Calibre library
Rating: ****
Tags: Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Psychological Fiction, Psychological, Contemporary Women, Family Life, Domestic Fiction, Parenting, Motherhood, Life Change Events, Foster Children, Teenagers, Biological Children of Foster Parents, Stay-At-Home Mothers, Foster Mothers, Lang:en
Summary
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 a good life and
out of harm’s way. But senior year of high school tests
them all, and on a hot summer’s night, one bad decision
will change the course of all 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. "You cannot read Night
Road and not be affected by the story and the characters. The
total impact of the book will stay with you for days to come
after it is finished." — The Huffington Post
Product Description
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?
Night Road
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.
Amazon Exclusive: A Conversation Between Kristin
Hannah and Emily Giffin
Emily Giffin (left) is the author of five
New York Times bestselling novels, including
Something Borrowed, which has been adapted as a
major motion picture that will be in theaters in summer 2011.
A graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of
Virginia School of Law, she lives in Atlanta with her
family.
Kristin Hannah (right) is the
New York Times bestselling author of eighteen
novels, including
Winter Garden. She is a former lawyer turned writer
and the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the
Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.
Kristin Hannah: Well, first, I have to say,
Emily, that I am just the tiniest bit irritated with you. When
I got the call to do this interview, I was thrilled, to say the
least. It came at a really busy time for me--right after the
holidays and we all know how crazy that is--and my work in
progress was giving me fits. Then I picked up
Heart of the Matter, and lost myself. No more writing,
no more cooking, no getting my hair done or reading my email.
Once I started the story I literally couldn't put it down.
Brava, girlfriend, I say. Your characters are so real and
compelling, and they always say exactly the right thing. With
so much honest emotion, I just have to ask how much of your
work comes from your own life?
Emily Giffin: It never fails to thrill me when
someone responds to one of my novels--especially when it's
another writer. Writers understand the alchemy involved in
making up something from nothing. And I just finished your
book,
Night Road, and I found it so emotional, so moving,
and so terrifying--especially since I have three young children
who will someday be teenagers. In terms of how much does my
work come from my own life, I would say that I'm absolutely
inspired by people, places, conversations, relationships, and
issues that I observe, and that the "what if" part of my novel
is very much inspired by these things in my life. But the
details of my plots and the specifics of my characters come
from my own head. How about you, Kristin? I'll ask you the
million-dollar question that every author gets asked: where do
you get your ideas?
Kristin: Ah, the idea question. I don't want
to sound coy, but the truth is, I don't quite know. It's the
most magical part of the process for me. I'm a pretty
analytical gal, and I approach writing in the same
just-the-facts-ma'am way I approach most things. I need to find
an issue that engages me on an intellectual level, and then I
need to marry that curiosity with a kind of passion. I need to
feel genuinely passionate about each story before I ever write
a word, and I have to actually have something to say. It takes
me at least a year to research and write a novel, and so I have
to really adore each part of it--the characters, setting,
story. Most of all, it has to make me feel something genuine.
That's really the most important component. Usually it begins
with a single "what if" question--what if you discovered your
mother had a whole secret life about which you knew nothing (
Winter Garden) or what if your husband were accused of
a crime you believed he hadn't committed (
True Colors)--and then I write and re-write until the
characters seem as real to me as old friends.
Kristin: I'm amazed by how much we have in
common. We're both moms, both lawyers, both lived in London for
a time. You're like a younger, cooler version of me. How did
you make the transition from lawyer to writer, and do you think
you'll ever practice law again?
Emily: I would hardly say I'm cooler than you,
Kristin! I hear you live in Hawaii part time! What is cooler
than that? I made the transition from lawyer to writer because
I was so miserable being a lawyer that I needed some escape
from the day-to-day of it. And inventing stories was that
escape. I can say, without hesitation, that I will never
practice law again. Would you? What kind of law did you
practice, and for how long? What did you find appealing (or
discouraging) about law? Did you find that it gave you fodder
for any of your novels?
Kristin: Honestly, I have met very few lawyers
who don't say that what they really want to do is write. Like
you, I can say with certainty that I will never practice law
again. Not that anyone would want me to. But I still keep my
Bar membership up...just in case this whole writing thing
doesn't work out. And yes, in the past few years, I have
finally begun to put some of that law school education to work
for me. I find that I'm really enjoying adding legal issues to
my work. Of course, I have to talk to
real lawyers to make sure I'm getting it right... Read more of the conversation between Emily Giffin and
Kristin Hannah
Hannah follows up Winter Garden with a strained story of
friendship, social pressures, love, and forgiveness. After a
string of foster homes and the death of her heroin-addict
mother, Lexi Baill is taken in by a newly discovered great-aunt
who lives a spartan life near Seattle. Despite financial
problems, the two are glad to have found each other, and though
Lexi resolves to stay safely on the periphery at her new high
school, she soon meets Mia, unhappy and awkward despite a solid
family life, a loving twin brother, Zach, and a closetful of
clothes. The friendship flourishes, and Mia's mother, Jude,
relieved and pleased for her daughter, draws Lexi into the
family circle. But trouble begins in senior year with a slowly
growing attraction between Zach and Lexi, who take great pains
to make Mia comfortable with the change in the dynamics. This
familiar story takes an unfortunate turn deep into
after-school-special territory when Lexi, Mia, and Zach
collectively make a bad decision that results in a tragedy with
extreme repercussions. Even readers who like their melodrama
thick will have problems as Hannah pushes credibility to the
breaking point, and more than once. (Mar.)
Amazon.com Review
From Publishers Weekly
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