Rush Home Road

What a fantastic novel from a novice writer! The author explores the meaning of family through the story of Sharla, a young girl abandoned by her mother to the care of a quite old woman whom the mother hardly knows. The development of the relationship between Sharla and Addie is beautifully and touchingly told, without any of that dread preachiness so often found in stories of this type. A second aspect of the novel is Addie's own story, told in alternating chapters with Sharla's. As Addie becomes more and more attached to Sharla, she remembers her past vividly, and we see how she has come to be the patient, kind, understanding and loving woman she is.

An especially striking element in this novel is the author's use of language. In the show more first couple of chapters I was unhappy with the language used, but as I got further into the story, I saw that Lansens deliberately used that language because that was the language that Sharla heard. It's an interesting technique, and I thought she was very successful in her use of it. As the story moved on and Sharla became more influenced by Addie, the coarse language disappeared.

In addition to the two stories, Lansens provides a setting that was completely new to me: a Canadian town inhabited mosty by blacks. The background information was provided painlessly and greatly added to my pleasure in reading the book.

I highly recommend this book. show less

This compulsively readable book follows the life of Addy Shadd, past and present. Despite hardships she acts with dignity, kindness and compassion. The fact that I have lived in Essex/Kent in Southern Ontario made it all the more enjoyable. The only criticism is that the story seemed to lose its momentum towards the end.

Five year old Sharla Cody is sent to live with seventy-year old, Addy Shadd. Addy is in no way related to Sharla but she is the first person who answered her door when Sharla’s mother, Colette knocked and offered to take Sharla for the summer. Addy lives in a trailer park. She is all alone, so when Colette is looking for someone to take Sharla; Addy agrees. It will be nice to have someone to talk to again. Sharla and Addy will teach each other things despite their age differences.

Ok let me first get this out of the way by say this “Oh My Gosh”. I did not realize how much this book was going to affect me. The reason is that Lori Lansens has such a distinct, prolific writing style that Addy and Sharla just came alive for me. It was show more like I was living in that trailer park along with Sharla and Addy. The friendship that Sharla and Addy formed with each other was precious and one to be treasured forever. I started reading this book last night and in a matter of only a few hours I had finished reading Rush Home Road. For being Lori Lansens first novel as well as the first one I have read by this author, I give it a perfect ten! Rush Home Road just became one of my new favorite books. Lori Lansens is one author to watch out for. A true powerhouse. show less

I really enjoyed this plot driven novel by Canadian writer Lori Lansens.

When I started reading this Novel I found that by the end of second chapter I was totally drawn into the story and was captivated by the characters and the premise of the story.

The novel is set in the 1920s and 1970s in a trailer park in a small town in Canada and tells the story of 70 year old Addy Shadd.
A fellow neighbour Collette drops her 5 year old Sharla off with Addy and disappears. Addy reluctantly steps in as guardian to care for the child. The two form a tight bond and Sharla experiences unconditional love for the first time in her short life. At the same time, the young girl triggers Addy's childhood memories. These memories are full of hardships and show more trials. Memories of Addy's childhood days in Rusholme, a Canadian border town settled by runaway slaves in the 1800s come rushing back and carry the reader away. Addy recalls intimate details of her family, past lovers and the many people who loved and betrayed her.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel and fell totally in love with Addy. I felt the author did a fantastic job of making clear and precise transitions between the past and present and I never found myself getting lost in this fast paced novel. I think Lori Larsens does an excellent job of telling this tale and I love the sense of time and place that she creates.

I found this book a really interesting and an easy read and would recommend it for anyone who enjoyed Novels such as The Kitchen House or The Help. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys heartbreaking and yet a heartwarming tale. show less

As this first novel opens, 70-year-old Addy Shadd is living a peaceful trailer-park existence in the company of down-and-outers like Collette, who leaves her daughter with Addy and then disappears. Five-year-old Sharla is neither lovely nor lovable, and Addy's habit of solitude is hard to break, but as the two outcasts learn to care for each other, they begin healing from the abuse that they have suffered. Memories of Addy's childhood days in Rusholme, a Canadian border town settled by runaway slaves in the 1800s, come rushing back and carry the reader away. Addy recalls intimate details a small brother who died, past lovers, children now gone, and the many people who betrayed her while historical events like the Underground Railroad, show more the Pullman porter movement, and Prohibition frame her account and reflect some of the hardships suffered by African Americans, even in Canada. Though Addy has led a hard life, her beautiful, gentle spirit, her wise and loving way with Sharla, and an ultimate message of hope redeem the book from melancholy. show less

I have a new author on my favourites list and this book was AMAZING! In my little world three stars out of five means it was a pretty good read … this book I would give six!

The book is set in the Detroit-Windsor-Chatham corrider of Southern Ontario (as are most of Ms. Lansens books) and tells the story of Sharla Cody and Mum-Addy. Sharla is a five year old who has had a tough go of it already and Addy is a 70 year old who had a tough go of it all her life. Addy agrees to look after Sharla for the summer so her real mother can “get her life together” … which in reality meant “take off in the middle of the night with her boyfriend". Having a young child in the house brings back memories of her own upbringing and causes Addy to show more go down memory lane a little more frequently than usual. Moving seamlessley from the present to the past, Addy’s story is the book.

Ms. Lansens manages to incorporate a lot of Canadiana into the book, from Canada’a role in the anti-slavery movement, the underground railway and prohibition, but does so in a way that weaves well into the story. She also looks at the seedier side of children’s lives when they do not have strong and loving parental figures. Although uplifting in the case of little Sharla, it makes me wish every needy child had an “Addy” in their lives.

Addy is a character I quickly came to love, and that feeling kept me turning the pages to find out more about her remarkable life. A must read for anyone who likes a good story with (spoiler alert) a little bit of a tear-jerker ending. show less

Lansen's tale is set in southwestern Ontario, a community rich in history of the underground railroad and small sleepy towns settled by fugitive slaves.

Five year old Sharla Cody is abandoned by her near-do-well mother and given away/dropped at the doorstep of 70 year of Addy Shadd. Feeling most unprepared to take in this neglected child, Addy finds her heart is larger than her physical and financial abilities.

In accepting and loving Sharla, Addy opens her heart anew to love and thus is able to look back on her life and examine very painful memories. The reader travels with Addy to her own experiences of abandonment, heartbreak and betrayal as little Sharla struggles with these same issues.

An amazing woman begins to love and accept an show more amazing little girl as together their love defines the nature of forgiveness and the power to survive what could be insurmountable obsticles.

This is a book that examines ways in which our past both weakens and strengthens, both haunts and motivates, both brings bane and blessing. This is a book that shows when the heart is broken, while there are scars, the ability to heal is an incredibly powerful force.

A must read! Highly recommended!
Rush to obtain a copy of this book. While I've read many excellent, wonderful books in 2009, this one is at the top of the list. show less