreaking to see what the abandonment had done to each of them. There were moments that made me laugh , and moments that touched my heart as they came to know and love each other . With the realization that if their father hadn’t left to start a new life, the children following his first born would not have been born and they wouldn’t have found each other . The ending was somewhat anticlimactic, but overall a moving story.
I received a copy of this from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.
May 4, 2025
Run for the Hills is pure delight!
In Run for the Hills, Kevin Wilson put the fun in dysfunctional family. Like his prior works, Run for the Hills features an eclectic cast of lovable and endearing characters written in his signature whip-smart wit. I love how Wilson captures small-town USA in his works and in Run for the Hills, he perfectly captures this in the sibling's road trip.
Run for the Hills is a humourous and at times emotional story that overall was an instant mood boost. The book also solidified why Kevin remains one of my favorite authors. This is my fifth book by him and proof that he truly does not write a bad book!
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson will be available on May 13. Many thanks to Ecco Books for the gifted copy!
In Run for the Hills, Kevin Wilson put the fun in dysfunctional family. Like his prior works, Run for the Hills features an eclectic cast of lovable and endearing characters written in his signature whip-smart wit. I love how Wilson captures small-town USA in his works and in Run for the Hills, he perfectly captures this in the sibling's road trip.
Run for the Hills is a humourous and at times emotional story that overall was an instant mood boost. The book also solidified why Kevin remains one of my favorite authors. This is my fifth book by him and proof that he truly does not write a bad book!
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson will be available on May 13. Many thanks to Ecco Books for the gifted copy!
February 25, 2025
What's one impromptu road trip with siblings you didn't know existed until they drive into your life in a P.T. Cruiser?
🐔🚗
Mad lives on a successful working farm with her mother after her father walked out on them twenty years ago without a word. She's accepted her lot in life, mostly. When a guy pulls up to their home and introduces himself as Rube her half-brother who their father also walked out on before she was born it opens a door for an adventure Mad never could've imagined. Rube tells her that through the work of a P.I. he has tracked their father's movements and discovered half siblings scattered across the country. He invites her to join him on his quest to meet the string of abandoned siblings their father left in his wake. He also has a lead on their dad's whereabouts and wants to track him down as well. The siblings soon realize that their dad reinvented himself in both name and profession with each new family.
What was their father looking for in creating all these families he ultimately turned his back on?
This study of a quirky family was written in an accessible manner. It was so easy to picture everything as I read. I love the feeling of novels that a reader can sink right into, and Wilson's prose was just the ticket. There's a lot to unpack here. The plot being a simple one worked to the novel's advantage because the grand characterization was at the forefront. These characters popped off the page with authentic voices. Looking for connection by collecting scattered pieces of their father's dysfunctional story to form a picture of their untraditional family is an eye-opening journey. From experience I know how much of an impact a parent walking out has on a person. I kept hoping this little group would find closure or stronger self-identities.
Will these siblings find the answers they set out to discover?
The pages flew by without a lull in sight. I'm so glad I went along for this ride.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.
🐔🚗
Mad lives on a successful working farm with her mother after her father walked out on them twenty years ago without a word. She's accepted her lot in life, mostly. When a guy pulls up to their home and introduces himself as Rube her half-brother who their father also walked out on before she was born it opens a door for an adventure Mad never could've imagined. Rube tells her that through the work of a P.I. he has tracked their father's movements and discovered half siblings scattered across the country. He invites her to join him on his quest to meet the string of abandoned siblings their father left in his wake. He also has a lead on their dad's whereabouts and wants to track him down as well. The siblings soon realize that their dad reinvented himself in both name and profession with each new family.
What was their father looking for in creating all these families he ultimately turned his back on?
This study of a quirky family was written in an accessible manner. It was so easy to picture everything as I read. I love the feeling of novels that a reader can sink right into, and Wilson's prose was just the ticket. There's a lot to unpack here. The plot being a simple one worked to the novel's advantage because the grand characterization was at the forefront. These characters popped off the page with authentic voices. Looking for connection by collecting scattered pieces of their father's dysfunctional story to form a picture of their untraditional family is an eye-opening journey. From experience I know how much of an impact a parent walking out has on a person. I kept hoping this little group would find closure or stronger self-identities.
