50 pages • 1 hour read
J. L. Esplin96 Miles
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Geographical Context: Nevada
Nevada’s topography includes mountains, valleys, and deserts. The isolated desert setting is key to the conflict the main characters face as they must navigate the harsh terrain. Nevada has a semiarid climate, which accentuates the problem of dehydration; not only do the main characters face a lack of water at home, but they also must walk in hot, dusty, and dry conditions while dehydrated.
The majority of Nevada’s population lives in urban areas; the Lockwood’s homestead in a small, remote town is unusual. The small town of Lund, in which the Lockwoods live, is a tiny dot located along State Route 318, 200 miles north of Las Vegas. This road becomes the setting for most of the novel as the boys must take it to reach Brighton Ranch. Long-distance travelers mostly use this road as a shortcut between the town of Ely in the north and Crystal Springs to the south. The road is not heavily trafficked, nor does it have many stopping points such as restaurants, bathrooms, or gas stations. It is straight and flat, offering little diversion or variation.
This adds to the remoteness of the novel’s setting. The mood is desolate, eerie, and ghost town-like as the children walk along the empty highway. Another of Nevada’s roads, Highway 50, holds the title of Loneliest Road in America. However, John points out that this title was used to attract tourists back in the 1980s, and State Route 318 is more deserving of this title. The novel’s rural Nevada setting lends itself to the dire situation the characters face and intensifies problems such as finding water and getting help.
Social Context: Living off the Grid
The novel’s main characters, John and Stewart, live with their father in the somewhat remote community of Lund, Nevada. Although the novel is fictional, the location is not. In the Author’s Note, Esplin says that all of the locations mentioned in the novel are real. Because of the Lockwood’s isolation, they have specific concerns that those in cities or suburbs do not. One example is access to food. While many people can simply walk or drive a few miles to their nearest grocery store, a trip to the market for the Lockwood family is out of the way. At one point in the novel, John complains about drinking powdered milk, and his father offers to pick some up in a few days in a town several miles away. This demonstrates the lack of access the family has to conveniences like grocery stores and a variety of restaurants. In a modern world in which one doesn’t have to drive far to find a Starbucks, John and Stew’s lifestyle in an out-of-the-way location is unusual and likely unfamiliar to some readers.
Another consideration for off-the-grid living is education. John and Stew’s school is small, with 47 students total from kindergarten up to twelfth grade. A smaller school means fewer opportunities for extracurricular activities like sports and clubs, but it also offers more time and attention from teachers. Living in a small community has several potential benefits. People in small towns are more likely to form close relationships with their neighbors, and to know everyone in the town by name. In times of need, people have friends nearby to call on for help, and can enjoy a quieter, less hurried lifestyle than those in cities.
However, off-the-grid-living comes with drawbacks. People must be prepared for possible crises, since resources such as food, water, and medical attention are not close. A great deal of planning is necessary to ensure one has necessities stocked.
Individuals might choose an off-the-grid lifestyle for a number of reasons—safety, community, freedom, or peacefulness, to name a few. Esplin offers an inside look at one family that chooses small-town living and makes self-reliance its way of life.
