After a long time away, I give my review of The Long Way Home!

The Long Way Home by Karen McQuestion

The first book I reviewed on this blog was by Karen, and getting back to my blog after this absence, I’m giving huge KUDOS to Karen again for her latest book, The Long Way Home.  Like A Scattered Life, I was sold on the book RIGHT away by the cover, as it contains a partial map of Wisconsin. I was hooked right from the start and finished it in three days!

On a quick side note, when I talk books with anyone, I always say I love a good STORY. I’m not fan of any specific genre, but I love a good STORY about people and what happens in their lives. Karen writes EXCELLENT stories!

Four women are brought together in this story by the same thing, grief over a lost loved one. As my parents passed away in 1994 and 2001, I immediately connected with the women. (This book could not BE more up my alley!)  Marnie lost her boyfriend of several years from a sudden death, and then lost his son to the biological mother who took him far away to Las Vegas with no hope of visitation. Rita lost her only daughter to a brutal and unsolved murder.  Laverne’s husband passed away as well but she’s slowly turned inward as a self-imposed recluse. And then there’s Jazzy; a novice psychic or clairvoyant developing her talents and she becomes the glue for this quartet of women as they make a spontaneous, hail-mary road trip to Las Vegas to rescue Marnie’s “stepson”, Troy.

I loved how Karen wrote believable (and sometimes frightening) adventures that happened to each of the women along the way on this road trip. I continuously felt connected and empathetic to all of the women (well ALMOST to Jazzy but what an ability to have and share with others!) and thought I could have worked with or met any of these women anywhere in the state.  And finally, I found the ending to the book very satisfying.  She took the time to wrap up the stories of all four women.

FTC note – Karen was so generous and thoughtful to provide me an advance copy of the book. Thank you so much for thinking of me Karen!