Faq
Yes. It is a historical narrative about Margaret “Bonnie” Orcutt. The book says some conversations and characters are composites, and that some dialogue and events were shaped for story continuity.
The property is near Newberry Springs, east of Barstow. The author does not own the land and asks people not to treat it as a destination. Stay on public roads, do not trespass, and read the visitor disclaimer.
The access code is printed near the end of the book. If an early print copy or an older Kindle file does not show it, email info@cvwooster.com. The Kindle file was set to offer an update.
Kindle (ASIN B0DN9R8KVN), Amazon paperback (ASIN B0FGY958NV), hardcover (ISBN 978-1967239016), a Bookshop.org paperback (EAN 9781967239061), and an audiobook (ASIN B0FNDR35Q7). Prices on this site are the ones checked on September 28, 2026.
Yes. Charlie Brogan narrates the unabridged audiobook, 3 hours and 51 minutes, released August 25, 2025.
Yes. The original flipbook is gone, and the owner approved a new design. It is on this site at the passport page, with a printable PDF.
This site does not sell signed copies. Email info@cvwooster.com to ask what is available.
Translated editions are not listed here. This page will add them only when they are actually on sale.
Taciturn Studios LLC. The author is C. V. Wooster.
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Mrs. Orcutt's Driveway
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More desert history from C. V. Wooster: The King of Quacks (Zzyzx) · When the Birds Go Silent (the Mojave War)
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The parchment, postmarks, stamps, gilt corners, and desert sketches come from C. V. Wooster's presentation for the book. Photographs are credited where they appear. The award seals and the signed manual page are from the author's materials.
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More questions
Who was Bonnie Orcutt?
Margaret Alberta “Bonnie” McMains Orcutt (1909 to 1986) was born in Boone County, Indiana. She studied at several Indiana colleges and at a conservatory, and she played the harp at a concert level. After her husband, Kenneth Forest Orcutt, was killed in a crash, she moved to 100 acres east of Newberry in the Mojave Desert and built an adobe house there by hand. There is more on the driveway story page.
What was the dispute about?
Her driveway met U.S. Route 66. The survey for Interstate 40, which was a limited-access highway, ran right across it. On January 13, 1965, she wrote to Lady Bird Johnson, and all she asked for was “a road on and one off of the present Highway (66).” What happened after that is told in the book.
When did the book come out, and how long is it?
The Kindle edition is dated June 25, 2025, and it runs 181 pages. The audiobook came out on August 25, 2025. It is unabridged and runs 3 hours and 51 minutes.
Has the book won awards?
Yes. It won a Literary Titan Book Award (the review was published July 15, 2025) and the NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Best Book, Women's Interest, Summer 2025. The details are on the book page.
Is it suitable for book clubs and classrooms?
Yes. A free, printable reading group guide is available. The story deals with a person up against a bureaucracy, a woman's life in the 1950s and 1960s, the desert and Route 66, so it fits well in history, civics and women's history discussions.
Why did Route 66 disappear?
The interstate highways paid for under the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 replaced it a piece at a time. The National Park Service dates the last bypass to October 1984 at Williams, Arizona. AASHTO then voted on June 27, 1985, to take the route off the U.S. highway system. Sources are listed on the Route 66 history page.
What is the Route 66 centennial?
Route 66 was designated on November 11, 1926, so its 100th anniversary falls on November 11, 2026. Congress set up the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission in Public Law 116-256. The centennial page has more.
Where is Newberry Springs?
Newberry Springs is in San Bernardino County, California, east of Barstow, along Interstate 40 and old Route 66. Back in Bonnie's day the place went by Newberry. The Newberry Springs page has more on it.
How can I suggest a correction?
Send an email to info@cvwooster.com naming the page and giving the source for the better information.