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148th out of 1,715 books
—
405 voters
Rush Home Road
by
Lori Lansens (Goodreads Author)
Sharla Cody is only five, but has already lived a troubled life -- only to find herself dumped on an elderly neighbor's doorstep when her mother takes off for the summer. Although Sharla is not the angelic child Addy Shadd had pictured when she agreed to look after her, the two soon forge a deep bond. To Addy's surprise, Sharla's presence brings back memories of her own ch...more
Hardcover, 387 pages
Published
November 1st 2005
by Little, Brown
(first published April 23rd 2002)
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I first remember opening this book in the store and reading the first paragraph. From that first paragraph I was hooked. I knew that it was going to be good but I still had my doubts about the storyline. I continued reading later on that night and I couldn't stop. I was younger at that time so it took me a few days to read. I was incredulous at the way the whole town acted towards Addy. The hate, betrayal, and abhorrence just came out without questioning what really happened to her. I loved foll...more
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There is no question in my mind that Lori Lansens is a strong writer with a lot of voice. She creates characters who you care about and want to know more about. After enjoying The Girls a great deal earlier this year, I was interested to read her first novel. Unfortunately, this novel falls flat and doesn't hold up to my expectations.
The characters are interesting enough, but the storyline is at best predictable and at worst contrived. There are moments that are genuinely touching interspersed w...more
The characters are interesting enough, but the storyline is at best predictable and at worst contrived. There are moments that are genuinely touching interspersed w...more
Such a good book! Set in both the 1930s and the 1990s, this rich literary novel tells the story of Addy Shadd, a black woman in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S., starting with the violent disruption of her nearly idyllic life as a teenager in Rusholme. Rusholme was the end of a line on the Underground Railroad and had become one of the few places where blacks owned property and lived outside most of the prejudice and discrimination of the pre-civil-rights era. A pregnant Addy is for...more
The unforgiving reality of life in a Trailer Park somewhere near Ontario makes for sad reading. Here the most vulnerable members of society eke out the barest of existences, alternatively sustaining and denigrating their equally impoverished neighbours.
It is easier to be brave if you possess good health, youth and vigor. The hero of this book has lost these attributes but still finds the courage to change the life of another human. Not only does the little fat abandoned girl she embraces draw on...more
It is easier to be brave if you possess good health, youth and vigor. The hero of this book has lost these attributes but still finds the courage to change the life of another human. Not only does the little fat abandoned girl she embraces draw on...more
This was one of those life-changing books. I felt like I got to know the main character, Addy, so well, that I missed her when I finished the book. What made this a memorable book for me was that the author was so good at painting scenes in many dimensions. The books centers around and old African American woman who grudgingly agrees to take in a ragamuffin white child who is homely and unwanted. Okay, the theme could be hackneyed but Lansens does such an outstanding job of telling the tale. As...more
This was like reading Lassie's memoir.
Addy, a tried and true saint, has seen it all. The novel starts out promising enough in that Addy is told as young child that she is ugly and won't ever find love. Well, I can go for that, as that is a lot more interesting than the opposite. Except that somehow Addy the Ugly ends up not only capturing the heart of the guy she had a huge crush on but barely spoke to (undying love that came from what exactly?) as well as about ninety other men up until the clo...more
Addy, a tried and true saint, has seen it all. The novel starts out promising enough in that Addy is told as young child that she is ugly and won't ever find love. Well, I can go for that, as that is a lot more interesting than the opposite. Except that somehow Addy the Ugly ends up not only capturing the heart of the guy she had a huge crush on but barely spoke to (undying love that came from what exactly?) as well as about ninety other men up until the clo...more
The story starts off with a woman knocking on the trailer door of 70 year Addy Shadd. She asks her if her 5 year old daughter can stay with her for awhile. Addy agrees and the child, Sharla Cody shows up a day later with basically nothing more than the dirty, nasty, clothes on her back and nothing else. Addy takes her in, cleans her up, and begins to attempt to mother the child who's own mother never really cared about her. Come to find out Sharla's mother takes off to never return again. Addy k...more
This is my favourite read so far this year! It is both a heartbreaking and heartwarming story at the same time, that focuses on the lives of Addy and Sharla. It moves effortlessly between the story of Addy who because of a terrible incident and a thoughtless community must leave home as a young pregnant teenager. Addy now elderly and living alone, has Sharla a 5 year old neglected/abused child abandoned on her door step. The start of the book had me in tears for this poor child. Every child shou...more
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Apr 26, 2012
Pooker
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who sniffle in card stores
I remember writing a story in high school that was much like this one (not nearly as eloquent as this but with a similar theme). I remember being cut to the quick by my teacher's comments: A bit trite but enjoyable and well-written. And I remember my inner outrage, wondering what was so trite about the beauty and innocence of a loving relationship between a child and an old person set in a rather ugly world?
I suspect that if I had read this novel at another time in my life, I might have had the...more
I suspect that if I had read this novel at another time in my life, I might have had the...more
1 like · like · see review
Just so you know, I don't do a well written review. I leave those to my sweet friends Eleanor and SuziQOregon. In spite of that, this is a book that deserves an attempt at a review for my friends who read.
