Friday, April 3, 2020

The Road She Left Behind: sometimes the only way to heal is to go home

The Road She Left Behind by Christine Nolfi is a story of going home, confronting the past and finding forgiveness for others as well as oneself. Darcy Goodridge has been on the run. For the last eight years, she has moved from town to town, from job to job, She left her home in Ohio, vowing never to return. She was crushed by guilt over the accidental deaths of her father and younger sister and the constant battling with her mother, Darcy left, never looking back. Until one fateful phone call finds her fighting the urge to return. With the urge of her young friend, 18-year old Samson Dray, she finds herself on the road back home. Once she’s there, she learns that her 8-year-old nephew, Emerson, is missing and her mother, Honorable Rosalind Goodridge, is as imposing as ever. After Emerson returns home, Darcy becomes a part of her nephew’s life, she begins to piece together the events which led to Emerson to “run away.” Darcy begins to tear down the walls her mother so expertly put up around her and discovers her secrets as deep family secrets that led to the horrible accident. Determined to find closure and healing, Darcy may even find love and a place to belong.


The Road She Left Behind is a non-stop dramatic story of family secrets, misplaced guilt, teenage rebellion and lost love. While the family secrets revealed weren’t too shocking, I would say almost common, however, I was gripped by the interaction between Darcy and Rosalind. A mother and daughter who have been at odds from day one and Darcy never really knew why and, now as an adult, Darcy demands answers and “no” is not acceptable. It was a hard book to put down as I was eager to discover the family secrets and see everyone come together as a true family in ways they hadn’t before. Throughout the book, I wasn’t sure if I liked Darcy, Rosalind or any of the major characters. Each had their flaws, made their mistakes and said some hurtful statements in their anger or hurt. It’s what made the characters relatable as I could imagine knowing and interacting with these individuals. However, by the end, I smiled as they began to interact like a normal family and cried as they began their healing. I recommend The Road She Left Behind as a story of forgiveness, redemption and finding your home.

The Road She Left Behind
is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

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