Title: A Song for the Road by Kathleen Basi
Publisher: Alcove Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Cheryl Strayed’s Wild meets Katherine Center’s How to Walk Away in Kathleen Basi’s debut novel about an unconventional road trip and what it means to honor the ones we love.
It’s one year after the death of her husband and twin teenagers, and Miriam Tedesco has lost faith in humanity and herself. When a bouquet of flowers that her husband always sends on their anniversary shows up at her workplace, she completely unravels. With the help of her best friend, she realizes that it’s time to pick up the pieces and begin to move on. Step one is not even cleaning out her family’s possessions, but just taking inventory starting with her daughter’s room. But when she opens her daughter’s computer, she stumbles across a program her daughter has created detailing an automated cross-country road trip, for her and her husband to take as soon-to-be empty nesters.
Seeing and hearing the video clips of her kids embedded in the program, Miriam is determined to take this trip for her children. Armed with her husband’s guitar, her daughter’s cello, and her son’s unfinished piano sonata, she embarks on a musical pilgrimage to grieve the family she fears she never loved enough. Along the way she meets a young, pregnant hitchhiker named Dicey, whose boisterous and spunky attitude reminds Miriam of her own daughter.
Tornadoes, impromptu concerts, and an unlikely friendship…whether she’s prepared for it or not, Miriam’s world is coming back to life. But as she struggles to keep her focus on the reason she set out on this journey, she has to confront the possibility that the best way to honor her family may be to accept the truths she never wanted to face.
Hopeful, honest, and tender, A Song for the Road is about courage, vulnerability, and forgiveness, even of yourself, when it really matters.
Review:
A Song for the Road by Kathleen Basi is a moving novel of healing and friendship.
Miriam Tedesco is mired in grief following the tragic loss of her husband Teo and twins Talia and Blaise. With the one-year anniversary approaching, her best friend Becky Lindon convinces her to go on the road trip the twins designed for her and Teo. At her first stop, Miriam meets a Dicey Smith, a young pregnant woman traveling to California. By mutual agreement, they continue their journey together. Miriam is surprised by how much she enjoys Dicey’s company and they form an unlikely friendship. Together, they weather a few challenges but when a serious crisis occurs, how will Miriam react?
The past year has not just been difficult because of Miriam’s losses; she is crushed under the weight of rethinking her own decisions. Looking back over the years, she is tormented by the choices she made. Miriam also desperately misses Teo whose love for her helped keep her life on an even keel. During their travels, Miriam’s discussions with Dicey are unexpectedly helpful since her new friend offers a fresh perspective about the issues troubling her.
Dicey is a vibrant young woman who wants the very best in life for her unborn baby. She is a steadying force for Miriam who is easily crushed under the weight of her grief. Dicey is upbeat and positive and her enthusiasm is beneficial for Miriam who needs encouragement to continue on their journey.
A Song for the Road is an emotionally compelling novel with a heartfelt storyline. Miriam is consumed with self-doubts and it takes a few days for her to settle into the journey. Dicey is a self-sufficient young woman who is rather tight-lipped about her own problems. Their unorthodox friendship is incredibly heartwarming and uplifting. The various places they visit are quite interesting. With heart-dropping plot twist, Kathleen Basi brings this marvelous novel to a gratifying conclusion.
