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hartmancb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
judithdcollins's review
4.0
From #1 New York Times bestselling author of [b:The Exiles|49397137|The Exiles|Christina Baker Kline|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585357375l/49397137._SY75_.jpg|73236056] Christina Baker Kline, comes An Amazon Original Stories' Short Story, THE SCENIC ROUTE—a wife and mother’s life spins out of control, and she is left living the van life on the road alone. However, in the process, she learns about herself, finds solace through the pain, and ultimately life surprises her.
In Jess's case, van life was a last resort—a desperate attempt to make sense of a life that had skidded off the rails.
Jess was a happily married woman, a content creator with a young son, Charlie. She discovered her husband was having an affair—a divorce and married now to Courtney. Then there was the accident. A tragedy. Her life came tumbling down. Charlie now lives with her ex and their new daughter. Everyone turned their back on her.
She lost her marriage.
She lost her son.
She lost her job.
She lost her mind.
She stole a Toyota Sienna from her ex-husband, Nick's driveway. She had nowhere to go. She learned the #VanLife. The van is her home. Houseless, not homeless is a van-life mantra. Later, she sold it, bought a Chevy Astro, and named her Vanessa, shortened to Nessie.
"When you arrive at your destination, you're stuck in your van because it's your home. There's no solace or reprieve."
When you get lonely, you can meet up with your tribe. You find the tribe online, in chat rooms and forums. You can meet up with them in real life. Convergences, as van lifers call them, occur all over the country—Lost souls seeking communion in a field.
Convergences allow van dwellers to dip in and out of each other lives like extended families without the baggage.
EAT. SLEEP. TRAVEL. REPEAT. AND ALWAYS TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE.
Every person she met in the van-life community was escaping something and seeking answers, trying to find a path forward—looking for a way to get it right.
Jess did not have an easy life starting from her childhood. A father who left when she was five, then a step-father, which was a nightmare. Everyone was wearing a mask. Does family dysfunction get handed down through generations?
While on the road picking up her content marketing (how to tell a story and to see the story) and posting on Instagram, she meets other van-lifers on the road.
Then, one day on the road, Jess receives a surprise.
"Stillness can't really exist, she said, because even when we're not moving, we're breathing, and breath is movement." —Paradox of Stillness
A beautiful short story! I was sad when it ended and would love for this to be an entire novel. Thought-provoking and emotional, a poignant, moving tale of mother/son relationship. Family baggage passed down.
I loved learning about van life, the pros and cons. THE SCENIC ROUTE is delightful, with themes of motherhood, loss, family, community, self-discovery, and second chances. For fans of Alice Feeney's Good Bad Girl and author Joyce Maynard.
I read the ebook (bookmarked many passages) and listened to the audiobook narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb for an engaging listening experience.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 1, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books
In Jess's case, van life was a last resort—a desperate attempt to make sense of a life that had skidded off the rails.
Jess was a happily married woman, a content creator with a young son, Charlie. She discovered her husband was having an affair—a divorce and married now to Courtney. Then there was the accident. A tragedy. Her life came tumbling down. Charlie now lives with her ex and their new daughter. Everyone turned their back on her.
She lost her marriage.
She lost her son.
She lost her job.
She lost her mind.
She stole a Toyota Sienna from her ex-husband, Nick's driveway. She had nowhere to go. She learned the #VanLife. The van is her home. Houseless, not homeless is a van-life mantra. Later, she sold it, bought a Chevy Astro, and named her Vanessa, shortened to Nessie.
"When you arrive at your destination, you're stuck in your van because it's your home. There's no solace or reprieve."
When you get lonely, you can meet up with your tribe. You find the tribe online, in chat rooms and forums. You can meet up with them in real life. Convergences, as van lifers call them, occur all over the country—Lost souls seeking communion in a field.
Convergences allow van dwellers to dip in and out of each other lives like extended families without the baggage.
EAT. SLEEP. TRAVEL. REPEAT. AND ALWAYS TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE.
Every person she met in the van-life community was escaping something and seeking answers, trying to find a path forward—looking for a way to get it right.
Jess did not have an easy life starting from her childhood. A father who left when she was five, then a step-father, which was a nightmare. Everyone was wearing a mask. Does family dysfunction get handed down through generations?
While on the road picking up her content marketing (how to tell a story and to see the story) and posting on Instagram, she meets other van-lifers on the road.
Then, one day on the road, Jess receives a surprise.
"Stillness can't really exist, she said, because even when we're not moving, we're breathing, and breath is movement." —Paradox of Stillness
A beautiful short story! I was sad when it ended and would love for this to be an entire novel. Thought-provoking and emotional, a poignant, moving tale of mother/son relationship. Family baggage passed down.
I loved learning about van life, the pros and cons. THE SCENIC ROUTE is delightful, with themes of motherhood, loss, family, community, self-discovery, and second chances. For fans of Alice Feeney's Good Bad Girl and author Joyce Maynard.
I read the ebook (bookmarked many passages) and listened to the audiobook narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb for an engaging listening experience.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 1, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books
julianairving's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
chapterswithcait's review against another edition
4.0
I received this story as an ARC from NetGalley. I have loved everything I’ve read by Christina Baker Kline, and while this story was definitely a detour from the historical fiction I’m used to from her, it does not disappoint. From the very beginning, I found the the story’s narrator to be very compelling, giving glimpses into her history that made me want to get to know her more. Her strength in dealing with her challenges, juxtaposed with her vulnerability in discussing them, made her intensely relatable. I wish there was more to read about her and that this story was a full novel! A worthwhile read, to be sure.
rachel_reads_it_all's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
roses_x3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
michelleskup's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fxp's review
2.0
It started strong, and I was expecting a fun story about van life. What I got was a sappy tale insinuating that all nomads have psychological issues.