ROCKET CITY winds its way through the deserts of New Mexico following the separate paths of Marilee and Figman as each searches for happiness and meaning.

Marilee packs up and heads to New Mexico after her high school sweetheart Larry, wanting nothing more than to save their relationship. Along the way, she picks up Enoch, a hitchhiking dwarf with a very unique view of the world. Marilee can't deny her attraction to Enoch, but at the same time she can't give into her desire because of Larry and no matter how open-minded she is, the fact that Enoch is a dwarf complicates the situation.

Figman, an insurance adjuster from California, abandons his life and identity to hide out in the deserts of New Mexico as he waits to die. For months, blinding headaches have incapacitated him and instead of struggling through the day to day life, he gives it all up to become a world-famous painter in the short time he has left.

The connections between the two characters Marilee and Figman grow throughout the book and there's a constant feeling that the world is truly a small place, but even with these connections I found it hard to find a commonality between them. For me, the stories didn't have as much of an over-arching theme to hold them together, but each story in and of itself is unique. Marilee's conflict over her feelings for Enoch is a wonderful love story. I really did like Enoch's character and loved his view of the world. Despite harsh circumstances in his life, Enoch maintains a hopeful and ironic view of the world. He's funny and thoughtful and intelligent. Quite simply, he's my favorite character. Figman's love story was actually a bit of a surprise until the end, but I'm not going to spoil it. His search for meaning and happiness wasn't as clearly tied up for me as Marilee's story was.

Figman and Marilee are average people, living average lives, searching for the greatness they feel is lacking. Figman does this by trying to paint. Marilee does this by going on a road trip with Enoch. Both character want more from life. More happiness, more time, more love, more meaning and this is what connects the reader to them.

First publish in 1995, ROCKET CITY by Cathryn Alpert was the author's only novel before her unexpected death in 2010. She published many award-winning short stories, was a stage director, teacher of theatre, wife and mother of five.