Will these siblings find the answers they set out to discover?
The pages flew by without a lull in sight. I'm so glad I went along for this ride.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.
May 16, 2025
[4+] Reading Kevin Wilson makes me feel good. Run for the Hills has a warm, buoyant energy and I enjoyed every minute of this road trip. The characters are not as weird or edgy as Wilson usually delivers, but I'll gladly take whatever he doles out.
May 22, 2025
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
Synopsis /
Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s just been Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While she sometimes admits it’s a bit lonely and a less exciting life than she imagined for herself, it’s mostly OK. Mostly.
Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.
As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with each new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?
My Thoughts /
Outlier Alert: This one had ME running for the hills.
Apologies to all the Kevin Wilson fans out there, but this was not for me.
FOMO: Hey Ange, you seriously need to read this! Look at what everyone is saying: funny, laugh-out-loud humour, "If Kevin Wilson is writing it, I'm reading it".
Ange: Well FOMO, I'm not sure – I haven't read this author before.
FOMO: Oh come on!! Have I ever steered you wrong before? Just read what other's are saying "Kevin Wilson is an author who doesn't know how to write a bad book"!
Ange: Hmm, well I do like humour in my novels, and that cover art is pretty enticing, so…..OK!
Summary in a sentence: Four siblings who had never met, are now on a road trip together to find their dad.
Review in a sentence: I wanted to DNF this so many times, but I didn't want to be like the father figure in these siblings' lives – I didn't want to disappear from their lives without a trace and never look back – I wanted them to know that I was here until the (bitter) end.
Ange: FOMO?
FOMO: Yes, Ange?
Ange: You're sacked.
Synopsis /
Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s just been Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While she sometimes admits it’s a bit lonely and a less exciting life than she imagined for herself, it’s mostly OK. Mostly.
Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.
As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with each new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?
My Thoughts /
Outlier Alert: This one had ME running for the hills.
Apologies to all the Kevin Wilson fans out there, but this was not for me.
FOMO: Hey Ange, you seriously need to read this! Look at what everyone is saying: funny, laugh-out-loud humour, "If Kevin Wilson is writing it, I'm reading it".
Ange: Well FOMO, I'm not sure – I haven't read this author before.
FOMO: Oh come on!! Have I ever steered you wrong before? Just read what other's are saying "Kevin Wilson is an author who doesn't know how to write a bad book"!
Ange: Hmm, well I do like humour in my novels, and that cover art is pretty enticing, so…..OK!
Summary in a sentence: Four siblings who had never met, are now on a road trip together to find their dad.
Review in a sentence: I wanted to DNF this so many times, but I didn't want to be like the father figure in these siblings' lives – I didn't want to disappear from their lives without a trace and never look back – I wanted them to know that I was here until the (bitter) end.
Ange: FOMO?
FOMO: Yes, Ange?
Ange: You're sacked.
May 24, 2025
Wilson’s latest novel is a slim, winsome story with the punny title “Run for the Hills.” It revolves around the mystery of an errant father, a “ridiculously attractive” man named Charles Hill. When he was present, he wasn’t a bad father. Indeed, Madeline Hill, 32, has fond memories of making sorghum syrup on the farm with her dad when she was a child. But he ran out on Mad and her mother more than two decades ago, and she’s never heard from him again: nothing — not a call or a card.
That’s been hard, to be sure, but over the intervening years, Mad and her mom have turned their little farm into something of a destination for organic eggs and special cheeses. Bon Appétit and Southern Living have sung their praises. Below that success, though, the effects of Dad’s abandonment are written on Mad’s carefully contained loneliness, her abiding sense that something’s missing from her life.
Wilson briskly sketches out this family drama in just a few pages before the real action begins: A man drives up in a PT Cruiser, entirely out of place on a Tennessee farm, and introduces himself as Reuben. He’s a successful mystery writer from Boston and — surprise! — Mad’s half brother. This is the first she’s ever heard of him, but he’s got even bigger news than that. Working with a private investigator, Reuben has learned that their missing father was a “serial dad.” For decades, he moved around the country, creating new identities and new families and then....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
That’s been hard, to be sure, but over the intervening years, Mad and her mom have turned their little farm into something of a destination for organic eggs and special cheeses. Bon Appétit and Southern Living have sung their praises. Below that success, though, the effects of Dad’s abandonment are written on Mad’s carefully contained loneliness, her abiding sense that something’s missing from her life.
