Far from Home [Paperback]

Anne DeGrace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2009

After a shocking family betrayal and an unexpected pregnancy, Jo leaves home, college, and everything she knows. Far from home, she finds her way to Cass's Roadside CafÉ, an isolated diner on a mountain pass. Cass's seems as good a place as any for Jo to get her bearings, as near to nowhere as it is possible to be. Here, Jo finds a rough sort of kindness in diner regulars such as Archie, a long-haul trucker, and Bob, a cop with a secret. But Cass's is also a way station through which an odd assortment of travelers blow: the water witcher, coming to terms with a talent he'd denied; the old woman who expected to die, and didn't; and the hippie whose rule of the road is to let the wind blow him where it will. The stories of these strangers open Jo's eyes to life lessons, and what it really means to follow your heart—and, ultimately, give Jo the strength to face her past, and find the direction she needs to step into her future.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A diner waitress in late 1970s Canada listens to her customers' stories in DeGrace's plodding second novel (after Treading Water). Young Jo leaves an unfortunate situation at home, only to land a waitress gig at a roadside cafe in the middle of nowhere. One windy day sends several travelers to Jo's tables, and each is more than ready to share their story: an elderly woman with nothing to lose, a ruined young businessman on the run, a well-meaning Mountie with a crisis and many more, all in one way or another connected to a hitchhiking hippie named Pink. The parade of archetypes through the diner is a weak stand-in for a plot, and reading their painfully predictable backstories is equivalent to a dose of Ambien. The lack of insight and drama is terminal. (Nov.)
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Review

“Anne DeGrace is a gifted story teller and Far From Home contains some of her most intriguing characters. Thoroughly enjoyable.” (Paulette Jiles, New York Times bestselling author )

“A gorgeous novel of coincidence and redemption, FAR FROM HOME will change the way you interact with strangers.” (Katrina Kittle, author of The Kindness of Strangers )

“Deliciously written.” (Owen Sound Sun Times (Ontario) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 edition (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061728802
• ISBN-13: 978-0061728808
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,825,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Diner, February 17, 2010

By 

Ruth A. Palguta "Ruthy" (Reisterstown, Md) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Far from Home (Paperback)

Far from Home was different from most of the books I read. The book kept your interest throughout. All of the characters were very colorful and would probably relate to people we know in our own lives. I did not like the ending. For me it left too many unanswered questions.