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Ride Away Home
It has been two years since Hope - Jack and Jenna Tanner's bright and beautiful only child - walked out of her off-campus apartment at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and vanished into the night. Since then, Jenna's grief has led to a mental breakdown and she is in a psychiatric hospital. Jack has been unable to conentrate on business and has lost his job as a tax attorney. Meanwhile, Slater Babcock, Hope's college boyfriend, and the only susctin her disappearance, is enjoying the decadent life of a rich man's spoiled son in Key West, Florida. The police have no solid evidence of Slater's guilt, but Jack is convinced that Slater is responsible.
Jack has never been the adventurous type. But he decides he must confront Slater and somehow get him to reveal what happened to Hope. To do this, he knows he needs to become a man of decisive action. So he buys a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle and sets out o a 1,900-mile journey to the southern-most tip of the country, to Land's End Key West.
Along the way, JAck encounters a series of characters unlike any he's ever met, including Hannah, the young street hustler; the Devil's Disciples, certainly the most unlikely sort of motorcycle gang there ever was; a psychopathic 200-pound suvivalist nicknamed Big Foot; and, in Key West, a man who looks and behaves like Ernest Hemingway, and who may or may not actually believe that he is the great writer.
Ride alog with Jack Tanner on his personal journey of heartbreak, self-discovery, and ultimate redemption.
Jack has never been the adventurous type. But he decides he must confront Slater and somehow get him to reveal what happened to Hope. To do this, he knows he needs to become a man of decisive action. So he buys a Harley-Davidson Road King motorcycle and sets out o a 1,900-mile journey to the southern-most tip of the country, to Land's End Key West.
Along the way, JAck encounters a series of characters unlike any he's ever met, including Hannah, the young street hustler; the Devil's Disciples, certainly the most unlikely sort of motorcycle gang there ever was; a psychopathic 200-pound suvivalist nicknamed Big Foot; and, in Key West, a man who looks and behaves like Ernest Hemingway, and who may or may not actually believe that he is the great writer.
Ride alog with Jack Tanner on his personal journey of heartbreak, self-discovery, and ultimate redemption.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
271 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 23, 2014
Ride Away Home, by William Wells, is the story of a 52 yr old tax attorney Jack Tanner experiencing a mid-life crisis brought on by a family tragedy.
Over a year ago, Jack's daughter Hope disappeared without a trace from her apartment at the University of Wisconsin. Hope's boyfriend Slater was questioned by police and released yet Jack is convinced he killed her. Being obsessed with Slater, Jack learns he has moved to Florida and thus begins Jacks adventure of a lifetime.
Unable to deal with the disappearance of her daughter, Jenna, Jack's wife, agrees to check into a psychiatric hospital and Jack buys a motorcycle.
Jacks journey to Florida is at times heart-breaking yet admirable and inspiring. He meets an extraordinary cast of characters along the way while facing some distressing circumstances yet it's the kindness of strangers that help him to carry on.
A captivating story dealing with devotion to family and the wonders of humanity.
Over a year ago, Jack's daughter Hope disappeared without a trace from her apartment at the University of Wisconsin. Hope's boyfriend Slater was questioned by police and released yet Jack is convinced he killed her. Being obsessed with Slater, Jack learns he has moved to Florida and thus begins Jacks adventure of a lifetime.
Unable to deal with the disappearance of her daughter, Jenna, Jack's wife, agrees to check into a psychiatric hospital and Jack buys a motorcycle.
Jacks journey to Florida is at times heart-breaking yet admirable and inspiring. He meets an extraordinary cast of characters along the way while facing some distressing circumstances yet it's the kindness of strangers that help him to carry on.
A captivating story dealing with devotion to family and the wonders of humanity.
August 10, 2014
The book started out so real, I had to double check if it was fiction.