Wilson briskly sketches out this family drama in just a few pages before the real action begins: A man drives up in a PT Cruiser, entirely out of place on a Tennessee farm, and introduces himself as Reuben. He’s a successful mystery writer from Boston and — surprise! — Mad’s half brother. This is the first she’s ever heard of him, but he’s got even bigger news than that. Working with a private investigator, Reuben has learned that their missing father was a “serial dad.” For decades, he moved around the country, creating new identities and new families and then....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
May 28, 2025
***This is a review of the audiobook
I really enjoyed this author’s first two books and was excited for this one. I definitely had high expectations.
*PROS:
Interesting premise - young adults trace their absent father’s last known address. Meeting each other for the first time.
*CHARACTERS:
Mad is an organic farmer, a business that she owns with her mother. Her father had left them when she was young.
I’m not sure if it was the narrator but Madeline’s voice didn’t deliver any enthusiasm about the trip. Halfway into the book I was struggling with her character.
Reuben “Rube”, is a mystery writer living in Boston, Ma. He had hired a detective to find his father - only to discover that he had several different families across the country. I think he was my favorite character
Pepper “Pep”, is a basketball coach who lives in Arkansas.
Finally there is Theron “Tom” on of Carl Hill, a cameraman living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
CONS:
*As road trip fiction goes this one wasn’t the most exciting! I thought that half way through the book started to slow down and I struggled a little to finish it.
*The characters were fine but I didn’t really feel there was much of a plot in this novel. Just the decision to find their father.
*The Ending!!
I received an advanced audiobook from the publisher Harper-Audio Adult through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to and review this novel
I really enjoyed this author’s first two books and was excited for this one. I definitely had high expectations.
*PROS:
Interesting premise - young adults trace their absent father’s last known address. Meeting each other for the first time.
*CHARACTERS:
Mad is an organic farmer, a business that she owns with her mother. Her father had left them when she was young.
I’m not sure if it was the narrator but Madeline’s voice didn’t deliver any enthusiasm about the trip. Halfway into the book I was struggling with her character.
Reuben “Rube”, is a mystery writer living in Boston, Ma. He had hired a detective to find his father - only to discover that he had several different families across the country. I think he was my favorite character
Pepper “Pep”, is a basketball coach who lives in Arkansas.
Finally there is Theron “Tom” on of Carl Hill, a cameraman living in Salt Lake City, Utah.
CONS:
*As road trip fiction goes this one wasn’t the most exciting! I thought that half way through the book started to slow down and I struggled a little to finish it.
*The characters were fine but I didn’t really feel there was much of a plot in this novel. Just the decision to find their father.
*The Ending!!
I received an advanced audiobook from the publisher Harper-Audio Adult through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to and review this novel
May 15, 2025
"This was the way a normal family worked, she reminded herself. It came together and broke apart over and over again, all the amorphous ways it accommodated expansion and contraction."
I loved this book about a group of siblings who never knew the others existed. All the children of a man who could never put down roots and stay in one place, they gather together on a quest to find him.
This book is so satisfying, touching, and humorous. I loved the interplay between the characters, even when things turned out in unexpected ways. Wilson's writing reminds me a lot of Fredrik Backman's--kind of a ruminating, meandering thought process that mirrors how my brain works. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland, and her narration is stellar as usual. The characters, particularly Mad who is the narrator, are realistic and wonderfully portrayed.
I laughed out loud, shed a few tears, and couldn't stop until I was finished. I'm anxiously awaiting Wilson's next book.
I loved this book about a group of siblings who never knew the others existed. All the children of a man who could never put down roots and stay in one place, they gather together on a quest to find him.
This book is so satisfying, touching, and humorous. I loved the interplay between the characters, even when things turned out in unexpected ways. Wilson's writing reminds me a lot of Fredrik Backman's--kind of a ruminating, meandering thought process that mirrors how my brain works. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland, and her narration is stellar as usual. The characters, particularly Mad who is the narrator, are realistic and wonderfully portrayed.
