When the Road Ends

by Jean Thesman

Adam, Mary Jack, and Jane are foster children in the home of a minister, and Mary Jack is determined that they become "the absolutely perfect family." By the author of The Rain Catchers. Reprint.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Young Adult

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 1992

About the author

Jean Thesman was a widely read and award-winning American author known for her young adult fiction, with a career spanning over 25 years. Her novels often explored themes of family, identity, and belonging, frequently featuring heroines who find their place in the world by uncovering truths about their families and forming chosen connections. “I loved telling the story,” she once wrote, “because I really believed that families were made up of the people you wanted, not the people you were stuck with.”
Born with a passion for storytelling and literacy, she learned to read before starting school and recalled having to wait until she was six years old before being allowed her first library card. Throughout her career, she authored around 40 books, most under her own name but a few under the pseudonym T.J. Bradstreet.
Thesman published a wide range of novels for teens and middle-grade readers, including stand-alone works such as The Rain Catchers, Calling the Swan, and Cattail Moon, as well as series like The Whitney Cousins, The Birthday Girls, and The Elliott Cousins. Her lyrical style, emotional depth, and strong female characters earned her a loyal readership. Notable works like The Ornament Tree and In the House of the Queen’s Beasts remain particularly admired for their nuanced storytelling and emotional resonance.
She was a longtime resident of Washington state and an active member of The Authors Guild and the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Jean Thesman passed away in 2016 at the age of 86, leaving behind a significant legacy in young adult literature.

Reviews

[Andria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: death of a dog/puppies, implied child abuse, light language, threat of homelessness

This was a beautiful book, but it was slightly knocked off a star with the ending and the poor dogs. Gorgeous writing and I can certainly see how and why this won the Mark Twain Award. I highly recommend it! 4.5 ⭐

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this over and over as a kid, and it still comes to mind fairly often, twenty years later. I just found it in my garage and re-read it, and it’s really good. The characters are specific and believable, the emotions ring true, and Mary Jack is a complex and relatable narrator/protagonist.

[Jeannette holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When is the best because the girl was trying to get out of the festival home

[Jill Mulligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a kid and the 4 stars is for then. I saw this on my bookshelf and decided to reread it as an adult in between trips to the library. I can’t say it really held up as an adult read but I did enjoy rereading it and I see why the little girl who grew up to be a social worker loved it so as a kid.

[Peggy House · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I carry a character, setting, and plot with me long after bedtime, I know a story has struck a nerve in me. True to form, this one did...BIG TIME. After reading "about" the book, I ordered it from my local village library. They had to send away for it. By the time it came, I had forgotten I'd ordered it, and almost didn't read it, but am I glad I did. The voices were among the most authentic I've heard in middle-grade fiction. Kudos to Jean Thesman for a job well done.

[Collin Stauffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about 4 kids who were taken into foster care and Adam is determined to cause trouble, Jack is determined to smooths things over, jane is scared and hides under the bed, mary is the brave one of the bunch. Their goal is to escape the foster care but you need to read to find out what happens next.

[Ashley Szofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my childhood favorite book. I did a project in college where I had to read it again and it's sort of weird that it's my favorite book. It's kind of depressing. But it's a good children's book. I guess I always liked learning about different cultures...

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three troubled foster children and an old woman, all abandoned by their caretakers, team up to try to live together through the summer.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my childhood favorites that still happily lives at my house. The characters are so good, and the story is great and bittersweet.

[Katie Biermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book over three times and every time it has made me cry. It's a very touching story and I don't think I will ever stop reading it.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved this story and could always see myself acting like Mary Jack in her position

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in grade 3 or 4 and really loved it. THAT IS ALL.