Books that start with old people and flash back to their earlier lives will always capture my attention. Addy Shadd not only captured me, but touched something a little deeper while reading her story in this book. As I turned the last page and closed the book, I was surprised to discover tears...more
Books that start with old people and flash back to their earlier lives will always capture my attention. Addy Shadd not only captured me, but touched something a little deeper while reading her story in this book. As I turned the last page and closed the book, I was surprised to discover tears...more
Almost up until the end, this book was 3 star for me. I liked it, but didn't love it. But the ending changed me and upped my rating to 4 stars. Rush Home Road is the story of Addy Shadd, an older woman reflecting on her life. Beginning with Addy's rape at 15, at first I was a bit put-off by the all the (though tasteful) sexual activity. Perhaps I am becoming somewhat of a prude in my old age! But as a main theme is forgiveness, I guess Addy's and other's exploits are a necessary part of the stor...more
While many books have made me ache while confronting the sorrow and the beauty of the world, rarely do books make me cry openly and fully. This book did that. Lansens has written a heartbreaking story of loss and redemption with just enough love for the reader to grasp onto like a raft in turbulent water. The protagonist Addy Shadd draws you into her world and, as if you are a child like Sharla yourself, teaches you the value of forgiveness as well as "how to live simply and simply live."
Lansen...more
Lansen...more
For the first couple of chapters, I really didn't think I was going to like this book. But before long, I was drawn in and couldn't put it down. I liked how the book was told in alternating present/past chapters to give you a sense not just of who Addy Shadd was, but why. My one major complaiInt, however, was that multiple characters in the book fall in love with Addy from the moment they meet her, including her husband. I thought that there was a lot about Addy that could make a man fall in lov...more
This is a beautiful and touching novel set in and around Chatham Ontario, in a community where fugitive slaves from the US fled to Canada via the Underground Railway. The central characters are the elderly Adelaide Shadd, (Addy) whose hard life had been marked by undeserved rejection by her parents, hard work and the loss of her loved ones including a still born son and her young daughter; and five year old Sharla Cody, who was abandoned by her single mother and taken to stay with Addy. This is...more
A great read!!
From the dust jacket:
"This novel tells the life story of Adelaide Shadd, who was born in southwestern Ontario in the first decade of the 20th century in an all-black town settled by fugitive slaves. She's forced to flee her beloved Rusholme as a teenager but the place will call to her for the rest of her life. After a brief sojourn in Detroit, Addy settles in Chatham, where she finds love and home and family. Tragedy strikes, more than once, but Addy Shadd endures.
Now an old woman,...more
From the dust jacket:
"This novel tells the life story of Adelaide Shadd, who was born in southwestern Ontario in the first decade of the 20th century in an all-black town settled by fugitive slaves. She's forced to flee her beloved Rusholme as a teenager but the place will call to her for the rest of her life. After a brief sojourn in Detroit, Addy settles in Chatham, where she finds love and home and family. Tragedy strikes, more than once, but Addy Shadd endures.
Now an old woman,...more
"Rush Home Road" is the fictional story of Adelaide Shadd (Addy), a Negro woman who has lived a long, hard life. She was born in Rusholme (a town in Canada founded by former slaves)and this story takes her from Rusholme, out into the world, and back again. Addy's story is told in flashbacks, as she is an elderly woman close to dying and growing more "forgetful" each day. Addy has lived through a brutal rape, an unwanted pregnancy, the murder of several people close to her, abandonment, the death...more
After reading and enjoying The Girls by the same author, I was really looking forward to Rush Home Road. I didn't care for it as much as The Girls. I found the plot predictable and the characters too one-dimensional. However, the story kept my interest and I looked forward to reading it.
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 th...more
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 th...more
My friend Rachelle, who is a voracious reader and buyer of books, lent me this gem: Book #44 Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens. It was absolutely excellent.
The story is about a black woman growing up in southern Ontario (end of the Underground Railroad) and the trials of her life. This story is reflective in nature and perfectly intertwines the past and the present.
Rush Home Road was a national best seller here in Canada, and was of particular interest to me, as I'm quite close (within 45 minutes)...more
The story is about a black woman growing up in southern Ontario (end of the Underground Railroad) and the trials of her life. This story is reflective in nature and perfectly intertwines the past and the present.
Rush Home Road was a national best seller here in Canada, and was of particular interest to me, as I'm quite close (within 45 minutes)...more
This is my second time reading a Lori Lansens novel and I can not wait to get my hands on another. I was surprised at how different her writing was in comparison to The Girls, and could not even tell I was reading the same author.
Rush Home Road is about a 70-year old woman who takes in an abandoned little girl. The setting takes place in Ontario, and Canadian backdrops always tug at my heart strings. There was also a lot of history regarding the Underground Railroad, Africville, and the black c...more
Rush Home Road is about a 70-year old woman who takes in an abandoned little girl. The setting takes place in Ontario, and Canadian backdrops always tug at my heart strings. There was also a lot of history regarding the Underground Railroad, Africville, and the black c...more
I wanted to say Rush Home and Read but I see someone else beat me to it. At first I thought this was going to be a rip off of "To kill a mocking bird" but I was wrong. I absolutely loved this book, there are so many layers. A young girl abused, a struggle for survival, happiness, protection.
