Hop and Skip is a novel about the power of illusion. It is a series of realistic scenes played out against a landscape of wishful thinking. In other words, it is everyday existence. Four people seek to avoid the truth and all find it. A young man seeks the city's excitement. A young woman tries to avoid the city's realities. A young man yearns to emulate the city's rulers. A rich man seeks to create an ideal city. Every goal is reached and, then, abandoned and, yet, at the end, each character finds redemption and a unique oasis of peace.