Dodge City

by Patrick deWitt

1967, California. Lee Clarke is a strait-laced twenty-three-year-old, happily in love and ambling along at college until an ill-advised fistfight leads to his expulsion. Soon, he receives his draft notice to serve in the Vietnam War, which forces Lee to make the first political decision of his life: he will leave the country and his girlfriend and head for the Canadian border.

He signs up at a drive-away car delivery service, chancing into a new Jaguar bound for the East Coast. Carrying only a single suitcase and a bag of amphetamines, Lee knows he can’t go without saying his goodbyes.

In four different towns strung out along the US, Lee visits each member of his family: his father, an alcoholic World War Two veteran; his mother, engaged in a buoyantly manic performance with her shut-in sibling; his heartbroken, misanthropic brother Harry; and finally his twin sister, Grace, a brash, young psychiatric nurse-in-training mired in romantic drama. As Lee makes his stimulated progress across the country, his past keeps rising to meet him. He can’t help but wonder, what will his decision to leave mean for his future?

A beautiful, sweeping and raucous portrait of a family in disarray and a country in flux, Dodge City confirms deWitt as one of our most brilliant satirists and a novelist of staggering heart.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Canada, Literary Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, War

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2026

About the author

Patrick deWitt is the author of the novels French Exit (a national bestseller), The Sisters Brothers (a New York Times bestseller short-listed for the Booker Prize), and the critically acclaimed Undermajordomo Minor and Ablutions. Born in British Columbia, he now resides in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1967, Lee is 23 yrs old living in California, in college, lives at the beach, has a serious girlfriend.
He gets kicked out of college for fighting ( not his fault) and soon after gets a notice that he has been drafted to the Vietnam war.
His plan is to dodge… go to Canada.
He comes from a broken and quirky family ..his parents divorced a twin female sibling and a brother he doesn’t speak to, in different states.
He travels east to visit and say goodbye to each family person before he goes to Canada, and it is quite an undertaking… it is an amphetamine laced journey, the dialogue so quick and entertaining and I really enjoyed this one… a fast read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

[Nick Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

deWitt's Dodge City is a fairly mundane story about a young man reconnecting with family after he decides to dodge the Vietnam draft. Nothing explosive happens and there are no big twists or turns. There isn't much drama, and there isn't much tension. That said, I could not put this book down and was completely enthralled by Lee's story the entire way through. It was funny, strange, and surprisingly encouraging. I think this book perfectly captures the often pedestrian realities of bold or daring decisions. The rhythm of the dialogue in this book flows perfectly and the lifelike short responses had me laughing quite a few times. I just love books like this so much.

[Mika · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Most road trips are about finding yourself, but in 1967, they were about outrunning the Vietnam War. Dodge City explores the moment when dodging your fears becomes a flight for survival.

Introduction

My brain focused too much on the Vietnam War and the cross-country road trip aspects that I didn't notice until I already started reading that this is a humorous book. To be precise, a dryly humorous story with eccentric characters. The tone is much lighter than what I usually read. While I can appreciate and enjoy a light-hearted story, I oftentimes find myself unengaged by them.

Themes & Characters

Despite the short length of this book, it explores many different themes.

Lee Clarke, who got kicked out of UCLA after an event of violence between himself and another student, received a draft notice sooner than expected. His fistfighting explores the vulnerability of one's origins and how people react differently when their boundaries are crossed. Unlucky, Lee Clarke has his boundaries crossed more than once in this story. His war duty forces him to question how much (military) service a citizen truly owes to its country. Lee Clarke makes his first political decision of his life when he received his draft notice—breaking free from the social systems that forces young men to join the Vietnam war. Instead of overcoming his fears, he tries to flee by having a cross-country road trip. To fight for his independence and free will, he has to abandon his own country.

Lee Clarke isn't the only character who flees from responsibilities. Other characters are caught between love and an uncertain future. Others are haunted by their family history. It portrays America during a time of political and social unrest. In the end, all characters are defined by their behaviours and choices they make.

