Night Road: A Novel (Paperback)
April 2011 Indie Next List
“This is the moving story of twins Mia and Zach, their mother Jude, and their friend Lexi, whose lives are forever changed on Night Road. A bad decision involving drinking and driving results in a tragedy that paralyzes them with guilt. Only when they learn to forgive can they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives.”
— Fran Wilson, Colorado State University Bookstore, Fort Collins, CO
From Kristin Hannah, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit novels Firefly Lane, The Nightingale, and The Four Winds comes a novel about how one reckless night destroys the lives of three teenagers and their families.
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.
"You cannot read Night Road and not be affected by the story and the characters. The total impact of the book will stay with you for days to come after it is finished." —The Huffington Post
“Night Road is one special book that can transform the lives of readers by influencing how they think about certain important life issues. The reader becomes a first-hand witness to the pitfalls of parenthood, mortality, heartbreak, guilt, life choices, grief, forgiveness, and much more. In short, the entire range of human emotions are explored in this...hopeful book about the triumphant power of the human spirit in the process of forgiveness.” —New York Journal of Books
“…movingly written and plotted with the heartless skill of a Greek tragedy, you'll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob.” —The Daily Mail
“A rich, multilayered reading experience, and an easy recommendation for book clubs.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Hannah masterfully details the unraveling of a family.” —People magazine
“Kristin Hannah is back in top form with Night Road…it will hook Hannah fans from start to suspenseful finish” —The Seattle Times