Joan Bauer

Rules of the Road Joan Bauer

This comedic tale follows awkward 16-year-old Jenna Boller and elderly shoe maven Madeline Gladstone as they drive from Chicago to Texas to visit stores in the Gladstone's Shoes chain. Jenna, who is neither pretty nor smart, doesn't fit in at school. Her alcoholic father ruins her home life. She really enjoys her after-school job selling shoes at Gladstone's though. So when Mrs. Gladstone asks her to drive her to Texas, Jenna accepts the offer. Along the way, the two develop a strong bond as they encounter adventures on the road and team up to try to prevent Mrs. Gladstone's son from buying out the company and destroying it.