Outroduction

I was surprised when I finished this book 'cause I expected more. The whole time I was waiting for something spectacular to occur, but it never did. Ultimately, the Vietnam War premise was less emotional than I initially thought. I don't often read light-hearted stories. However, despite my low rating, I still think it's worth checking out for anyone wanting a dryly humorous read that handles heavy themes without becoming overwhelming. It explores themes such as family, love, duty, free will and war.

Thank you NetGalley and Fourth Estate for the advanced reader copy of Dodge City by Patrick deWitt.

StoryGraph review

Started the book: 01. September 2026
Finished the book: 01. September 2026
Wrote the review: 01. September 2026

[Will Pass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a wonderful ride!

Follow Lee Clarke, a charming benzedrine-fueled Vietnam draft dodger hightailing for the northern border in a borrowed Jaguar E-type. With deadpan dialogue and beautifully damaged characters, deWitt takes the reader on a high-speed roadshow of family foibles, with each visit revealing another facet of Lee's identity within the funhouse mirror that is American patriotism. Consider me conscripted and ready to throw this book like a grenade at anyone who wants to laugh in the face of mindless power. Oh, and there’s a cute and often funny love story involved, adding yet another layer to the underlying theme of loyalty versus liberation while giving Lee one last chance to do the right thing, whatever that might be.

I loved this book, plain and simple, and will read it again.

[Meike]

Let's do the upcoming deWitt!

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story takes place in 1967 California during the Vietnam War. The main character is Lee, a young man who gets kicked out of college after a fight, upending his deferment from The Draft. He decides to make a run for Canada to escape it all, selling his car to finance his journey while also signing up with a drive away car service- where he must deliver a Jaguar to a New Jersey destination. His road trip has little detours as he visits with his scattered family before exiting the US. He also left a girlfriend behind, although both felt somewhat unsure and unsettled about the whole thing. The thought of her burrows in his thoughts as he repeatedly tries calling her along the way.

The dialogue is anything but boring; these characters really know how to "talk" intelligently. There's wit and whimsy, but a heavy, gray pall hanging over each of his family member's living situations. As Lee made the rounds visiting his father, mother, brother, and sister at their separate locales, I kept feeling a sense of relief when he drove away from them- like he was the lucky one. This was a thought-provoking read that held my interest.

Thank you to the publisher Ecco who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Each of you has his boundary, his limit, isn’t that so? No matter one’s devotion to spouse or country, there is still the untouchable piece of oneself that must not be encroached upon. You each were pressed to accept that which you could not accept, and you did not accept it.” He looked at Lee. “Sameness named.” Lee’s mother sat considering her brother’s words. “I’ll admit there is some discomfort caused by the naming of the theory. Can it be that I’m hiding the truth of it from myself?”

 
Longlisted for the 2026 Giller Prize (the author’s fourth longlisting for that Prize- twice going on to be shortlisted).
 
Canadian-born author Patrick de Witt is best known internationally for his second novel “The Sisters Brothers” (2011) which was shortlisted for the 2011 Booker Prize (and later 2012 Walter Scott Prize), as well as the 2011 Giller Prize (it also won some less well known Canadian Prizes).  I found it easy reading, fast paced and tightly written but its violence and knowing humour rather unpleasant.
 
This is his sixth novel – and the first I have read since and I think shares the same fast-paced, tight writing but was a more enjoyable read.
 
Set in 1967, the third party protagonist Lee Clarke was at college in California (and a fairly straight-laced student albeit with a complex family), but at the novel’s start has been expelled from college after punching an annoying and verbally aggressive early-hippie (who turned out to be the son of a major donor) and that in turn opens him up for the letter which defines this road-trip novel – a draft notice to serve in the Vietnam war.
 
Lee, perhaps to his own surprise, reacts almost immediately to realise that he has no intention to serve, and instead aims to head for Canada, leaving his on-off girlfriend, signing up for a drive-away car delivery (which turns out to be a brand new Jaguar) and heading for the border, fuelled by amphetamines.
 
En route he visits all four of his family members: his father who still lives in the family home, and is barely holding life together as a dog catcher (relying on thefts to fill his quota); his mother who left the family home when he was still young after realising she could no longer live with his father, and who now lives in her maternal family home with her older brother; his close sister, now a psychiatric nurse and having an affair first with a doctor and then a mental patient; and his once domineering brother – with who he has had a grudge since high school.
 
