I’m not saying that grief over the loss of a child isn’t devastating, but if Jude had found some balance with her children, then she might have been better able to deal with her grief and care for those that survived. She can’t even let go of her grief and care for what is left of her family. I believe that played a big part in what happened to Mia. How does Jude succeed in finding this balance? How does she fail? I don’t think Jude ever does find that balance. One of the powerful themes in this novel is the delicate balance a mother must find between holding on to her children and letting them go.

Parents should be involved in the lives of the children, but micro-managing them does allow them to grow or to learn. I think she is too invested in the lives of her children. Do you think all of this effort makes her a “good” mother? Or is she over-invested in her children’s lives? Does this kind of micro-managing keep kids safe, or put them in a position where they don’t trust their own judgment? Jude Farraday is the ultimate helicopter mom. She very clearly tries to do anything and everything she can to keep her children safe. Jude Farraday is obviously a tenacious and committed mother. These questions are from Kristen Hannah’s website. I’m going to post some of the discussion questions and my answers. Of course Hannah treats a tough issue with great care and superb writing.īecause I read this book for book club I thought I would take a different approach to my review. The loss of a child, a sibling, and best friend all because of a bad choice. So many lives were tainted by one mistake.

I enjoyed the book, but it’s another tough emotional read. Kristen Hannah’s Night Road is the February read for my face to face book club. 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. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. One decision will change the course of their lives. On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. Nothing feels safe anymore every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

It has always been easy– until senior year of high school. Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Summary from Goodreads: For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.įor 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.

Night road kristin hannah ending