Customer Reviews

The Road Home

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book carries the warmth you would share as you sit in the evening by the fire listening to an old friend tell you personal stories of their life. Some of the chapters, such as 'My Father's Violin' stand on their own as beautiful essays. I read and re-read that chapter several times as Eliza talked about memories of her father and the few shared times that they had together. The entire book is a reminder of what is important in life and how we all search for our own home.

From all the books I checked out at the library, this is the first that I had to own. This book is so New England you can't help but laugh out loud. She has guts AND the ability to laugh at her own stupidness. Any one who does not get a chuckle out of this book needs to loosen up in life and stop and smell the roses. I wish I had half the gall that she has to make life the way she has, and I wish I knew her.

This is such a lovely, small treasure. Like reading the diary of a wonderful friend, off on the adventure of her life, taking chances, getting scared, terrified, stuck, lonely, but trying again each time, full of life, hopeful--a lot like a lot of our lives. I think that's why I liked it so much. It was so real. It made me feel that there are others out there who are scared, vacillate, worry, yet continue on. I loved this book.

Eliza Thomas writes this book with so much of herself in it that I felt as if she was a friend of mine, sitting out on the porch telling me her story. I honestly laughed out loud, was touched by her memories of her father, and was saddened right along with her at her frustrations at finding a suitable job, and apartment. This book will tickle you. After reading this book I could not believe that I did not actually know this woman, and had not shared in her laughter and pain. The only thing wrong with this book is that it isn't long enough.

This book is actually somewhat boring but on a cold and rainy weekend I found it a quick and easy read. Bits of humor, some insight into this person who appears to be trying to find herself as age creeps up on her. This book may inspire those who at midlife are looking for a change to go for it, take the gamble.

Like many memoirs written in the 1990s, this one celebrates the vacillations, doubts, and insecurities of its author, who in her 40s realizes that "Time had been running out, and I hadn't been paying attention." So begins the chronicle of this midlife crisis, in which our anti-heroine relocates to a cabin in the woods, adopts a Chinese baby and redefines her life. Actually "redefines" conveys too much clarity, too much self-awareness, too much sense of purpose.

I know we are suppose to empathize as the author stumbles through the snowy woods (after skidding her car off the road), sees her house glowing in the distance, and realizes she is home.

But all I wanted to do throughout was slap some sense into her, get her to read a book, research a subject, or learn how to do something for herself.

I found "The Road Home" to be an easy book to read and very enjoyable.Except for being a man the author could of been me on my own adventures in Maine the past ten years. It is fantastic to know that there are still pioneers in this world that can chuck it all. But being from Northern N.E. I have never read a book about this region that did not include our mud and black fly/mosquito seasons.If you survive that you have done well.