Not for the faint-hearted though.  It is a tough read.  The author doesn't sugar coat anything.

It is about a father and son travelling through ash covered America after a civilization ending catastrophe.  The author never says what kind of a catastrophe ends all things.  Everything is just grey and covered with ash.  The story is about how the father and little boy make their way through this world hopefully heading toward some relief in the south.  Great tale but like I said, this world is very bleak and hard to take at times.  There isn't much mercy.

But the relationship between the man and his son is beautiful.  The love of this little boy is the only thing that keeps him going. 

A very good read.  And soon to be a movie starring Viggo Mortenson.

Bleak is the word.  But is a good book.