The novel is distinguished by its extensive quick-fire dialogue and slightly offbeat humour as well as by a deeper layer asking what obligations you have to others (be that lovers, the family unit or – of course in Lee’s case – your country) and at what point do those obligations become too much – no more so than with the closing lines of the novel.
 
My thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC via NetGalley
 

He breathed and stared at the pins; he drew a gently bending line in his mind. He wound up and released the ball, sent it scurrying down the buffed boards, then straightened and stepped back, waiting with no small interest to see how intention stood up against resistless power.

[Holly R W · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I should have dodged this book, Dodge City. I enjoyed the first few chapters and then it went downhill from there.

It focuses upon a college aged young man (Lee) in 1967. Lee gets expelled from UCLA in Los Angeles and receives his draft notice. He is facing going to Vietnam to fight in the war. He makes a fast decision to flee to Canada in order to escape going. The rest of the story is about the cross-country trip that Lee embarks on, visiting first his father, and then in succession, his mother, brother, and twin sister. Lee leaves behind a girlfriend that he is crazy about.

I did not like any of the characters, including Lee. And, the author puts each of them in ludicrous and tawdry situations. What kept me reading I suppose, was the hope that the story would turn around, but it never did.

2.5 stars

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man drives across America, from southern California to northern Vermont, to evade being drafted into the Vietnam war. Along the way, he says goodbye to his classic car, his best friend, his girlfriend, his father in the hometown where he grew up, his mother and uncle, his brother from whom he has been estranged for years, his twin sister, and life as he has always known it.

I really enjoyed the dialogue - it was hilarious - but I do not for a minute believe that anyone in America has ever spoken this way; not in the 1960s, not today, not ever.

[Joy D · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

It’s 1967. Lee is kicked out of UCLA for fighting, and before he can enroll anywhere else, he’s drafted. He decides to go to Canada, but first he wants to say goodbye to his family, whom he hasn’t seen in years. He gets a job driving a Jaguar from LA to the East Coast for a car delivery service and, fueled by amphetamines, stops to visit his father, mother, sister, and brother, scattered across the country.

This is a road trip novel in deWitt’s quirky style, with his usual cast of eccentrics. Lee spends the long drive thinking about his past. He realizes that each relative he visits has made a choice that changed the course of their life. The book is about those turning points, and about the conflict between obligation and conscience.

The story is entertaining enough, but it never gains much momentum. Each family visit reads like a separate episode, and I had trouble getting invested. I enjoyed individual scenes more than the book as a whole. I loved The Sisters Brothers, Ablutions, French Exit, and The Librarianist, but this one didn’t grab me the way they did. It’s well written and has good moments, but I doubt it will stay with me. Liked it. Didn’t love it.

[Kip Kyburz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to reiterate this in every deWitt novel I read, but the dialogue is still best in the world. Funny as hell, with no element of causticity. Starting in LA and charting a roadtrip that spans north and then East, Lee checks in with the 4 other members of his family and the haphazard lives they have built while fleeing a draft that is sure to upset his own. Other than his mother, who is new to stability, he finds them all in various states of disaster as old truths and new truths become known.

[Annaliese · Rating 3 out of 5]

My experience with Patrick deWitt lands Dodge City between French Exit, which I disliked, and The Librarianist, which I quite liked. Dodge City a story of a disaffected young man trying to dodge the Vietnam War draft, fell right down the middle—it was not dramatic or thrilling, but meditative and a little melancholy, and all of the little action that was pent-up over the course of the story fell rapidly in the last few pages. Not to say it was disappointing, but a lot more neutral or mundane overall than expected. deWitt’s writing felt particularly explanatory in this book, which perhaps contributed to how lacking in depth it all felt.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Ecco in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam Ashurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dodge City, a book about a young man’s encounters with friends, love, and family following his decision to dodge the Vietnam draft, put me in mind of complicated ‘70s movies; it’s Five Easy Pieces meets the Last Detail. It’s a novel featuring the sex, drugs and rock’n’roll of the ‘60s, but sad versions of each. It’s a book about decisions and consequences, destiny and control. A white pill hangover following a crashed party. A single bowling pin waiting to be toppled. I loved it, it’s a beautiful story.