I laughed out loud, shed a few tears, and couldn't stop until I was finished. I'm anxiously awaiting Wilson's next book.
March 22, 2025
My response to this book was kind of my own fault. After I enjoyed his previous two novels so much, I came in thinking I knew how this book would work. It would slowly introduce me to these distinctive characters, build relationships, and then give a nice little third act emotional gutpunch. The first two happened, the third didn't, leaving me in that weird place where it turns out a book wasn't what you thought it was. Not the book's fault. The book made no promise to me. It was all a me problem. But now I'm not sure how I would have felt about it if I'd just taken the book on its own merits.
I kept waiting for that gut punch because otherwise I could see what I thought would happen in this third act, where a group of abandoned half-siblings confront their father. And it turns out that what I thought was indeed how it played out. There was no gut punch, no big emotional build up or let down, just exactly what I'd imagined. Which, honestly, is good. I kept wondering what big trick would Wilson pull off so that it would go another way, I wondered because I couldn't think of anything that would feel emotionally honest, I just figured surely Wilson will know. Almost sounds like I could be Rube, the leader of the band.
But all that aside, the reason this didn't end up higher rated is that I think it left some of the most interesting questions unanswered. That Mad has devoted herself to farming, her dad's occupation, is something really worth digging into. Full of questions Mad has not been willing to ask herself. I really wanted to go on that journey with her, but we never got there.
This was still fun and funny in that distinctive Wilson way, and I am betting a lot of people will find it more enjoyable than I did because of all that on its own. I just felt like we never really got past the surface into all the interesting stuff beneath.
I kept waiting for that gut punch because otherwise I could see what I thought would happen in this third act, where a group of abandoned half-siblings confront their father. And it turns out that what I thought was indeed how it played out. There was no gut punch, no big emotional build up or let down, just exactly what I'd imagined. Which, honestly, is good. I kept wondering what big trick would Wilson pull off so that it would go another way, I wondered because I couldn't think of anything that would feel emotionally honest, I just figured surely Wilson will know. Almost sounds like I could be Rube, the leader of the band.
But all that aside, the reason this didn't end up higher rated is that I think it left some of the most interesting questions unanswered. That Mad has devoted herself to farming, her dad's occupation, is something really worth digging into. Full of questions Mad has not been willing to ask herself. I really wanted to go on that journey with her, but we never got there.
This was still fun and funny in that distinctive Wilson way, and I am betting a lot of people will find it more enjoyable than I did because of all that on its own. I just felt like we never really got past the surface into all the interesting stuff beneath.
May 21, 2025
OUTLIER ALERT:
"RUN FOR THE HILLS" was not for this runner.
Although I enjoyed Kevin Wilson's quirky humor in "NOTHING TO SEE HERE" and I almost always adore a good road trip book, this book was not for me.
WHY?
I found ZERO humor in a story about a deadbeat dad who repeatedly pulled disappearing acts after impregnating multiple women.
I also found the monosyllable nicknames the deadbeat dad gave to all his abandoned children irritating.
I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Marin Ireland.
Marin Ireland's narration was superb.
2.5 stars
May 18, 2025
3.5 stars. A foursome of half-siblings on a road trip in 2007 (pre-iPhone, so maps! & in a PT cruiser!!) Not my favorite by Kevin Wilson but okay - really expected a bit more humor & quirkiness. Very, very long chapters (ugh) and lots & lots of self-introspection by half-sister Mad, the primary MC. It’s mostly a super character-driven story about truly “found family” and fathers, especially the self-absorbed & selfish ones.
November 27, 2025
A heartwarming novel about siblings and family. When Reuben shows up on Mad’s (Madeline) doorstep, she had no idea she had a half brother. So begins a quest, a road trip to meet their other half siblings and a search for their “disappearing” father.
A road trip filled with get to know each other moments. I loved meeting this eclectic bunch. Wilson really stresses the importance of family and connections. A perfect listen for me at this time as I start on a new journey of my own.
Read by Marin Ireland- she is always a wonderful narrator.
Published: 2025
A road trip filled with get to know each other moments. I loved meeting this eclectic bunch. Wilson really stresses the importance of family and connections. A perfect listen for me at this time as I start on a new journey of my own.
