Title: Night Road
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publication Date: 2011
Book Description (from Amazon.com):
For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy– until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.
On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.
Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, NIGHT ROAD raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.
I’m not entire sure why I added some of Kristin Hannah’s books to my “Books I want to read” list, but I did. Maybe one of them was on a best seller list or something. I picked up Night Road at the beginning of the week but didn’t start reading it until Wednesday. It was a quiet day at work and I got through the whole book except for about 80 pages. I thought about bringing it home to finish but knew that I would end up staying up later than I wanted reading the book. So it stayed on my desk at work until the following afternoon.
What. A. Book.
I’m not usually a fan of books about emotional pain. With all the nonsense I’ve gone through over the past 2.5 years it is just a bit too much for me. I knew there would be heartache in this book, but I was not even remotely prepared for it. About half way through the book I thought about not finishing it. I had all ready started crying, at work no less, and wasn’t sure how much of it a could take. But I was enjoying the book so much that I couldn’t stand the thought of not reading the rest of it. And i’m sure glad I did. I can’t even imagine going through what this family did and not losing my mind. I went back and forth between hating the mother and feeling sorry for her. I just kept asking myself if I would be any better in her situation? Probably not.
I can’t say too much more without giving away a lot of the book, but I definitely recommend it to anyone that can stand crying through a good portion of a book. It was beautifully written and definitely makes you a little more thankful for the people in your life. So grab a box of tissues, snuggle up in your favorite chair, and prepare to stay there for… awhile. Believe me when I tell you that you won’t be able to put it down.
I definitely have to hit up the library on my way home now because I don’t have anything else to read. EEK!