[Andy Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book begins in Los Angeles in 1967 where Lee Clarke, after an expulsion for his college, has received his draft notice to fight in the Vietnam War. He is forced to make the first political decision of his life, and though he is happy with his lifestyle and girlfriend in California he decides to leave the country and heads for the border.

He uses a one way car-delivery service, as indeed I have done myself, but in 1980 and in upstate New York. Taking just a suitcase and a bag of amphetamines, he sets off on a road trip across the country via and separated parents’ houses, and his siblings, who live in various towns that form his route.

deWitt’s writing is as entertaining as ever, and perhaps even more so here, where there isn’t a lot of plot. What results is an enjoyable and witty account, easy to read, so ideal if a break is needed from novels that require more focus.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars (haven't figured out how to do that yet!)
I am always intrigued by a novel about the Vietnam era. The main character in this novel is Lee, a young man living in California who has just received his draft notice. He decides he doesn’t want to go to Vietnam, so he plans escape to Canada. The first scenes are set in LA, where the reader learns that Lee was expelled from college (hence his draft availability). The reader also meets his hot but not-exactly-committed girlfriend. The scenes were great depiction of the time and place. It is apparent that Lee is a very apathetic person. Life leads him, rather than the other way around. Even his decision to evade the draft is made rather passively.
The majority of the novel consists of Lee’s drive across the US to tell his family members goodbye. Each family member is quite lost. His mother is over opinionated, his sister is at the end of a relationship with a married doctor, and his father has become a dog catcher, but is stealing the dogs he “catches” to keep his job. No one in Lee’s life is inspirational or even positive – but they WERE his family and he cared about them.
I thought this novel created some very interesting characters, but it was not what I thought it would be. It was a story of Lee’s life in LA and his trip across the US to say goodbye to his family – not a story about what life was like as a draft evader living in Canada or the consequences of his choice. Not bad – just not great in my opinion.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful drug-fueled cross-country, draft-dodging ride of a book. Elegiac at times, tenderly funny at others. Whip-smart dialogue and quirky characters.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galley provided by publisher

Dodge City is a book that brings to mind the specific vibe of the American Classic Novel. Perhaps it's simply the roadtrip aspect, or else the sparse-feeling plot, more concerned with the family relationships and all the baggage they bring with them. In all of deWitt's books that I've so far read, the characters spring off the page, and it's no different here. That's what makes this book so compelling and what made me not want to put it down. Highly recommended.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What’s wrong with cynicism?”

“It’s a dullard’s shortcut.”

from Dodge City by Patrick deWitt

I sped through this short, entertaining novel, propelled by the witty dialogue and delighting in its colorful characters.

After flunking out of college, Lee is immediately drafted and slated to go to Vietnam. But he has other plans. He takes off on a cross country road trip from California to NYC, at once a goodbye tour of his far-flung family, and in the end, an escape to Canada.

Lee leaves behind the free-spirited Cal, separated by distance but not connection. He visits his dad who is on the slippery slope of dysfunction. And his mom, who long ago ditched them for a new life. Then his estranged brother who stole his high school crush, now devastated by a breakup. And last, a sister in NYC, who has made unfortunate choices in love interests.

I had to love this family of losers haunted by bad decisions. They are such fun, are so willingly open about their bad choices, so clever and forgivable.

The road trip’s purpose—-to avoid the draft by leaving the country–sparks debate everywhere Lee goes. His father was in WWII and claims he had a great time. The family remembers it differently, how he started drinking and mistreated Lee.

For all the angst, drugs, and drinking indulged in, the book never becomes a downer. We accept these characters, with all their flaws. After all, who among us hasn’t fallen short now and then?

Another entertaining read from deWitt.

Thanks to Ecco for a free book through NetGalley.

