Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)
No, this isn't a book about surviving the arduous Oregon Trail or turning to cannibalism in the Donner Pass (like we were kinda hoping), however, this is a book about survival, adaptation, reconciliation, and reconnecting with ones roots in the midst of adversity. This is a story about a conflict and tension within a family. It's a story about what the words “stability” and “security” truly mean. This is the story about a couple torn apart and at odds, each with their own sympathetic and understandable motivations. This is a story about children who have to adapt to life without the modern conveniences they took for granted. It's the story about one child's fall from grace in the absence of a father. It's the story about parents separated from their children—generations and legacies severed and mended. It's the story about a woman's struggle to make things work against overwhelming odds. It's the story of a man rediscovering the things which truly matter in life. Tough Trail Home is a compelling novel with a distinct southern-country aura, ! If you're a fan of things like Little House on the Prairie or Alaskan Bush People--shows in which most modern conveniences aren't available to the characters/figures and they're forced to be resourceful—then you might really love this book! Yes, this takes place in a far more modern (or even contemporary time) than Little House, but it has a lot of that same vibe: put a family out in the middle of the new frontier—out in the middle of nowhere—and let them figure it out for themselves. It's from this concept (and the romantic tension) that this book gains a lot of its intrigue. So we've been a bit broad and general about this book so far. What is this book really about? Well, it's ultimately about a family, the Dunwhittys, who receive a combination of good, bad, and ugly news that's sure to shake up any household. Within the span of maybe an hour, the mother of the family, Lisa, discovers that she has inherited an old ranch estate from her recently-deceased Uncle Joe; almost simultaneously, the father of the family (Michael) discovers that he has lost his job. Making matters even more tense and turbulent, the family is late on rent with the threat of eviction looming over them. Furthermore, the terms of Uncle Joe's will dictate that the ranch cannot simply be sold for money and that if Lisa doesn't agree to own and care for it, it will be donated to charity and ultimately lost to the family. So, the family is faced with a tough decision: accept the responsibility of living in and caring for the ranch, stuck in a strange new place with few employment possibilities or move to a big city like Houston or Dallas, banking on Michael's ability to get a new job and to provide for them. This creates immeasurable tension between Lisa and Michael who vehemently disagree on this decision. While Lisa is willing to make the painful decision to move their family out to the middle of nowhere where they can at least stay in and live off the ranch, Michael remains determined to find a new job and be a bread winner. There's a real clash of priorities, personalities, and even life philosophies in this conflict that many readers will be able to relate to. Unlike many books in which one partner is clearly wrong or even “bad” somehow, both partners have good points and both partners are easy to empathize with. Michael, the closest thing to an antagonist in this book, remains relatable and sympathetic even when he's doing things like going after Lisa for making decisions without him or leaving the family to pursue another path. In 99.9% of cases, this would usually turn the character heel. However, a part of us still loved, cared about, and understood Michael. We would want to be included in our partner's decisions too. We would want to have a say in where our families moved too. We would want to have a say in what kind of lives our children lived. And this enhances the next point: Lisa's doting. In 99.9% of cases, when a character is endlessly and relentlessly doting over a lover whom they're separated from, it becomes frustrating and annoying after a while. This is one of the rare cases in which we completely understood and empathized with the way that Lisa felt. At the same time, we also understood and empathized with her decision(s) to keep on going on the path set in front of her—to forge her own path and a path for her family, even in the absence of her husband. This book features a lot of the struggles of living off the grid like a water heater that is often not working, electricity and internet that are unreliable, creaky, old, uncomfortable furniture, dangerous animals like coyotes and coral snakes, a mice infestation, a dead buck caught in the water tank, a wildfire that threatens everything they love and own, and even some humorous inconveniences like skunks. Along the way, Lisa and her family must learn to adapt including learning how to use firearms to protect themselves, using fire to counter infestations, and using homemade remedies to a skunk's spray because, as Jessica humorously says, “I can't go to school smelling all skunky.” They also get some great help along the way including from Carl, a man separated from his children who often looks after and helps Lisa's family as they adjust to the country. Carl is a candidate for “Best Supporting Character.” Speaking of being separated from one's children, there's a running theme of generations, lineages, and legacies that run throughout the book. For example, Michael watches as his son, Andrew devolves into a ruffian and eventually a petty criminal in his absence. Meanwhile, his own father lends a helping hand to Lisa and the kids in his absence, something he was unwilling to do for Michael when he was growing up (due to work and the culture at the time). At the same time, Lisa learns more and more about her family history including of Uncle Joe, Aunt Minnie, and Minnie's mother, Julia. She gradually pieces together her own lineage. “Amazing. Nature sure knows how to clean up a mess.” Check it out on Amazon!
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