Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road

by Donald Miller

Follow Don and Paul as they dive headlong into the deepest of human questions and find answers outside words?answers that have to be experienced to be believed.

Day 1: "Trips  like ours are greener grass left unknown for fear of believing trite sayings; sayings that are sometimes true. But our friends back home live an existence under the weight and awareness of times; a place we are slowly escaping; a world growing fainter by the hour and the mile."

Day 13: "It feels again that we are leaving who we were, moving on into the people we will become, hopefully, people with some kind of answers, some kind of thing to believe tht makes sense of beauty, of romance. Something that would explain the red glow against Paul's face, the red glow that seems to be coming off the console . . . 'Did you notice the engine light is lit, bud?' I ask . . ."

Day 83: "I sit in the van, waiting for her to come out when I notice a window in one of the classrooms open, and a backpack comes falling out, spilling a few books onto the lawn. After the backpack comes Elida, falling atop the pack and laying low, peeking back into the window to see if the teacher noticed. She gathers her books, reaches into the classroom and closes the window, then runs toward the van as though this were a prison break."

As you read Through Painted Deserts, you'll soon realize this is not just one man's account of finding light, God, and beauty on the open road. Rather, this book maps the journey you're already traveling . . . or soon will be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Memoir, Religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Travel

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Don Miller is an American author, speaker, and entrepreneur best known for his New York Times bestseller Blue Like Jazz. He is the CEO of StoryBrand, a company that helps businesses clarify their messaging. Miller’s writing often explores faith, identity, and personal growth. His other books include Searching for God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He founded The Mentoring Project to support fatherless youth and has advised both nonprofit and government initiatives. His later work, including Scary Close and Building a StoryBrand, reflects a shift toward personal development and business communication. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Betsy.

Reviews

[Israel Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is perhaps too much to say about this book, and at the same time too little that could be said any better than Don Miller has already penned. To the people on the brink of life’s next chapter, or to the people who drown in the internalized existential musings of their overactive questions, or even to the people looking to unplug from the Matrix long enough to feel human again: consider this book a lovingly-crafted letter of support from a dear friend. Deserts doesn’t read like someone telling you what to think or what to do; rather it is content to meander through various scenes and ideas, touching here and there on thoughts you might have had, or questions you might have asked, and seeks only to encourage you to feel out the answers for yourself. This laid-back approach felt more honest than a lot of other books in this genre, and I found myself genuinely invested in Don, Paul, and the other wonderful people described in the book. I found myself Googling some of the characters afterwards, and something deep inside me bubbled with inexorable joy upon finding that they actually exist! It was like watching Avengers Endgame and turning around after the credits to see a wizened Pepper Potts hugging her now 30-year old daughter; as if the reality I poured my emotional investment into, portrayed through a medium commonly used for fiction, was suddenly thrust into the reality I sought to escape. It gives every sentence a bit more punch, every metaphor a bit more context, every decision a bit more weight. It feels, well... genuine. It’s an unfiltered look at a man with an affinity for poetic imagery trying to make sense of everything his five senses are showing him while some deeper part of him tries to make sense of everything his five senses are oblivious to. And in some way, no matter where any of us are on this grand journey called life, I think we all can relate to that feeling, and a trip through a painted desert would do us some good.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Months ago I would have told you life was about doing, about jumping through religious hoops, about impressing other people … I don’t believe that anymore. I think we are supposed to sleep in meadows and watch stars dart across space and time. I think we are supposed to love our friends and introduce people to the story, to the peaceful, calming why of life”


Love Donald. Fun book with a great last couple chapters.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite author Donald Miller (he wrote Blue Like Jazz) and his friend Paul take a road trip from Texas to Oregon. Miller believes all of us must leave home at some point to discover who we are really meant to be. This book is a part of his journey towards himself and God.

Miller feels most of us get caught asking "how" in life. How do I get a good job? How do I find a good wife? How do I buy a nice house? Yet Miller asks the "why" questions, which make his life more difficult. Why do I need a job? Why do I want a wife? But it is these very thoughts that make me want to read more and think alongside him. Another excellent book with lots of fun ruminations and road trip adventures in an old VW van.