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Dodge City follows Lee Clark in 1967 as he receives his draft notice to serve in the Vietnam War. Lee is only twenty-three and he understandably doesn’t want to fight in a war so he decides to dodge the draft by leaving America and heads to the Canadian border but this does mean leaving his girlfriend behind. He gets a Jaguar to travel in from a drive-away delivery service and takes some amphetamines to stay awake. As Lee travels across the US to get to the Canadian border, he decides to meet up with his family members. Lee meets his father, who is an alcoholic WWII veteran who is not doing well and has strong views on fighting for the country. He meets up with his mother, who lives with her brother after leaving Lee’s father years ago. He sees his brother, Harry, who he doesn’t get along with and is reluctant to visit and his sister, Grace, who is a psychiatric nurse-in-training and very supportive of Lee. As Lee travels across the US he thinks about the draft, what it means to leave his girlfriend and what the future will have in store for him in Canada.

I really enjoyed this book and I will be recommending this. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this but this quickly pulled me in and I read this in a matter of hours. I easily connected with Lee and understood why he wanted to dodge the draft. There are some really good conversations in this around war and who wants to fight. The older generation in this book (Lee’s dad and mother) believe in fighting for your country and cannot understand why Lee doesn’t want to go. Whereas Lee just doesn’t understand the need to go to another country and kill strangers. Whilst the topic of this book is dark due to it being about war, there is a humorous tone throughout and in that respect, the tone of this book reminded me of Early Sobrieties by Michael Deagler. This book is written well and quickly grabs your attention. I had a really good time reading this and I think this is an important read especially for today’s times when conversations around patriotism arise and what it means to serve your country. I’m giving this 4.5 stars rounded up to a 5.

Favourite quote - “Okay, but don’t you think it’s weird that they expect us to go over there and murder strangers?” “You want to get to know them first? Play canasta? Don’t forget that the strangers are trying to murder you.” “Don’t you think that’s weird?” “I think it’s unfortunate. But that’s just the way it goes, isn’t that right?” “Is it?” “Yes, it is. That’s the way it’s always gone and will always go. Cavemen went to war, and so will spacemen. It’s just a part of the male American experience. And if you leave your country, that’s your business, but as soon as you step over that line, you’ll be losing a piece of yourself you won’t get back.”

[Leila Le · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

3.25
Story follows Lee, a young man who has been drafted for war and his attempt to flee from the action. We go with him as he visits all of his family, mending their relationships along the way

I really like this book and I would consider this rating high for a lit-fic. I liked how his relationships with his family was actually thought out and took time to heal. I also liked how not everyone was supportive of what he was doing which made the characters seem that much realer.

The only thing I didn’t really like was how at the beginning of the book the characters seemed a bit flat.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easygoing story, similar to the Sisters Brothers in terms of humor, but this novel has none of that novel's biting, satirical dark edges. You may wonder what the book is about, even while you're reading it. I think it's about what we owe: to our family, our friends, our romantic partners, our country, and ultimately: to ourselves. That's the real journey the MC takes, while he traverses the country to figure out the answers to those questions, and to reject having them answered for him.

It's written as if it's unfolding in the present, but has the definite feel of reminiscence, looking back at how we got to where we are now. It's reflective, funny, earnest, and at times tender with the discovery of the various ways in which we all disappoint each other, and the grace that can arise from those realizations.

The tone is light and bouncy, never quite landing on anything, just lightly touching on different experiences and interactions, like a balloon being nosed up in the air repeatedly by a singularly-focused dog. Watching, you know that eventually that balloon will fall to the ground, deflated. 

As lighthearted as the story's tone is, there is some truly earnest examination of those conflicting feelings one has about leaving the country they enjoy living in. That tug isn't so much patriotism as it is sentimentality. It's hard to go, but you cannot stay.

DeWitt very wryly expresses the mood of a generation who felt that their country wanted more from them than was reasonable. The melancholy of that realization actually makes the drug use, and the need to drop out and tune out, make a whole lot more sense. There was a lot of upheaval going on in the 60s, without any easy escape from it.

It's easy to identify with the protagonist, because who has not wanted to push back against what everyone says you have to do, to reject the life you don't want, and to take the risks involved with flagrantly disregarding everyone else's expectations?

As buoyed as we are by Lee and his righteous defiance, we are laid low by the deflated wreck of his father's life. The author writes him as a character we can feel for, one who exudes a melancholy and desperation we can understand, even as bleak as it is. It's clear that life hasn't turned out the way he had planned.