Read by Marin Ireland- she is always a wonderful narrator.
Published: 2025
July 9, 2025
When describing this book to my husband he said books about regular people are like a stranger telling you a long story about people you don't know and you have to sit there and listen. This is true. The author's job is to get you to care about these people. And I didn't.
I'm very particular about books about regular people doing normal people things. It's hit or miss with me. Give me this concept in a fantasy world and maybe we're talking.
This was cute I guess? But I don't think I'm the right audience for this. Maybe this appeals to a very specific person.
Like maybe I would have liked it as a mystery novel, where the Rube is the narrator? I just found everyone kind of generic and weirdly seemed younger than their ages. Like Rube is 40 but I kept picturing him as an emotional 18 year old. There was a quirky aspect to it but it was never like crazy funny and there was just too many internal monologues and thoughts from bland Mad. Plus long chapters. I hate long chapters.
I read to about 60% and then almost DNF but it's a short book. Sure it’s kind of cute, feel-good, some things are still a bit strange and I still don't see how any parent could let their underage kid go on a blind road trip with strangers. 1.5/5. Sorry. Maybe his other books are better? Or I'll stick to fantasy.
I'm very particular about books about regular people doing normal people things. It's hit or miss with me. Give me this concept in a fantasy world and maybe we're talking.
This was cute I guess? But I don't think I'm the right audience for this. Maybe this appeals to a very specific person.
Like maybe I would have liked it as a mystery novel, where the Rube is the narrator? I just found everyone kind of generic and weirdly seemed younger than their ages. Like Rube is 40 but I kept picturing him as an emotional 18 year old. There was a quirky aspect to it but it was never like crazy funny and there was just too many internal monologues and thoughts from bland Mad. Plus long chapters. I hate long chapters.
I read to about 60% and then almost DNF but it's a short book. Sure it’s kind of cute, feel-good, some things are still a bit strange and I still don't see how any parent could let their underage kid go on a blind road trip with strangers. 1.5/5. Sorry. Maybe his other books are better? Or I'll stick to fantasy.
June 25, 2025
One thing you can say about Kevin Wilson's work is that it is never boring. It is also always quirky/weird while at the same time deeply caring about the characters. Always strangeness in the plots--the spontaneous combustion of children, who then immediately regenerate, as if nothing happens, in Nothing to See Here, comes to mind--but always some significant change happens with the mc.
In this one a woman, Mad(eline) running a Tennessee chicken farm with her mom, is visited by a guy, Ruben (in a PT Cruiser, played for laughs throughout) who lives in Boston and writes mystery novels. He finds that the two of them are sibs of a man who abandoned them and their mothers, and oh, yeah, there are at least two other abandoned families across the country. So of course they go on a road trip to find the other two half-sibs and maybe Daddy Dearest. Another road trip book, which is the way we can justify lots of talking and storytelling, of course (I just read another road trip book, Eurotrash).
Unrealistic, you say? Wilson never seems to want to have us live in the "real" world but in some place in between what we know and what might be possible. It's like fantasy, or irrealism, of sorts. In some ways the books play like straight-up domestic comedies, but then you meet four different sibs who seem to have the same, but dramatically reinventing, father who sired them in four different parts of the country. Then you assume they all want to see Deadbeat Dad?!
Instead of dystopian realism, the worst case scenario, we have a world like that of the film Lars and the Real Girl, where people are nicer, kinder, than we could reasonably expect people to be. Moving stories that give you hope.
Mad, when she is initially asked questions by her half-bro Ruben, usually answers "yes and no." Are you the daughter of x? Yes and no. Were you born on June 21? Yes and no, as she was born at midnight. And so on. So why does identity have to be one thing? Also probably true of Dad, who seems to reinvent himself as a person in each new "stage" of being/parenting. Configurations of identity, and family, have myriad possibilities, but it’s not sappy, it's goofy/heartfelt.
Near the end, one of the sibs suggests that the story they have been creating (with Wilson's help!) is a bit like Wizard of Oz. They have been on a quest, and at the end of the quest, they hopefully have been (or impossibly, if you are a cynic?) transformed. I say we want to believe this goodness could be true!. The Road beckons and truth calls back!