I became interested in the book after seeing two key words: Madison and Motorcycle! Both have been a part of my life for over 25 years. This book is about courage, grief and the struggle to overcome the worst tragedy that you can imagine. Jack and Jenna’s daughter, Hope, disappears from her apartment at U of W at Madison. Hope receives a phone call, leaves the apartment and is never heard from again. Jenna becomes fragile, unable to deal with the disappearance of her daughter. Jenna agrees to check into the Sanctuary, so very far from their Minnesota home in Virginia. Jack, a partner in a law firm is unable to maintain even the minimum needed to continue his place as a partner, so he is terminated. Jack is fully convinced that Hope’s college boyfriend, Slater, has kidnapped her and most likely killed her. Jack has become obsessed with Slater and through a private investigator learns he is in Florida. Thus begins the greatest adventure in Jacks life.
Jack is used to going big, and it is no different when he decides to purchase a Road King by Harley Davidson. A few safety lessons, and several thousand dollars later, Jack leaves Minnesota to start his trek. He stops in Madison to learn what he can and to meet with the Police Deceive in charge of Hopes case. He continues down to Virginal, to spend some time with Jenna and then finally, down to Florida to confront Slater. However, it is anything but a smooth trip. He faces theft, attempted blackmail, accidents, bullies, new friendship, loyalty and the horrific loss of a newly acquired friend. He lives an entire life in a few short weeks.
This book kept me captivated. It followed along at a smooth pace, with little deviation from the time line. The devotion to family and friends that is executed in this book is incredible. It shows the wonderful humanity that helps Jack deal with ongoing horrors. It helps us to remember to not give up. You may not always find what you were looking for, but what you find can be the stepping stones to a new life. Take the time, read the book. You will not be sorry.
I received this book in exchange for a review.
I became interested in the book after seeing two key words: Madison and Motorcycle! Both have been a part of my life for over 25 years. This book is about courage, grief and the struggle to overcome the worst tragedy that you can imagine. Jack and Jenna’s daughter, Hope, disappears from her apartment at U of W at Madison. Hope receives a phone call, leaves the apartment and is never heard from again. Jenna becomes fragile, unable to deal with the disappearance of her daughter. Jenna agrees to check into the Sanctuary, so very far from their Minnesota home in Virginia. Jack, a partner in a law firm is unable to maintain even the minimum needed to continue his place as a partner, so he is terminated. Jack is fully convinced that Hope’s college boyfriend, Slater, has kidnapped her and most likely killed her. Jack has become obsessed with Slater and through a private investigator learns he is in Florida. Thus begins the greatest adventure in Jacks life.
Jack is used to going big, and it is no different when he decides to purchase a Road King by Harley Davidson. A few safety lessons, and several thousand dollars later, Jack leaves Minnesota to start his trek. He stops in Madison to learn what he can and to meet with the Police Deceive in charge of Hopes case. He continues down to Virginal, to spend some time with Jenna and then finally, down to Florida to confront Slater. However, it is anything but a smooth trip. He faces theft, attempted blackmail, accidents, bullies, new friendship, loyalty and the horrific loss of a newly acquired friend. He lives an entire life in a few short weeks.
This book kept me captivated. It followed along at a smooth pace, with little deviation from the time line. The devotion to family and friends that is executed in this book is incredible. It shows the wonderful humanity that helps Jack deal with ongoing horrors. It helps us to remember to not give up. You may not always find what you were looking for, but what you find can be the stepping stones to a new life. Take the time, read the book. You will not be sorry.
I received this book in exchange for a review.
September 20, 2019
Very solid. Perfect for a rainy afternoon when you'd like nothing better than to let your mind wander. I have to admit, it got a little odd close to the end, but the overall resolution was something I walked away from with a total catharsis. I'm excited to see what William Wells comes up with next.
December 31, 2025
Very well written book. Was not what I expected for a storyline. Enjoyed the character Edward very much. We all need someone like him in our live to bring a little come to Jesus realization to what we are really looking for and will to do. I recommend this quick read.
July 16, 2014
This easy-rider is a fifty-two-year-old tax attorney, and this mid-life crisis is triggered by tragedy. The Harley roars, and the open road beckons, with tire-tracks of revenge and slivers of hope. Jack Tanner leaves everything behind for his looming mission on the Florida Keys. Winter’s weather gives way to warmth and spring. Winter’s anger is tempered by the kindness of strangers. And not every cop is out to get the biker, nor every friendly face to give him aid.
