Review: Night Road by Kristen Hannah

 

For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take? 

  
 

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 safe and on track for college. 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.

NIGHT ROAD is vivid, emotionally complex novel that 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
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Review

It took me some time to read this book. The subject matter was too real and too scary. I have three sons and my youngest just left for his first year of college. Although they are great kids and we have tried to instill good values in our children, they are young and sometimes fearless. We lost our seventeen year-old nephew in a drunk driving accident several years ago and we live in fear that something like that could happen again.


Night Road is the story of a similar tragedy. One bad decision, one moment in time, changes the lives of many people. The emotions are real and raw. My heart broke for this family and I could especially feel the mother's pain. Kristen Hannah's writing is gripping and keeps you reading. 

I didn't care for the characters much in the first part of the story. They weren't bad people and I liked that they were flawed but they were self absorbed and predictable. Some of their actions and reactions seemed off. After the accident the emotions took over and hooked me for the rest of the book. The characters become more flexible and tolerant which made the reading more interesting. I became invested in their journey and was glad I followed it through.

This is a story of survival and redemption. I found it to be a good summer read for the hammock. Fans of Hannah will have a hard time resisting this one!


Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an ARC of this book to review.

Author
Publisher


Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: 3/22/11
Pages: 385
Price/format: $27.99/hardcover
Type: contemporary fiction