The Road Home

The Road Home by Richard Paul Evans   336 pages

Wow!  I didn't realize when I began this book that it was part of a trilogy and more than that this was the third book in the trilogy.   I found this book could stand on its own easily.   The characters refer to so many things from the past that it seems as though the story catches you up to present with no feeling of loss for what you have missed and the story is so good and the wisdom this character shares throughout that he learns along the way is incredible.   I honestly thought this was a true story or at least based on a true story - it is that realistic in its tone and quotes from the guy's road diary.   What a great book and storyline.   Now that I know the end and enjoyed all that took place to get there just from this juncture, I kind of want to read the beginning just because it is there, but, this part of the journey is so priceless and who he starts out as is a big jerk and now he is filled with so much savvy and understanding whereas he has learned many valuable lessons and shared many valuable things, I don't really feel the need to go back.   It feels like meeting a friend when they are in their 30s maybe 40s and you think, "Man, I wish I would have known you in your 20s," but they recount such great stories about their life, you feel connected to that time in their life just through their telling of what happened.   It also kind of has the feel of that t.v. show where a billionaire or a CEO of a company goes undercover and meets regular people/first line employees and finds out what all they go through and how their understanding may be very different from the corporate Mount Olympus.  And most importantly seeing people dealing with their own lives and multi-stresses and also seeing how as CEO or billionaire you could do wondrous things to improve your fellow human being's life and circumstances.    Great book.   The entries is the main characters diary are pearls of wisdom to be committed to memory.   Excellent for read for Middle-schoolers on up.   A good life manual, before and after, how a rough beginning can prove a diamond in the rough.

 - Shirley J.