Author William Wells creates a very believable voice for his protagonist, muting his pain, hiding his hurts until the journey’s freedom gives him speech. Scenes come to vivid life, from Broadway Minneapolis, to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, to beaches and bars. Meanwhile a great cast of characters drift in and out of Jack’s life—the cop investigating the family’s loss, the stranger needing a ride, the biker dudes...
Surprises abound, but every step’s believable on a journey that covers physical and mental space, proving the truth that sometimes it’s really not the destination that counts. Jack’s quest to change his future has its roots in a changeless past, and grows into something more than either he or the reader might expect. There is kindness as well as cruelty in strangers. There is accident as well as evil design. And there is hope.
Crossing “fields and woodlands where so many young men fell,” keeping to the right side of the truck-stop café, showing up because anything less than showing up is meaningless, and following the journey of a grieving father, readers will learn as Jack does that, “sometimes, to get home, you have to ride away from home.”
Ride Away Home is a short, haunting novel; yet it's as huge as the country it crosses, wide as the ocean of pain, and clear as sunshine breaking through rain. It takes the deepest hurt and renders it human, manageable, agonizing but safe. It’s a book to treasure and a journey to remember.
Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy by the publisher and I offer my honest review.
Author William Wells creates a very believable voice for his protagonist, muting his pain, hiding his hurts until the journey’s freedom gives him speech. Scenes come to vivid life, from Broadway Minneapolis, to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, to beaches and bars. Meanwhile a great cast of characters drift in and out of Jack’s life—the cop investigating the family’s loss, the stranger needing a ride, the biker dudes...
Surprises abound, but every step’s believable on a journey that covers physical and mental space, proving the truth that sometimes it’s really not the destination that counts. Jack’s quest to change his future has its roots in a changeless past, and grows into something more than either he or the reader might expect. There is kindness as well as cruelty in strangers. There is accident as well as evil design. And there is hope.
Crossing “fields and woodlands where so many young men fell,” keeping to the right side of the truck-stop café, showing up because anything less than showing up is meaningless, and following the journey of a grieving father, readers will learn as Jack does that, “sometimes, to get home, you have to ride away from home.”
Ride Away Home is a short, haunting novel; yet it's as huge as the country it crosses, wide as the ocean of pain, and clear as sunshine breaking through rain. It takes the deepest hurt and renders it human, manageable, agonizing but safe. It’s a book to treasure and a journey to remember.
Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy by the publisher and I offer my honest review.
January 28, 2015
Ride Away Home takes it cues from great stories about travelers who take on a trip of enormous importance. Jack Tanner is on a journey that will in no way align with the journeys he has taken with his wife and daughter in the past. At the outset, his daughter has been missing for over a year and is presumed dead. His wife is a 1000 miles away in a recovery program over the grief of their loss.
He is tracking down an ex-boyfriend who has moved to Key West about the time of the disappearance of the daughter. Jack wants answers and believes the boyfriend knows the answer (and is likely the killer).
With the purchase of a Harley – Davidson motorcycle, Jack begins the narration of his journey.
Perhaps authors are drawn to stories about long journeys because it’s easy to introduce characters and not have to develop those characters. Jack meets plenty of characters, including a female 20’s something motorcycle thief. Much more interesting is his meeting a motorcycle gang that turns out to be guys with professional careers heading to a motorcycle rally. There’s also a tender meeting with his wife in a care facility that suggests they will be together in the future.
The most interesting character – an Ernest Hemingway wanna’be – comes at the end of the novel in Key West. This takes the novel over the top in plot twists while at the same time it gives Jack the advice he needs.
Maybe there’s a new genre in the making with this novel -- fiction for guys experiencing the pressures of late career and family. The story-line and some of the dialogue is typical of a first novel. At the same time, I hope William Wells writes again about the transitions in a man’s life.