Again, as even Mad admits, it never felt quite real, but then they are home, and they have established this improbable, unconventional--"it's complicated"--family. Family. That's th main thing Wilson is about her. We can do this family thing, he cheerleads! There's no place like home, there's no place like home, click your heels together and you are home, and everything is somehow better. Four Dorothys and a Wizard-Dad. Unreal? Okay, fine. But we want these kinds of stories sometimes, and need them. I think especially adopted kids that find their biological parents might like this story.
PS: The title, eh. Run for the Hills? It's a bad pun, as Daddy was named Hills.
In this one a woman, Mad(eline) running a Tennessee chicken farm with her mom, is visited by a guy, Ruben (in a PT Cruiser, played for laughs throughout) who lives in Boston and writes mystery novels. He finds that the two of them are sibs of a man who abandoned them and their mothers, and oh, yeah, there are at least two other abandoned families across the country. So of course they go on a road trip to find the other two half-sibs and maybe Daddy Dearest. Another road trip book, which is the way we can justify lots of talking and storytelling, of course (I just read another road trip book, Eurotrash).
Unrealistic, you say? Wilson never seems to want to have us live in the "real" world but in some place in between what we know and what might be possible. It's like fantasy, or irrealism, of sorts. In some ways the books play like straight-up domestic comedies, but then you meet four different sibs who seem to have the same, but dramatically reinventing, father who sired them in four different parts of the country. Then you assume they all want to see Deadbeat Dad?!
Instead of dystopian realism, the worst case scenario, we have a world like that of the film Lars and the Real Girl, where people are nicer, kinder, than we could reasonably expect people to be. Moving stories that give you hope.
Mad, when she is initially asked questions by her half-bro Ruben, usually answers "yes and no." Are you the daughter of x? Yes and no. Were you born on June 21? Yes and no, as she was born at midnight. And so on. So why does identity have to be one thing? Also probably true of Dad, who seems to reinvent himself as a person in each new "stage" of being/parenting. Configurations of identity, and family, have myriad possibilities, but it’s not sappy, it's goofy/heartfelt.
Near the end, one of the sibs suggests that the story they have been creating (with Wilson's help!) is a bit like Wizard of Oz. They have been on a quest, and at the end of the quest, they hopefully have been (or impossibly, if you are a cynic?) transformed. I say we want to believe this goodness could be true!. The Road beckons and truth calls back!
Again, as even Mad admits, it never felt quite real, but then they are home, and they have established this improbable, unconventional--"it's complicated"--family. Family. That's th main thing Wilson is about her. We can do this family thing, he cheerleads! There's no place like home, there's no place like home, click your heels together and you are home, and everything is somehow better. Four Dorothys and a Wizard-Dad. Unreal? Okay, fine. But we want these kinds of stories sometimes, and need them. I think especially adopted kids that find their biological parents might like this story.
PS: The title, eh. Run for the Hills? It's a bad pun, as Daddy was named Hills.
May 27, 2025
Whenever I pick up a Kevin Wilson book, I already know that I will be in for a zany and wild ride through a weird yet heartfelt story alongside a cast of characters who are quirky and eccentric, but in a loveably delightful way. In this instance, the “ride” is a literal one, as the central premise revolves around a road trip that four half-siblings embark upon to locate their long-lost father.
Madeline “Mad” Hill’s solitary yet “okay” life living on a farm with her mother in Coalfield, Tennessee is suddenly upended when a young man named Reuben (nickname “Rube”) shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her half-brother. As it turns out, their father, Charles Hill, is a serial abandoner – he walked out on Rube and his mother 30 years ago, changing his name and starting a new life on a farm with Mad’s mother, only to walk out on her and Mad 10 years later. But Rube and Mad weren’t the only ones abandoned – their father actually did the same thing two more times after them, leaving behind a college-age daughter named Pepper (“Pep” for short) in Oklahoma and an eleven-year-old son named Theron (who goes by “Tom”) in Utah. Rube invites Mad to accompany him on a cross-country trek to not only find their other siblings, but also try to locate their father so they can confront him and get answers. Though Mad thinks this is a crazy idea, she ultimately agrees to go with Rube and together, they set off on a road trip unlike any other. When Rube and Mad locate their other siblings and trade stories about their father, they are shocked to discover that he took on an entirely different persona with each “new life” he started. These facts about their father, along with other secrets they uncover, deepen the siblings’ determination to find their father and figure out what exactly is going on (and perhaps more importantly – why??).
