Family and friendships need forgiveness

“Night Road” by Kristin Hannah was a long and often difficult book to read.

Jude Farraday was only 10 when her father died. From that day on, her mother had been cold and distant. The painful relationship helped shape Jude’s strong love for her husband Miles and their twins Zach and Mia.

All their friends were welcome at the Farradays’. Things had been nearly perfect until the twins started their freshman year at Pine Island High School. While Zach was the golden boy blessed with good looks, brains and athletic ability, Mia suffered from acne and terrible self-doubt. To ease the pain of not having friends, she cultivated a unique sense style and kept to herself.

Then one day, Alexa “Lexi” Baill appeared. The two girls couldn’t have been more different. Mia lived a privileged life on Pine Island with a loving family, but Lexi had cycled through the foster system until her drug-addicted mother died.

She then moved in with her aunt, Eva, in a rented double-wide trailer just off the island. Aunt Eva gave her the stability and love she’s always longed for, but starting school still frightened her.

That changed the day she met Mia. Within the week Mia, Lexi and Zach were inseparable. Their relationship was made even sweeter by the complete acceptance of Jude Farraday. The twins took Jude’s uber-involvement in their lives for granted. Lexi sees her as the very best mom in the world. As the weeks and month flashed by, the three grew even closer.

Then suddenly the attraction between Zach and Lexi flares into reality. They are determined to keep it from ruining their relationship with Mia and eventually she came to terms with the love the three share. By their senior year, Jude’s worrying has kicked into high gear. Mia was determined to get into University of Southern California, but she needed Zach to go there, too. Both have the grades and the money for USC, but there is no way Lexi could afford such a school.

Lexi did get a scholarship to University of Wisconsin, but even then money would be tight. Zach and Lexi are deeply in love and he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her. He insisted he’s not going to USC, upsetting Mia and the rest of the family.

Graduation was only 10 days away when the three attend another summer party. Zach has agreed to be the designated driver, but soothed his anger with whatever alcohol is available. It’s well past their curfew when they decide to leave. By then Lexi has had a few drinks, Mia is roaring drunk and no one wants to call Jude for a ride home, so it fell to Lexi to drive.

They are less than a mile from home when the crash happened and everything changed. The hospital is chaos. Zach and Lexi were injured, but Mia was thrown from the car and declared brain dead. When Jude learns this, she shuts down, pushing everyone away.

When she found out that Lexi was driving, Jude’s grief turns to hateful rage. She demanded that Lexi be charged with homicide. Lexi admits she was driving and begs forgiveness, but she is sentenced to five years in prison. Though the whole ordeal, Zach’s guilt won’t let him contact Lexi.

Within a few weeks, she discovered she’s pregnant. She gave full custody to Zach and abandoned all hope of being a mother to Gracie. Time can’t extinguish her love for her child or Zach. Once she’s released, Lexi tried to become a part of Gracie’s life. It is something Jude cannot abide, but comments from Gracie and a revealing visit with her own mother opened her eyes to what it means to understand, forgive and be a family.
Forgiveness is a priceless gift that only we can give to others.

 

AT A GLANCE
BOOK:
“Night Road”
AUTHOR: Kristin Hannah
PUBLISHER: St. Martin’s Press
PUBLISHED: March 22, 2011
PAGES: 396

Category: