Bud's parental situation is the overarching obstacle he faces throughout the novel. The other obstacles that come into his life are all connected to the fact that he had no father when his mother died. He was forced into the foster care system.

This obstacle leads to his placement with and abuse by a particularly cruel foster family. In fleeing that situation in order to find the man he feels is his real father, Bud faces many obstacles on the road. Eventually, he is able to convince a kind man to give him a ride to the place he believes he will find Calloway, his supposed real father.

Having overcome many obstacles on the road, perhaps the biggest obstacle Bud faces is winning over the man he thought was his father but who turns out to be his grandfather. Slowly, with the band's help, Mr. Calloway begins to warm up to Bud and value the connection to his long lost grandson.