I will admit that, at first, when I read this outlandish premise, I honestly wasn’t sure if it was going to work, as it sounded a bit too off-the-wall to me. But then I remembered that this is Kevin Wilson – an author who has the unique talent of taking the zaniest of premises and turning them into fun, delightful, emotionally nuanced stories that may not always be believable, but are always full of humor and heart. I loved the four siblings at the center of the story and was truly moved by their earnest efforts in trying to navigate their newfound sibling relationship while at the same time reconciling the impact of their father’s actions on their lives. With that said, I’m not really sure how I feel about the ending – I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say too much here, but I think this is an area that would make a good (and interesting) topic of discussion.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and highly entertaining read. Sure, there were some moments where I felt like I had to suspend disbelief somewhat, but those were few and far between – plus there was the emotional payoff that made things worthwhile in the end. I definitely recommend picking this one up, as it makes for a fantastic summer read!
Received ARC from Ecco via NetGalley.
Madeline “Mad” Hill’s solitary yet “okay” life living on a farm with her mother in Coalfield, Tennessee is suddenly upended when a young man named Reuben (nickname “Rube”) shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her half-brother. As it turns out, their father, Charles Hill, is a serial abandoner – he walked out on Rube and his mother 30 years ago, changing his name and starting a new life on a farm with Mad’s mother, only to walk out on her and Mad 10 years later. But Rube and Mad weren’t the only ones abandoned – their father actually did the same thing two more times after them, leaving behind a college-age daughter named Pepper (“Pep” for short) in Oklahoma and an eleven-year-old son named Theron (who goes by “Tom”) in Utah. Rube invites Mad to accompany him on a cross-country trek to not only find their other siblings, but also try to locate their father so they can confront him and get answers. Though Mad thinks this is a crazy idea, she ultimately agrees to go with Rube and together, they set off on a road trip unlike any other. When Rube and Mad locate their other siblings and trade stories about their father, they are shocked to discover that he took on an entirely different persona with each “new life” he started. These facts about their father, along with other secrets they uncover, deepen the siblings’ determination to find their father and figure out what exactly is going on (and perhaps more importantly – why??).
I will admit that, at first, when I read this outlandish premise, I honestly wasn’t sure if it was going to work, as it sounded a bit too off-the-wall to me. But then I remembered that this is Kevin Wilson – an author who has the unique talent of taking the zaniest of premises and turning them into fun, delightful, emotionally nuanced stories that may not always be believable, but are always full of humor and heart. I loved the four siblings at the center of the story and was truly moved by their earnest efforts in trying to navigate their newfound sibling relationship while at the same time reconciling the impact of their father’s actions on their lives. With that said, I’m not really sure how I feel about the ending – I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t say too much here, but I think this is an area that would make a good (and interesting) topic of discussion.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and highly entertaining read. Sure, there were some moments where I felt like I had to suspend disbelief somewhat, but those were few and far between – plus there was the emotional payoff that made things worthwhile in the end. I definitely recommend picking this one up, as it makes for a fantastic summer read!
Received ARC from Ecco via NetGalley.
June 12, 2025
What happens when 4 half siblings who hadn’t known about each other come together? A cross-country road trip, of course.
Madeline (Mad) is at the farmhouse she shares with her mother, when a PT Cruiser pulls up. Reuben (Rube) jumps out and introduces himself as her half brother. Mad resists, but Rube draws her in and shares the story. He researched and found out that his father, who left him and his mom thirty years ago, had then made a life with Mad’s mom. He wants her to join him on a trek to find their other siblings, and then confront their dad.
As they meet each other and travel together, there are many laughs. There’s also some sadness as they all reflect on why their dad left them and never kept in touch. Through this dramatic time together, they form surprising but sweet bonds.
While it’s a fun enjoyable book, it’s also really interesting to see how these experiences impacted each of them, what role time has played… and will they meet their dad?