PS - Since my parents live in central Oregon, I also loved the descriptions of the area.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read this book, it was entitled "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance", and I picked it up because of the obvious allusion to Robert Pirsig's classic "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (not that I had ever read it, mind you). I read it, really enjoyed it, and then had a friend tell me about Blue Like Jazz well over a year later; I actually did not make the connection that it was Miller's story until well into BLJ when he made an oblique mention to his trip. At any rate, it was well over a decade ago that I read it, and both Miller and I have changed not insignificantly in the intervening time, so I thought it would be interesting to read the re-release of the book (not that much was changed, it seemed), particularly after just watching the Blue Like Jazz movie. I was glad to have enjoyed it at least as much - if not more - than I did a decade ago, and that the story and text itself in many ways felt just as fresh as it did on first reading. The actual happenings of the story (the "plot", as it were) are relatively brief, but Miller's descriptions leave vivid pictures of each setting and encounter he and his friend Paul have on their way from Texas to Oregon in a Volkswagen van. Miller's prose is very poetic, and this book in particular is very "meandery" as he allows himself to pursue a number of different trails of thought in theological wonderings, existential ramblings, and epistemological ponderings, many of which are meant to provoke thought on the part of the reader. Miller's asides and forays into thoughts precede his slightly more focused diatribes in his later works, and although they do at times seem frustratingly immature, they do capture not only a specific time in his life but an ethos that does permeate much of the generations of North American Evangelicals in the past two decades. There is a lightness to what he writes without being flippant or disrespectful, and what redeems some of the more meandering passages is often a brief insertion of self-awareness of just how ridiculous he realizes he sounds a lot of the time. Miller is an author after my own heart, and I can see that I write much the same way: with total conviction of what I am writing combined with a paradoxical meta-awareness of how silly I might sound to someone who does not see things the same way I do. In all, Deserts is a fun story of two guys on a road trip and their thoughts on God, and it is a necessary predecessor for all of Miller's subsequent works.

[Danm · Rating 5 out of 5]

About life. Great story. Real.

Only complaint is unrealistic dialogue (humans talk in contractions). However, the adventures and messages in the book more than make up for that one continuous error.

Debated about putting on Favorites shelf, but if I have to debate about it, then it's probably not a Favorite. Close, though.

[Rachel Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was either a really good or really bad idea to read this (adventure/travel) book in the midst of COVID. regardless, i loved it. kinda felt like hearing about a really cool friend's trip. inspiring, as usual.

[Sunshinefeather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some main points of this book:
-Someone wrestling with the existence and nature of God
-Things don’t matter, people matter
-Perspective that the world was made by a creator for people to enjoy it

[Mike Correll · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a new Christian I’m currently on the prowl for Christian prose, so when I discovered Miller’s memoir at my local used bookstore and briefly skimmed the description, which piqued my interests given my full-time RV lifestyle, I grabbed it up. Within the first few pages I concluded that I was reading the author’s first book. The prose felt juvenile and naive, though this didn’t put me off perhaps because Christian prose seems hard to find. With a bit more research on Donald Miller I discovered that indeed it was his first book, originally titled Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance that was republished under a new name in 2006, and therefore appears as his third book. However aimless and at times petulant the story felt, it was honest and strikingly rich. Miller portrays his young self as an incorrigible joker aimlessly chasing a God for whom he had little reverence or personal connection. So what made the book worth continuing? His friend Paul. Paul’s laissez-faire bohemian attitude ingratiates the story with a pervasive sense of freedom, though a freedom governed by a loving God who, when called upon, will salt any experience with grace and mercy. My primary criticism concerns the point, or thesis, of the memoir, which appears to be as misguided and confused as the young author. I was hoping for some great revelation though one never came. I would sooner categorize this as a coming of age book than a religious reverie. Nevertheless, his writing is smooth and easy to digest, and he draws some thought provoking conclusions that, if nothing else, validate my new found faith.