The story is told through the memories of 70 year old Addy who lives on a trailer park and is left to look after a little girl for the summer after she is abandoned by her abusive mother. Sharla Cody's mothe...more
The story is told through the memories of 70 year old Addy who lives on a trailer park and is left to look after a little girl for the summer after she is abandoned by her abusive mother. Sharla Cody's mothe...more
This is a stunning, wonderful read. I couldn't put it down. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking - superb!
Back Cover Blurb:
Adelaide Shadd was born in southwestern Ontario in the first decade of the 20th century in an all-black town settled by fugitive slaves. Forced to flee her beloved Rusholme as a teenager, the place will call to her for the rest of her life. Now an old woman, she lives a quiet existence in a trailer park not far from her birthplace, until her whole world is turned upsid...more
Back Cover Blurb:
Adelaide Shadd was born in southwestern Ontario in the first decade of the 20th century in an all-black town settled by fugitive slaves. Forced to flee her beloved Rusholme as a teenager, the place will call to her for the rest of her life. Now an old woman, she lives a quiet existence in a trailer park not far from her birthplace, until her whole world is turned upsid...more
This book was well-written and compelling. It is two stories: the story of Sharla, a neglected, unloved, abused mixed-race child during the 80s in a trailer park who comes to live with Addy and also the story of Addy as a girl and young black woman, growing up in the 20s and 30s in Rusholme, Canada, the final destination of the Underground Railroad. Rusholme is a community founded by former slaves, so when Addy finally leaves, she faces a different world. The book is beautifully written and love...more
I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book, but as I got into the story, I found that I kept wanting to read more. The two main characters, Addy and Sharla, although sad and downtrodden due to hard lives and bad luck, still seem to find hope, happiness, and love in their lives separately, and especially with each other. I enjoyed reading about a part of the continent and historical events that aren't normally written about, and it bears noting that the author did a fantastic job writing i...more
No-good mom dumps daughter (Sharla) with elderly black neighbor (Addy). Addy relives her life story - which has many tragedies. Both Sharla and Addy shine in the love that develops between them.
A testament of the Power of love to heal… despite all odds.
I love the way Addy stands up for Sharla against a mean-spirited teacher.
Some people have love, friendship and good fortune come easy, some have to work for it, and some never have it.
About forgiveness: If you don't forgive, you carry those bad...more
A testament of the Power of love to heal… despite all odds.
I love the way Addy stands up for Sharla against a mean-spirited teacher.
Some people have love, friendship and good fortune come easy, some have to work for it, and some never have it.
About forgiveness: If you don't forgive, you carry those bad...more
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A 5 year old mixed race girl is abandoned by her slutty, selfish mother in a trailer park near Windsor, Canada.
She is ostensibly left with Addy Shadd an old Black woman who has lived an amazing life.
Addy is wonderful...she is strong, understanding, warm, no-nonsense. This is the story of love, loss, regret, anger and forgiveness. The characters are charming and the writing style is comfortable.
As Addy,s mind wanders back to the past you get glimpses of how she came to be who she was. Her life wa...more
She is ostensibly left with Addy Shadd an old Black woman who has lived an amazing life.
Addy is wonderful...she is strong, understanding, warm, no-nonsense. This is the story of love, loss, regret, anger and forgiveness. The characters are charming and the writing style is comfortable.
As Addy,s mind wanders back to the past you get glimpses of how she came to be who she was. Her life wa...more
What started off as an interesting story turned into an Oprah-ish type novel where the characters faced EXTREME drama at every turn and are faced with unbelievably unrealistic coincidences. I thought that the book would cover an interesting topic of the Underground Railroad as part of the novel took place in Chatham, Ontario, but it did not. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it left me unfulfilled. I was surprised that the author didn't reunite her main character with her first love, altho...more
This was a book I couldn't put down :) I was surprised though the first few pages had pretty explicit language describing the young woman's thoughts, however throughout the book you come to realize that the author painted her personality from the get go by doing so. It only took me a day to get through this one because I found myself wanting to get to the next page to find out what was happening. You almost feel as though you are a part of the main character's life, and living through her triump...more
This wonderful experience (great book read by amazing narrator, Ruby Dee), was about Ady Shad, an African American woman set in the 1930's and the 1990's. Ady lived in the Great Lakes region of both the US and Canada. Her life was a series of horrid losses which did not extinguish her ability to find wonder and ecstatic pleasure in the people and situations she encountered and lived in. It is almost a fairy tale, almost an allegory, almost spiritual, almost totally realistic. It is totally absor...more
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Lori Lansens was born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, a small Canadian town with a remarkable history and a collection of eccentric characters, which became the setting for her first two bestselling novels. Living with her family in southern California now, she could not resist the pull of her fictitious 'Baldoon County' when she set out to write The Wife's Tale. She took the journey, along with...more
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“the only thing left to do is love”
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