Truckers

Originally published in 1989, this first book in the Bromeliad Trilogy traces the experiences of a group of nomes struggling for survival. Masklin, the novel's hero, and his band of other nomes live in the wild world of humans just outside a convenience store located along the highway and frequented by semi-trucks. Their difficult life inspires them to go in search of something better. They hop a truck and they are dropped off in a department store inhabited by more nomes than they ever believed existed. These store nomes, however, possess a limited vision of reality and do not believe in the world beyond the walls of the store. After all, their sacred text notes that their maker, Arnold Bros. (est. 1905), created a place that contains 'All Things Under One Roof.' Masklin and his crew find themselves in a community rife with conflict, as each department is run by a different group hell bent on maintaining its status. When the nomes learn that the store is soon to go out of business, they are forced to trust Masklin in the formation of a plan that requires a daring escape and leap of faith. Filled with wry humor that calls into question the nomes' blind faith in Arnold Bros. (est. 1905), the novel encourages readers to ponder the larger issues of truth in their own lives. Inclusions of the sacred text lend authenticity to the struggles faced by the nomes as they wonder about their fate in the eyes of their master.