The audiobook was well narrated, and I completely enjoyed this book.
Madeline (Mad) is at the farmhouse she shares with her mother, when a PT Cruiser pulls up. Reuben (Rube) jumps out and introduces himself as her half brother. Mad resists, but Rube draws her in and shares the story. He researched and found out that his father, who left him and his mom thirty years ago, had then made a life with Mad’s mom. He wants her to join him on a trek to find their other siblings, and then confront their dad.
As they meet each other and travel together, there are many laughs. There’s also some sadness as they all reflect on why their dad left them and never kept in touch. Through this dramatic time together, they form surprising but sweet bonds.
While it’s a fun enjoyable book, it’s also really interesting to see how these experiences impacted each of them, what role time has played… and will they meet their dad?
The audiobook was well narrated, and I completely enjoyed this book.
May 22, 2025
"So you're just on a fact-finding mission to create an oral history that explains the actions of our dad? You're going to each family and kind of upsetting the order of their lives?"
Attention, Elon Musk! You're not the ONLY serial-fatherer out there.
(Just the creepiest!)
Four recently acquainted siblings head for California to find their father, and discover why he left each of them only to create a new family in another state.
A new Kevin Wilson book is always cause for celebration, so I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy this one more. Perhaps its because the novel seems more plot than character driven. Maybe it's because I just finished Ariel Courage's Bad Nature, a similarly themed road trip tale about a woman on a collision course to reunite with her father. (And, in my opinion, Courage did it better.) Or, maybe it's just me . . .
Give this one a try. You may enjoy the trip far more than I did.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for sharing this one.
Attention, Elon Musk! You're not the ONLY serial-fatherer out there.
(Just the creepiest!)
Four recently acquainted siblings head for California to find their father, and discover why he left each of them only to create a new family in another state.
A new Kevin Wilson book is always cause for celebration, so I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy this one more. Perhaps its because the novel seems more plot than character driven. Maybe it's because I just finished Ariel Courage's Bad Nature, a similarly themed road trip tale about a woman on a collision course to reunite with her father. (And, in my opinion, Courage did it better.) Or, maybe it's just me . . .
Give this one a try. You may enjoy the trip far more than I did.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for sharing this one.
May 30, 2025
I love Kevin Wilson. I love the wide lens with which he views the idea of family. I love the quirky brokenness of his characters. I love the way he balances humor and heartache. All of those elements are in play here in his take of a road novel, or maybe a quest novel. The cast of half-siblings abandoned by their father crossing the country to meet and confront him has the makings for something rich and hilarious and heartbreaking and Wilson provides glimpses of all of that. Unfortunately, for me it fell a bit short. I'm used to his characters crawling into my heart and soul but these didn't. I appreciated the story but was left wanting much more.
Still, I never mind spending time in Wilson's worlds. Although this is not my favorite of his novels, I remain a huge fan.
Still, I never mind spending time in Wilson's worlds. Although this is not my favorite of his novels, I remain a huge fan.
December 24, 2025
After really enjoying Nothing to See Here, I was excited to pick up another novel by Wilson—and this one delivered another fun, unique, and delightfully quirky story! I loved the cast of characters and their very different personalities; it was impossible not to root for them as they set off in search of their dad.
Along the way, the small secrets they uncover added depth and heart to the story, making their journey even more engaging. The ending felt satisfying and well-earned, wrapping everything up in a way that just felt right.
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narrator, who brought so much life and charm to the characters.
Overall, this was a great read full of warmth and wit!
Along the way, the small secrets they uncover added depth and heart to the story, making their journey even more engaging. The ending felt satisfying and well-earned, wrapping everything up in a way that just felt right.
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narrator, who brought so much life and charm to the characters.
Overall, this was a great read full of warmth and wit!
January 23, 2025
Unlikely but purely delightful. These words can describe any book by Kevin Wilson. Ever since The Family Fang, he has been creating family dynamics that won't make me laugh necessarily, but will broaden my appreciation of the concept of family. Here is a family that doesn't identify as such since the father has a habit of pulling a disappearing act and somehow launching a new set of siblings unaware of the existence of the others. Even the car has a personality.
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