Lee's mother and uncle, on the other hand, and in some respects, his sister too, restore us with dynamic vitality and sharp wit. They are the most fun of all the characters. But, it also seems that the smarter they are, the more aware they are of their own dissatisfaction with their lives. As all good characters are, they are flawed. Some fail to see themselves, and some fail to see others, often with heartbreaking results.

We all fail in our confident assessments of what we believe to be real or true. The most important thing is what we do, once we get a dose of humility. We have to decide, in the face of a much clearer big picture, how to place ourselves in a larger landscape, and who to make space for in our new perspective, and who to leave behind.

[Vincent Scarpa · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I was so taken with French Exit when I first read it a couple of years ago, and I felt quite sure I'd enjoy this one, too. I was correct. deWitt is just plain fun to spend time with, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the dialogue between Lee and Grace, his sister, an excerpt from which follows:

“He called his sister Grace in Manhattan, who picked up on the first ring and said, ‘Yes, what?’
‘Is that how they say good morning in New York?’
‘Lee?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘Telephoning. What’s the matter?’
‘I’m mad.’
‘You sound mad. What happened?’
‘It’s a whole big story. Why are you calling so early?’
‘I’ve been up all night. Tell me the story.’
‘Okay, hold on.’ Lee heard Grace light a cigarette. She said, ‘I got
myself into a situation with my superior at the hospital. Maybe you’re
familiar with the torrid particulars; it fits in with any daytime soap opera.
Here’s a hint: I’m the impressionable small-town nurse-in-training.’
‘He’s the handsome young doctor?’
‘Not that handsome.’
‘Young?’
‘Not that young.’
‘Beloved by colleagues and patients alike?’
‘Not really, no.’
‘Married to his work?’
‘That he is. Also, though, he’s married to his wife. Our lady of the
persistent mustache. Who recently learned about the impressionable small-town nurse-in-training.’
‘How’d she find out?’
‘I rang her up and told her all about it.’
‘Grace Lynne Clarke.’
‘Yeah, buddy. I’ve never really hated someone before now, and I’ll tell you what it’s not, it’s not boring.’
‘You sound all puffed up.’
‘I’m very puffed up.’
‘And this is happening right now?’
‘It’s two days old.’
‘Where’s it at?’
‘After the initial flurry of violence, we’ve arrived at eerie silence.’”

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book of character, moral, and the importance of family. I really loved this, Lee was a fun character to centre the story on. His narrative was entertaining and at times, a little unreliable, which made the whole thing more enjoyable. My particular favourite was his sister Grace, who I would have happily read an entire book about. A really great novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #DodgeCity #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Sam Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I loved this.

I am so thankful to Ecco Books, Patrick DeWitt, and NetGalley for advanced access to this hist. fic, existential nightmare that had me thanking my lucky stars I was born in the mid-aughts.

Lee Clarke has just received his draft letter for the Vietnam war and he’s not anticipating it. Like hey, how about no? Instead of staying back in LA to fight the good fight or following the government’s insistence on serving his country and fighting communism, he travels across the country to become an Ex pat of sorts.

Along the way, he pays visits to the kooky, misplaced members of his family who all seem to be experiencing more radically insane life events that allow Lee to vicariously dissociate a bit, while he mourns his loss of autonomy.

So excited for this one to hit shelves on September 29, 2026.

[Barbara Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love dialogue driven books, particularly if that dialogue is clever, light and loose, artlessly funny. DeWitt makes writing look so wonderfully effortless. I adored this book, not only for its droll humour, but also for its heart.

It’s 1967. Lee Clarke is a 23 year old UCLA student from Concrete*, Washington State, demonstrably not fitting in with the ruling UCLA clique “.. they were a sleazy group, generally nihilistic in their worldview, and terminally unimpressed with the ample sunshine their location afforded them.” When Lee is provoked by a particular act of rudeness he reacts with a punch, leading to his expulsion from UCLA.

A draft notice arrives soon after. These were the days of Vietnam, draft dodging and student protests; the book though is essentially apolitical. Lee’s pacifism; his unwillingness to commit to war is lightly played.

