Desert Places - Paperback

Raised in a dysfunctional family, on the grounds of a state prison in the Mojave Desert, redheaded Ruby Rose takes nightly flights of fancy, sailing over the mountains, into the dream world of Hollywood, where she reigns amid the stars. Popular in high school, Homecoming Queen, she has all the boys eating out of the palm of her hand. But her favorite is solid, plain-spoken Max Bauer, who loves Ruby even more than his desert home. After high school, Max sees her off to a new life as an aspiring actress in Hollywood, praying she will return to him someday.