The author, staggered in midlife by the sudden death of his wife, embarks on a cleansing journey across America with his adult son. On bicycles. The unlikely pair of novice cyclists undertake a wandering westward journey without plan or destination; an emergency escape that evolves into a quest for purpose. More than an intimate narrative of the sights, sounds, fragrances and feelings of a transcontinental bicycle ride, Leaning Toward the Sun is an eloquent ode to the open road, to the North American continent, and ultimately to life itself.The journey begins at a Waffle House in Asheville, North Carolina, and ends at the Golden Gate Bridge. In between, on the back roads and in the small towns of America, the evolving relationship between father and son is revealed as the hopelessly inept travelers slowly make their way west. Filled with vivid natural history descriptions and intriguing portraits of fellow travelers and local residents encountered along the road, Leaning Toward the Sun also plumbs the depths of loss and recovery and the search for meaning in a life nearly devastated by overwhelming loss. Ultimately, as the two cyclists follow the sun on its journey west, they find themselves pedaling purposefully toward the gathering light of a new day.