The draft notice is the catalyst for a road trip to visit family, with Canada as the ultimate destination. And what a picaresque road trip it is. I accompanied Lee joyously as he reacquainted himself variously with his separated parents, his twin sister, and the brother he hasn’t spoken to in years; their interaction was particularly moving. Such writing.

This is not a polemical book. It’s a warm, funny, heart rending ode to life and family and ‘the times’.

Oh, and there’s a Jaguar car Lee is delivering for a Driveaway car delivery service, a girlfriend left behind, and rather a lot of amphetamines consumed, but every element of the story adds another layer of engagement and amusement, and occasionally pathos.

[Lisa Goodmurphy · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Lee Clarke receives a draft notice after his expulsion from UCLA for hitting another student results in the loss of his deferment status. Wanting no part of fighting in the Vietnam War, he decides that the only reasonable option is to flee to Canada. Lee sells his possessions to fund his journey and agrees to drive a brand new Jaguar to the East Coast for a car-delivery service and then will continue on to Montreal from there. Leaving his girlfriend behind in L.A., Lee hits the road with a bag full of pills on a circuitous route that has him making stops in Washington State, Montana, Minnesota and New York City to visit his father, mother, brother and sister saying his goodbyes to his family, his country and the life he has known.

Set in 1967, Dodge City is a wry yet melancholic story of a young man on a draft-dodging cross-country road trip fueled by amphetamines. It seems like it would be a classic road trip novel but it's really more about family and relationships - Lee thinking about his decisions, his relationships, and the life he's leaving behind and attempting to reconnect with the dysfunctional family that he has been avoiding for the past few years.

I liked the premise of this book and it was enjoyable but I didn't love the writing style particularly the dialogue. It was my first time reading this author and I'm not sure this book was for me, but definitely worth reading.

[Ellie Rollings · Rating 4 out of 5]

THANK YOU to the lovely people at 4th estate for sending me this proof to read! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to even receive a proof in the first place :)



In this book we follow a character named Lee in 1960s California. He has just received his draft notice for the Vietnam war and he makes a the first political message in his life to uproot his entire life and leave everything behind, including his beloved girlfriend, to escape California to the Canadian border.

Throughout the book we follow Lee journey and interactions with his family such as his dad, mum, brother and sister and different all of there dynamics are. I found myself utterly entranced by every single character within this book and the demonstration of real life struggles to be the heart of this book. From Lee’s dad’s issues regarding alcohol to the difficult relationship ship he has with his brother.

I found this book very easy to read and addictive that I just wanted to read it constantly. If a book regarding family dynamics is interesting to you this is definitely something that you should read because this was utterly amazing. I’m definitely going to read more of Patrick DeWitt’s works. I am obsessed.

[richellesreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

About a man in his early 20s, Lee, who decides to 'dodge' the draft by fleeing the country, 'Dodge City' toes the line between melancholic desolation and youthful hope beautifully. While the overall tone of this book is quite sombre and bleak, I enjoyed how there was an underlying theme of hope within Lee himself as he travels across the country and reconnects with his family members, some he connects to more than othes.

It was interesting how even though we don't see them as a family unit while Lee was growing up, the book reveals how they all have different perspectives of their time together as a family, and even Lee comes across as an unreliable narrator.

I feel like this is a story that can mean a lot of different things for different readers, but for me, it was a story about personal realisation, the complexity of family, and the hope people deserve to have in the people around them. Relationships, particularly romantic and family ones, are at the core of what makes a person and I feel like this story really captured the significance of family and community in shaping one's character.

Thank you @netgalley and @4thestate for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Allison]

I always know exactly how a Patrick deWitt novel will sound and feel (complimentary). His characters have a way of speaking that is both direct and meandering, which is especially suitable for this story about a young man on the precipice of the unknown. He's taking charge of his fate - or at least he's not going to let the US government have control of it - but he's still uncertain how his "intention [will stand] up against resistless power." What shape will his future take?

I found many of the characters in this book to be unsettling - they lived in a way that seemed both emotionally detached from life, while also emotionally frantic. It is a timbre that I associate with certain mid-century novels, though I can't think of good example. I was always relieved when Lee left a family member behind and was back on the road. I hope that his new life contains a bit more color and connection than the one he left behind!

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley via Edelweiss.