Review: Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Published by St. Martin's Press on March 22nd 2011
Genre: Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 385
Challenge Theme: A book with a time of day in the title


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Synopsis:
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 out of harm’s way. But senior year of high school tests them all. It’s a dangerous, explosive season of drinking, driving, parties, and kids who want to let loose. And then on a hot summer’s night, one bad decision is made. 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.

Review:
I have been a fan of Kristin Hannah for years so I was happy to find a book that worked for this challenge. Her books always keep me wanting to read more and tell a great story. This one was no exception. The writing, the characters, the story it all gave me the feels. Reading the synopsis I figured what the incident would be but I did not correctly predict who would be the victim. I won’t say more as to not spoil anything. Throughout the book, up until pretty much the end, I found Jude to be insufferable. Prior to and after the accident. No one knows how they are going to deal with loss until it hits them but the way she came at Lexi and how she fell apart for her family, going from trying to be super mom to not being a mother at all, was infuriating but again until you live it you don’t know how what you will become. By heart broke for Lexi throughout the entire book. She definitely got a raw deal. Of course my heart broke for the Farraday family as well, especially for Zach, but I feel like Zach could have stepped up more for Lexi. Miles was the only one with some sense during that tragic time. When I am really enjoying a book I am always nervous on how the author will chose to end it. In this case I was 100% on board with how the story came to a close. Another great read from Hannah!

Favorites Quotes:
“Maybe time didn’t heal wounds exactly, but it gave you a kind of armor, or a new perspective. A way to remember with a smile instead of a sob.”

“In the sea of grief, there were islands of grace, moments in time when one could remember what was left rather than all that had been lost.”

“Even as she listened to murmurs of support, she heard the relief in other people’s voices, the immense gratitude that it wasn’t their child who had died. She heard I’m so sorry until she despised those words as she had never despised anything in her life, and she discovered an anger in her soul that was new.”