[Joel Cuthbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the thing. I revisited this in audiobook form while driving a worrisome older car north. As I went, Don's wondering certainly reminded me of a younger self: experiencing the generosity of strangers, quantifying the mysteries of life, love, belief and doubt. It's certainly youthful and a bit idealistic at turns, but it's also beautiful, earnest and vulnerable. It might ultimately be my favourite of his work and certainly one I'd happily take on another journey.

[Trevor Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through Painted Deserts is an autobiographical account of Miller driving with his friend Paul from Texas up to Oregon in a Volkswagen camper van. In many ways this book is a idealistic escape recounting an idealistic escape. To summarize, Don and Paul slowly make their way up to Portland, OR, sleeping in their van (mostly) the entire way. The friends encounter vehicular issues during their journey, sometimes as simple as a carburetor gas-cap but sometimes much more. I don't want to give too much of the actual plot away, but would like to survey what I feel like is the peak of the book. The duo spend some considerable time at the Grand Canyon, not only squinting their eyes to see the bottom from the top, but hiking the nine miles down, ten miles back up. Honestly, I don't think I could make the trek myself, but reading about Miller's difficulties and perseverance actually inspired me to not totally write it off. If you've never read a Donald Miller book, you should know he is an expert storyteller. His writing might not satiate the English major, but he is captivating indeed. Miller weaves in and out of narrative and philosophy like an Olympic slalom skier racing between the markers. And he really makes you think. About Life, God, and Life with God.

Miller's writing feels like a one-sided conversation, but not because he won't let you get a word in, but because you're sitting across the table from him and you're thoroughly engrossed, not even searching for words to contribute or protest. If you've never read a Donald Miller book, this is just as good of a place to start as the ever popular Blue Like Jazz. Through Painted Deserts would translate well into a little indie film or miniseries. I would watch it in a heart beat.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donald Miller has written some absolutely amazing books. I remember thinking when I first read Blue Like Jazz, "This is the best Christian book I have ever read" (outside the Bible of course, and I probably would not think the same today) Other phenomenal books I have read from Miller are Searching for God Knows What and A Million Miles In A Thousand Years. This book here, however, does not even begin to compare with those.

To be fair, I understand that this was actually his first book revised and retitled. Originally called Prayer and the Art of Volkswagon Maintenance, the story tells about a road trip Don made when he was in his early twenties. He and a friend did the "hippy thing" (his words not mine) and went on a trip in a beat up old VW van from Houston Texas to a ranch in Oregon. Don is an amazing writer and his easy tone pulls you into this journey as the two boys climb the Grand Canyon, and have other various adventures.

Don is at his best when asking deep questions and challenging the reader to question and engage the culture and their Christian presuppositions. There really isn't much of that in this book. This is more a feel-good book about nothing in particular. While I didn't hate it, I am pretty sure I won't ever give it any serious thought. For those easily offended, there will be people claiming to be Christians getting drunk and hints of extramarital sex hinted at.

So when all is said and done, don't bother with this book. If you are eager to read everything DM has written then, sure, give it a go. But if you are looking for something great to read, I would recommend the books listed above instead.

[Angela Blount · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Before he moved to Portland and wrote his breakout book, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller's writing career got its start in the form of a cross-country road trip. In the company of his relatively new vagabond friend Paul, the duo set out traveling from Texas to California to Oregon--seeing the sights and meeting interesting people, whilst kicking around religious and existential questions. Not unpredictably, they break down several times and get snappish with each other. It's basically a travel journal crossed with a buddy quest. We readers are just along for the ride.

Note: I made the rating distinction to make it clear I found this the weakest of Miller's works. But to be fair, this one technically predates Blue Like Jazz (and all his other books, for that matter.) As a first book, it's okay. Just not particularly compelling. ​

It's still Miller's voice. Regular readers of his will recognize his familiar meandering prose, amiable tone, and indulgent descriptions. It just... doesn't entirely feel like his story. Paul ended up more sympathetic and interesting than Don himself, despite not having a POV in this narrative. (It was a relief to hear Don's update on his road-tripping friend tacked onto the end of this book. So I have to give it points for satisfying closure.)

