The Road She Left Behind

By: Christine Nolfi

Narrated by: Megan Tusing

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

“A great pick for your book club this summer.” - Working Mother

Crushed by guilt over the car accident that killed her father and sister, and torn apart by her mother’s resentment, Darcy Goodridge fled her family estate eight years ago and hasn’t looked back. Now an unexpected phone call threatens to upend what little serenity she’s found. Her nephew, Emerson, who was just a baby when his mother died, has gone missing. Darcy must return home and face her past in order to save him.

Once back in Ohio, Darcy realizes there’s more to Emerson’s disappearance - and to the sudden retirement of her mother, Rosalind - than meets the eye. As she works to make inroads with Rosalind, Darcy begins to unravel a decades-old secret that devastated her family and forced a wedge between her and Michael Varano, the man she left heartbroken when she vanished after the funeral. After carrying the scars of that fateful night for almost a decade, Darcy is determined to find closure, healing, and maybe even love where she lost them all in the first place - right back home where she belongs.

©2019 by Christine Nolfi. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A dreaded homecoming leads to personal discovery and forgiveness of past grievances. Christine Nolfi’s cast of irresistible characters drew me in and held me captive. Her attention to detail brings her lovely setting to life. A novel of familial love you won’t soon forget.” --Ashley Farley, author of the bestselling Sweet Tea Tuesdays and Magnolia Nights

“Nolfi creates a beautiful, touching story with compelling characters reminiscent of the deep love and friendship found in Steel Magnolias…At the very heart of The Road She Left Behind are the powerful lessons of humanity: forgiveness, healing, and letting go, all woven together with the threads that bind family and friends. You will laugh, you will cry, you will root these characters on, and miss them profusely when they’re gone. I know I do.” --USA Today bestselling author Rochelle Weinstein 

“Christine Nolfi has outdone herself this time. The Road She Left Behind masterfully knits together the past and present, showing us a fractured family, grave misunderstandings, and heart-wrenching betrayals. I connected with the flawed but lovable characters, and found myself enthralled from the first page to the last. Bravo!” --Karen McQuestion, bestselling author of Hello Love 

The Road She Left Behind

I Most enjoyable book about a young woman who left home after the deaths of her father and sister. The Way she is brought back and the reasons that unfold weave a Story of lives torn apart by lies and assumptions. Our author weaves a lovely tale of the characters and how they come together. Very good read.

Very predictable

The story was not believable.
The narration was poorly done.
I would not recommend this audio book to anyone.

Unconvincing

Although I found the writing style pretty good and engrossing, the storyline left me unconvinced. I found the main character, Darcy, difficult to believe in. She initially seems like a strong character, but then she confronts her mother, and becomes a quivering mess. The 8-year old nephew is also full of contradictions, and not like any 8-year old I've ever come across. The mother starts off bitter and unrelenting, and she is kind of interesting at this stage, but then suddenly becomes quite kindly, and no, it's not character development. It's like a different character altogether. The big family secret, which is supposed to be at the heart of it all, is really no secret at all, since you can see it coming a mile off, but keep thinking that there must be something more to it. All in all, this was not a bad book but I cannot understand how it got so many good reviews

No Excuse to be Hateful

This is the story of a judge, married to a doctor in a small town, where everybody knows what’s going on. Everyone except for the couple’s two young daughters. They are the collateral damage. Two educated, hard working adults, who care more for their careers and for themselves than their children. And that, my friends, is the bottom line of this sad tale. Of course, there’s more to it. There always is. But there’s still no excuse for the hateful and neglectful way their daughters were treated. But it makes for a dramatic tale. I almost stopped listening at the beginning, but I was intrigued by Samson, Darcy’s friend who had aged out of the foster care system, and was the sweetest young man one could meet. A study in contrasts for sure. Two rich, privileged parents wrapped up in themselves versus a mixed-race young man sporting dreadlocks who was looking for his North Star. If one can suspend belief just a bit, the story becomes more enjoyable. The people in Darcy’s hometown are wonderful. Her housekeeper/nanny, Latrice, and their neighbors, Tippi, Nella and Michael make the story. Just too bad that the book has to revolve around Rosalind, and her abusive tongue. Darcy’s nephew, Emerson is smart, sassy and downright adorable through and through. I ended up liking the book much more than I thought possible, but you need to go into it knowing that some of the tale is fluff.

don't bother

I struggle to finish this book. it is poorly written. The love story was pretty silly. A lot of the writing made me cringe.

Adored this book

The characters were well written and believable. I loved the complexity of their relationships . I really hated for this book to end.
The narrator did a fabulous job!

enjoyable book

Characters are well described and believable. Story keeps your interest and has a few twists that make it interesting. It is a fast read that will keep you motivated to keep going till the end. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Enjoyable

The book kept me engaged and wanting to know more as the story progressed. Overall, a pleasant read with not an overwhelming amount of depth, but just enough to enjoy.

at first its slow, but then it gets going

Wow, The story keeps getting better. Definetly a page turner. love the characters and storyline.

Wonderful heartwarming story

Enjoyed the story very much. Conversation can mean so much and bring joy to everyone involved in the end.