"It's called survival". After a visit from God, Vanessa and Maurice packed up their things and their family and left Alaska, with $290 in their pockets. After more than two years on the road the family settled in Las Vegas, living out of a car with their 5 children. Life is hard for the family as they live day to day, meal to meal. Jobs are both rare and low paid. Maurice quips that "when payday comes, I'll have enough for 10 hamburgers".

After a year, conditions have improved for the family. Vanessa has a job, and they have found a home in a gated community. But things swiftly turn sour as Maurice's addictions return to haunt the family. After a fight Maurice ends up living on the street. Maurice's 15 year addiction to crack has cost the family a lot, including 17 of Vanessa's cars.

While material conditions for the family steadily improve, happiness still seems to evade them. Maurice's addictions find him living on the street, flitting in and out of prison, while Vanessa finds other men to comfort her. With relations strained, and life uncertain, their children return to Alaska disappointed and disillusioned.

As the years go by the global recession hits America. Every day Vanessa goes to the job centre for nothing. There is a feeling of being cheated by the rich and powerful. "They talk about Las Vegas being a casino. The real casino is on Wall Street". With the family spread out across the country, Vanessa starts to question her faith. "If God has everybody's life mapped out, planned out, I wonder why I had to go through such a hardship. I kind of think God's let me down".

Described by The Guardian as "a modern day Grapes of Wrath", Road To Las Vegas is a brutally honest story about the pursuit of happiness in times of hardship.