I vastly prefer Searching for God Knows What. There's just no contest in terms of contemplative beauty, clarity, and profundity.

[Brianna Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know me, you know I love Donald Miller. I pick up every book of his I ever come across in bookstores or thrift shops and this was one of those. If it tells you anything, I was crying in the forward. Not every part of this book felt meaningful or relatable, but I enjoyed those parts regardless. It’s a saga of a time when Don took to the road with a dear friend and what God taught them along the way, and I’m inspired as mess at the conclusion of the tale. Something about the way Don writes feels kindred to me even though our styles and brains function very differently. I don’t have a ton to say about this one except that I throughly enjoyed poring over it, and I’d read Don’s grocery lists. A solid 4.5 stars

[Jonah Twiddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Miller has a way of putting life's most complex profundities into matter-of-fact experiences that make you wonder why you take life so seriously. The "spiritual pilgrimage" he takes in this book had me journeying right along with him, as if I were the third passenger in their hollow shell of a hippie van, posing my own questions about the great Why of life and finding answers in the simple day-to-day experience of living. Stories like these speak to the longing for wonder we are all so well acquainted with, and remind us that God has placed beauty everywhere if we would only take the time to stop and see it.

[Kate Moore Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Through Painted Deserts” is a beautiful reminder that we are created to delight in God. That statement is simple, complex, and it’s enough.

I enjoyed Miller’s casual story telling mixed with deep musings on humanity’s purpose. It flowed like the human brain, going from story to pondering to a combo of both.

It’s a lovely read. Truly lovely.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe that the guy who wrote this book (specifically emphasizing not feeling like you have to buy things to be happy) now runs a marketing company for a living.
At any rate, this is early Donald Miller, and you can see the roots of what became the phenomenon of "Blue Like Jazz." This book is about a road trip. It's pretty good, but I found it all a bit funny when I thought about the actual timeline of the events in the book: you get Donald riffing deep about how hard it is to integrate back into society after sleeping under the stars and living in the wild. But then you realize he only slept outside for three weeks, and the whole book is about a single road trip from Texas to Oregon. I don't know. Maybe I'm just skeptical because the guy runs a marketing company now :)

[Lavinia Curletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the beauty of this man's writing - his choice of words, the imagery, the humor, the sincerity. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a travelogue, and to anyone thinking deeply and searchingly about this life.
I've started a fourth Donald Miller book today. Can't get enough.

[Roxanne Columbia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald Miller’s *Through Painted Deserts* reignited my desire to travel and experience God’s creation. I’ve always enjoyed his humor in *Blue Like Jazz*, and this book sparked my passion for offbeat adventures. The quote, “It is true some do not do well in conventional life,” resonated with me. As someone who dislikes the conventional way, it spoke to my soul.

[Linn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a muti-state trip that gives clarity to life and God.

[Lane Sillin · Rating 5 out of 5]

makes me want to get in a piece-of-shit van and drive across the country. donald miller said fuck capitalism, love your friends and i love him for that

[Taylor Burdiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald miller is great at making the simplicities of life significant and writing that in detail

[Chad Lillestolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great work by Donald Miller, doing what I wish I could do- jump in a van and drive for 3 months with no plans or worries. I really enjoyed this book but now I’m left wanting to drive to Texas.