He is tracking down an ex-boyfriend who has moved to Key West about the time of the disappearance of the daughter. Jack wants answers and believes the boyfriend knows the answer (and is likely the killer).
With the purchase of a Harley – Davidson motorcycle, Jack begins the narration of his journey.
Perhaps authors are drawn to stories about long journeys because it’s easy to introduce characters and not have to develop those characters. Jack meets plenty of characters, including a female 20’s something motorcycle thief. Much more interesting is his meeting a motorcycle gang that turns out to be guys with professional careers heading to a motorcycle rally. There’s also a tender meeting with his wife in a care facility that suggests they will be together in the future.
The most interesting character – an Ernest Hemingway wanna’be – comes at the end of the novel in Key West. This takes the novel over the top in plot twists while at the same time it gives Jack the advice he needs.
Maybe there’s a new genre in the making with this novel -- fiction for guys experiencing the pressures of late career and family. The story-line and some of the dialogue is typical of a first novel. At the same time, I hope William Wells writes again about the transitions in a man’s life.
January 15, 2015
Wow! I cannot believe people liked this book! It was so boring and unrealistic. I felt like the way that Jack interacted with the "colorful" characters on his trip was not at all the way a buttoned-up 52 year old tax attorney would act. Some pretty horrible things happen to him on his journey, but his reaction to each situation was essentially, "Oh, well!" There were four major awful events that any normal person would have a reaction to, but he just moved on without another thought. Those four things could have been really interesting, but his lack of interest was what made the story so boring. It seemed to me that the author had a notebook with a bunch of characters that he wanted to write about, but he couldn't figure out how to fit them all into one book, so he just made this book a road trip where the main character meets these people along the way. The writing felt sloppy and was overly descriptive about the appearances of the people with whom Jack interacted. The only reason I finished the book was because it was for my book club; otherwise I would have abandoned it after the first few chapters.
August 7, 2014
I received this book as an ebook free from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. Ride Away Home is about the journey of a grieving father looking to resolve the disappearance without a trace of his only child two years previously from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Wisconsin. This is a very well written book. It made me think a lot about whether a grieving person should let grief and loss turn into anger against the responsible person and whether it really is a resolution. The locations were all very familiar to me as I live in the Midwest and am very familiar with the areas from Minneapolis and I-94 through Madison and onward. I am also familiar with Key West and really liked the way the author referred to Sloppy Joes, Hemingway, and several other familiar areas in Key West when telling the story. I really enjoyed this book.
August 10, 2014
Short and sweet....did I say sweet about a "motorcycle" book? I did and it was. Full of interesting characters and places but also a hard-scrabble look at finding out who we really are in the most dire circumstances and what makes us so. Great first novel and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
The only criticism I offer is that there are time inconsistencies in the book and that a killer does not get executed within two years of a murder so again the time frame is off.
* I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program and I am awfully glad I did!*
The only criticism I offer is that there are time inconsistencies in the book and that a killer does not get executed within two years of a murder so again the time frame is off.
* I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program and I am awfully glad I did!*
August 10, 2014
I received this ebook free...wasn't quite sure about it at first but after his motorcycle was stolen, the story with it's characters and events that took place, it was more enjoyable. Enjoyed the ending when they found their new house with the view of the oak tree and squirrels from the guest/daughter's room...Hope will always be in their hearts!
August 6, 2016
This is an intelligent allegory on whether grief should turn into anger and be the reason for targeting the man thought responsible. It's an impressive first novel.
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April 3, 2015
3 1/2 stars. very macho guy road trip/midlife crisis/thriller book complete with tons of colorful characters one might find on a road trip from the Midwest to Key West-- biker gangs, teenage shysters etc. also lots of drinking, eating and contemplating the future.
August 20, 2014
Enjoyed this book, not only does it take place in the midwest but there is something happening at every turn.
I received this book free through "Goodreads First Reads".
I received this book free through "Goodreads First Reads".
November 4, 2014
It was a good enough read and probably more stars if you are into motorcycles. Great road trip story.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews