Rush Home Road opens with a glimpse into the heartbreaking life of five year-old Sharla Cody. Her mother pays little attention to the child, leaving Sharla to fend for herself in the squalor of their trailer home in a small Canadian town.
Addy Shadd is a widowed septuagenarian who lives down the lane of the same trailer park. When her mother abandons Sharla, it is Addy who steps in as guardian to care for the neglected girl.
The two form a tight bond. Sharla experiences unconditional love for the first time in her short life. At the same time, the young girl triggers Addy's childhood memories.
Rush Home Road divides its time between Addy's past and Sharla's present. Readers learn of Addy's happy childhood before a horrifying incident forced her to leave her family in Rusholme. Through the novel, author Lori Lansens provides the pieces to the puzzle that brought Addy to the little trailer in the park.
Though the bond between Sharla and Addy is touching, the story itself is quite heartbreaking. Most of the novel's pages are devoted to the sad events of Addy's past. This combined with the very descriptive portrayal of Sharla's neglect qualify the book for tear-jerking status. You can't help but the touched by Sharla and Addy, but it will cost you plenty in the emotions department.
The story moves between several small Canadian towns and Detroit. Rusholme is described as being settled by fugitive slaves, with references to the Underground Railroad. Though Addy was forced to leave Rusholme, she never forgot the town.
"She'd think of it all the rest of her life, like a commandment. Rush home, she'd think, Thou Shalt Rush Home."
Be prepared for several shifts from past to present. Most of the scene changes are divided by chapter headings. However, Lansens lets Addy's mind wander in the latter part of the book making it hard to keep the past separated from the present.
It could be said that Rush Home Road is a story about going home, wherever that may be. The ending is bittersweet with emphasis on faith. It would be nice to spend more time with Sharla and the present-day characters (especially those introduced in the ending). As it stands, Rush Home Road is an incredibly moving tale filled with the joy and pain only experienced in love. Lansens's tale may take an emotional toll on readers, but with any luck the themes of hope and assurance will provide some much-needed comfort.
