In 1962, the Bross family was the picture of American perfection, handpicked to model Dr. Sabin’s oral polio vaccine for the Cincinnati Enquirer. But in 1973, everything changed. After their mother’s second divorce, Tom and his siblings are plunged into a chaotic hippie lifestyle, marked by instability, abandonment, and rampant drug use. Their transformation from conservative Catholics to freewheeling nomads is a rollercoaster of heart-wrenching drama balanced with laugh-out-loud humor that keeps you turning pages. In the first book of the series, Tightrope , Tom, with the aid of funds from Victims of Violent Crimes, recounts his family’s turbulent journey. At just 12 years old, Tom is uprooted from Davis, California, only to return homeless two months later. While his siblings are scattered among their friends' houses, Tom ends up in the garage of one of his mother’s ex-lovers. But this is just the beginning of their story. If you were captivated by the raw honesty of The Glass Castle , the unconventional upbringing in Educated , and the dark humor of I’m Glad My Mom Died , then Don’t Call Me Jupiter is your next must-read. Don't Call Me Jupiter is packed with hilarious and horrifying true stories... Funny, yet its central theme is abandonment Climb aboard the magic yellow bus for a psychedelic trip with a cast of unforgettable characters caught in circumstances that will make you laugh, cry and cringe. The story begins with an episode that occurred in 1974. When Tom Bross (age 12) experiences a sudden move from Davis to San Anselmo to live with their God Family. Just two months later they move back to Davis with no place to live . His brother and sisters are dropped off at their friend's houses. Tom ends up in the garage of one of his mother's ex-lover's. It's from this dreary location that he recalls his family's truly strange transition. Led by my mother, the Martha Stewart of hippies , we transformed into a clan of liberal, psychedelic-bus-tripping, pot-smoking, nature-loving, California free spirits. Tom Bross is an active adult geek who probably peaked at age six when he was (A) crowned the 1968 San Francisco Hula Hoop Champion and (B) appeared as the Mustard Stained Boy in a national ad for Clorox bleach. Thus far, the only audiences Tom Bross has reached is through the television and radio commercials he created while pretending to work as a marketing and advertising professional. "If you're like me and you like helping people, then you'd love being a medical assistant..." Yes. That's one of his. (Tom Bross is not a doctor - but has played one on TV.)   "I was extremely sensitive as a kid; I always felt the full force of life's energy growing up. Even then, I knew my family was different and so I literally started taking notes, which eventually led to this book series."