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The Shortest Way Home – Book Review

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I loved this book. I loved it from start to finish, front cover to last word. The Shortest Way Home is a book that brought me great satisfaction while reading it — pulling at my heartstrings in just the right way, and engaging me into these wonderfully written characters.

Sean Doran is an irascible, committed yet unrooted kind of guy. For the last 20 years he’s been working as a nurse giving humanitarian aid in various places around the globe, yet neglecting his own family back home in Massachusetts. When he finally returns for a visit after a 6 year absence, he notices his aunt who raised him for most of his life is starting to have memory problems. His nephew Kevin, who she and his sister took in when his father died, is now 11 and seems to be sort of raising himself.

Sean once felt a calling to his profession, an obligation to take his life and make something good of it, but he’s now feeling lost. It seems he’s dodged the Huntington’s disease genetic bullet that took his mother before she even reached his age. He always assumed he’d die in his 30’s, but the idea of living a full normal lifespan has him at a crossroads.

Does he have it in him to really live — instead of living like he’s dying? Returning home and connecting with old friends and family forces him to examine his life and take a good hard look at who hes been and who he wants to be.

Each and every character in The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay grew beyond the stereotype into wonderfully imperfect lovable people. Issues such as fatal genetic diseases, physical deformities, infertility, abandonment and more are obstacles that these characters face and are shaping them into who they are. Fay handles these issues with a delicate touch. They are all grave issues, yet she didn’t overplay them. At almost 400 pages, this is a relatively long women’s fiction novel, but I would have gladly stayed in this world for 400 more.

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42 Comments

  5. I use to be a nomad when I was young, but now that I have grand children I am deeply rooted.

    ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

    Reply

  7. Well, I don’t live in my hometown or near related family—but we are still very close and talk almost daily. So I would go with well-rooted.

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  20. Can I be a little bit of both? I do love to travel, to see new places, but I’m very much rooted in home, too, and need to have one place to which to return! 🙂

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  31. both – I love being at home, but also love to travel. I have lived in 3 different states, so maybe more of a nomad?

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  32. Wow, Jennifer — what a lovely, thoughtful review! I’m so glad you liked it and grateful to you for sharing it with your readers.

    Reply

  34. I have deep roots but love to move about. I have always considered myself a nomad or a person with a gypsy heart as I have deep roots in a few different areas and seem to travel among them

    Reply

  36. Both? I’m very much a homebody most of the time. But occasionally I get this huge itch to travel. My family moved a LOT when I was growing up so it’s weird for me to stay in the same place for years. We just moved to Washington from Arizona but I was in Arizona for 13 years. Before that, I lived in numerous different states. Now, I mostly stay close to home but visit family around the country at least once a year. That seems to take care of my travel itch.

    Sounds like a good story!

    Reply