To Daddy, Who I Never Loved

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In 1967, Hell Creek High School integrates, and fifteen-year-old Curtis Pye, a hyper-literate sophomore of indeterminate race, navigates his complex world. Smart and well-read, he becomes friends with a black girl but is infatuated with O'Murphy Scott, the prettiest girl in school. While O'Murphy flirts with various boys, her thug boyfriend, Scooter Anderson, wrongly assumes she's with Curtis, leading to a disastrous confrontation that results in Curtis being expelled. Following a fight with his brother, Curtis attempts suicide but survives. He then hitchhikes to California seeking his estranged ex-Marine father and a way to learn how to fight. During his seventeen-hundred-mile journey, he sleeps in various places and learns from a diverse group of mentors, including truck drivers and a soldier. Guided by hippies toward Palo Alto, Curtis waits for his father near a post office, hoping for a reunion. In the meantime, he finds acceptance and friendship at the Full Circle, a communal restaurant, where he meets Brother Love, who helps him emotionally prepare for his challenges. Though he doesn't find his father, Curtis discovers courage, independence, and redemption. Upon returning to Oklahoma, he confronts the bullies who have been tormenting O'Murphy, earns her respect, and reconciles with his brother.