[Rachel Marie Kang · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books and audiobooks. Read through this multiple times. Carried the author’s note in my wallet for years.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midway through the book I was not enjoying the book terribly much, it was good, but it wasn't comparing to A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. It wasn't too deep and I hadn't been awed by any truths yet, it was simply telling of the adventures Don and Paul had on their trip to Oregon, nothing too spiritually or otherwise deep. Then I was reading it before class one day and the girl next to me excitedly exclaims, "I love that book! Doesn't it just make you want to go on a road trip?". And since that point, I loved the book and have hardly been able to put it down, because yeah, it does make me want to go on a road trip. I was looking for the wrong things in this book, it wasn't here to reveal insights into God (at least it didn't play that part for me, it could for other readers because Donald does soliloquize on such things), but maybe it should just instill a sense of adventure in me. And once that clicked in my mind, I loved the book. It makes me want to so bad just hop in a car and drive. Don recounts many times where strangers help them out, meet ups with past friends, and stories that all happened with none of being planned, it just happened. He recounts how he felt he found true life when he cast everything else away. And Through Painted Deserts makes me want to experience that type of freedom. Just step of the ledge and take that step, even for a while. In almost all of the great people of faith, they hold that characteristic, they just went for it. Why are there so few people of that great faith? Because 1) most are eliminated because they refuse to take that blind step and 2) taking a blind step guarantees nothing, so we don't hear of half those people who took that step off the ledge. So even if I muster the courage to just let it all go, there is no guarantee it will be a good decision, which makes the decision all the more intriguing in nature.
But apart from those deeper connotations of going on an adventure, Through Painted Deserts gives me a very real want to just drive and explore on a great road trip.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to put this book down. I loved Blue Like Jazz, and saw this book for $5 at a used bookstore right before a long bus trip. This book was great, while I was on the bus. All the feelings of traveling and doing something new, hopes, dreams etc...make this book enjoyable. That is when you might actually care about all the "fluff" that this book contains about Miller's own road trip with his friend. I found that once I got home and tried to read it, I felt like it was a waste of time. reading for pages about how out of shape he is and the details of walking down the grand canyon was really where I had enough.
That being said. There really are some great nuggets of wisdom on life, friendship and spirituality in this book. You just need to wade through a lot of filler to get to them. Which, unfortunately I was unwilling to do. Not trying to diss on Donald Miller, cause he is still one of my favorite authors, but this book gave me the feeling that after the success of Blue Like Jazz, the publisher asked his for anything else that he had and this was it...
So, my recommendation: read Blue Like Jazz(Or a million miles, I've heard good things) if you haven't or read this is you are on a long road trip yourself!

[Samantha Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purposely chose to read this book last out of all the Donald Miller books. I knew it would be my favorite and it did not disappoint. I’ve always been attracted to Miller’s writing style; something about it really resonates with me. It's more of a conversational style of writing. This book is about a road trip that Miller and a friend (Paul) take from Houston, TX to Portland, OR. I think the subtitle to this book perfectly sums up the story. “Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road.” I really enjoyed this read. It’s different than most of his books, it’s less theological. It’s about adventure, beauty and people. All things I love. Also, I’ve road tripped approximately 70 percent of this trip and it was neat to read about these places I’ve seen, but from another’s perspective.

[Elizabeth Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this I really want to read the other books in his repertoire. It was a nice light read that made me thing about the plans I had originally made for my life. Plans to see more of the world than I've seen so far and plans that didn't involve settling down in one location. I like the idea that while God doesn't always give us all that we ask for He does give according to our needs and that the life He gave us is meant to be enjoyed with all His simple blessings. We don't need much to be happy, we just have to learn to be content with what we have. I have to learn to be content. So I would recommend this book to anybody who feels "stuck".

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to sell everything, buy a VW van, get my own dog and travel the country with no agenda. Essentially, "the entitled rich kid's after college dream." Some day I will get there. A great book about traveling, God, and big questions. One of the things that will stick with me from this book is at a point where he talks about Marriage as this beautiful companionship. He was able to describe marriage as I have always thought about it. It is pretty amazing to experience that now with Annie. great book!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I've wanted to be friends with Donald Miller for quite some time, it was a pleasure to take a road trip with him and be reminded that God is dazzling us. I feel like anytime I read Miller's writings, I'm reminded of what is important - not necessarily the specifics but the major ideas that make something worth the while. Definitely a book I'd recommend, really to anyone. Even if you aren't interested in spirituality at all.

[Alex Etheridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the young, free spirit and adventure of this read!