All Roads Lead Me Back to You

by Kennedy Foster

An unlikely romance between a Washington rancher and an illegal Mexican immigrant whom she rescues one snowy night.

When a saddled horse shows up riderless at Alice Anderson’s snowed-in ranch, she knows someone’s in danger—no one could survive long in the bitter Washington cold. Bundled up atop her best horse, Alice sets out to find the rider, preparing herself for the worst. But when Alice comes across a hunched figure in a snow bank and brings the man back to Standfast, she realizes she wasn’t prepared for Domingo Rolodan. The Mexican raquero is on the run from immigration services—and harboring a deep secret. He and Alice slowly develop an abiding friendship that gradually blossoms into romance. Now, facing threats that include deportation, cultural misunderstandings, and the looming presence of a drug addict with claim to the ranch, can Alice and Domingo find a way to hold firm to their new love?

Through her warm and engaging prose Foster skillfully brings to life the pastoral landscape of Washington state, transporting readers into her breathtaking world.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Westerns

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2009

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The book for me was sometimes hard to follow and one of those rare occasion when I thought to myself that maybe it would have been better if I read it in Swedish. Although I did quite enjoy the story overall but took some time getting used to

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

You don't have to have lived in the Palouse Country or loved a cowboy to love this book. Kennedy Foster has an ear for language and an eye for tenderness and beauty. One of the most fascinating points of authorial craft is Foster's clever way of presenting dialog during the developing relationship between the rural rancher heroine, who speaks a little Spanish, and the Mexican vaquero, who speaks a little English. Read it for no other reason and you'll be glad you did. Beyond that, her unusual use of descriptive language to convey the complex environment of the story's setting is a joy in and of itself. Great summer read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish the book. I thought it rambled. If the illegal immigrant had not been a part of the story it could be about a strong woman, determined to rescue the farm.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, and for a second there I thought it was going to make it to 5 stars. Maybe it will after some rumination. I was surprised by how much I liked this book, and I read it pretty compulsively from start to finish. I was drawn in by the premise: a rancher woman who falls for an illegal immigrant she rescues. I thought more of the conflict would revolve around that, but surprisingly it mostly doesn't. It's there of course, but much like everything else in this tale it's treated in a super subtle, this-is-just-everyday life sort of way. We get to learn a lot about Alice and Domingo, the main characters, as the story progresses, but the author weaves in a bit of story about a bunch of other characters too: Alice's sister and family, a couple of neighbors, heck even the dogs seem like old friends by then end. Quite an accomplishment to pull off without losing focus on the story. The slow burn on the development of Alice and Domingo's relationship is simply delicious; it's not fireworks but rather a smoking, crackling log suddenly bursting into flame.

The writing style in this book is unique and takes a bit of getting used to. A basic familiarity with ranching / farming and Spanish is definitely helpful, but I think city dwellers and suburbanites can muddle through as well. The style is poetic and doesn't describe everything, sometimes jumps focus in the middle of a line of dialogue. I really liked it; I haven't seen much other writing like it and it made it feel more immediate somehow.

My main critique, and why it's not quite 5 stars off the bat, is that I wish there was just a little bit more interpersonal conflict for Alice & Domingo to face. I liked these two so much, and the one fight they *did* have, rather late in the book, made me catch my breath with the tension it brought (in a good way!). I felt they really grew after that and wished for a little more.

Also, there are two main sources of outside conflict coming from two different characters; one of them is realistic and menacing, one of them is silly and could be easily removed from the story with no loss - and I had to deduct points for that one.

However, I loved this story so much nonetheless. I immediately want to read more by this author. I hope there's something out there for me to dive into.

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t like the writing style. Sometimes sentences or sentence fragments seemed to be stuck before or at the end of an unrelated paragraph. I thought the dialog was clunky and I don’t think it was only related to ranch speak. The people in my book group liked this book better than I did.

[Andrew Queisser · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife made me read this and she was right - I liked it a lot. Romance and mystery but also a thoughtful treatment of immigrant issues. I'll suggest it for my at-work bookclub.

[Rhonda Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Interesting dialogue technique and lots of bi-lingual conversations, mixed in with Scottish-English. Made for rich read along with great characters and story. I am from that area of Washington state, so like going home.

[Deon · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Roads Lead Me Back To You is set in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Washington. Wild, open country with miles between neighbors, it possesses a lonely, quiet beauty. Alice Andison lives alone with her dogs and critters on the ranch she grew up on, her roots in that hard, lonely soil are deep. During a snow storm, the ranch is cut off from everyone, town miles away over snowed in roads. Her dogs alert Alice to an intruder, a rider-less horse. In that brutal weather Alice doesn’t think the chances are good that she will find the rider, even lower that the rider is still alive. Still she feels bound to go out into the teeth of the storm and search, just in case someone is injured and alone. Domingo Rogue is fortunate Alice had such a strong feeling for what is right, or surely he would have frozen to death. He is in rough condition. Alice brings the injured man back to her ranch and helps him thaw out. He starts to do chores around the place, repaying her kindness. There is a cultural chasm between the two characters roughly the size of the Grand Canyon. It is here the book picks up some real weight, in the interplay between two cultures with different belief systems and different chances in life. Domingo is at first suspicious of Alice, while he is grateful to her for saving his life, he has learned not to trust. He fears the immigration officers and a quick trip back across the border stripped of his beloved horse. Alice has stayed within the law; she has avoided employing illegal aliens and is not all that familiar with the tensions their lives hold. Running a ranch is brutal hard-work. Alice has been doing it on her own too long and it is taking a toll. She is saddled with a shiftless partner, Jerry Graeme, who provides the story with an evil villain. No help is forthcoming from him. Domingo’s help lifts a large burden from Alice’s shoulders; he is capable, kind to the stock, and hardworking. Hiring him as a ranch hand would make her life so much easier. Alice’s sister Janet teaches in the nearby town, she knows some of the pitfalls that could ensnare the employer of a Hispanic man lacking a legitimate green card. The interplay between the two characters as they form a friendship and begin to understand the challenges each faces, is priceless. The story lives here, in these two very different lives that are drawn together by chance, develop a friendship and cross that deep canyon to reach an understanding of what is important. Of course there is also the back story they bring. Alice’s nemesis is her evil partner; Domingo has some secrets of his own. Here are characters that feel real, they make the reader care what happens to them. The book is a pleasure to read, the northwestern setting familiar, and it got me to thinking about current issues in a new way simply by reading their enjoyable story.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A so-so love story about a rancher who falls in love with a ranch hand who is an illegal immigrant. There were too many tradgedies and incidents for the main character to make this story believable, and I fell like I need "The Dictionary for Ranchers, vol. 4" by my side to fully understand some of the more technical aspects of ranching. It just went on too long and I found myself bored with this story.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Roads Lead Me Back to You is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. The love between Alice and Domingo is so warm, tangible, and real, I literally cheered when they finally came together. (Yay!) Foster is a brilliant story teller who makes you feel part of this family of delightful people. I finished it last night and couldn't go to sleep I was so happy and sad it was over!

[Mary Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book.... modern day ranching in Washington state, an unusual heroine and a wonderful Mexican cowboy. I've made it sounds fluffy but it isn't at all. It is a moving story of respect for people who come unexpectedly into our lives, for ranch stock and the world around us. I can hardly wait for her next book to come out.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely written book with the exception of too many undefined horse and ranch terms. There are beautiful descriptions of the lovely Palouse region of Washington and Idaho. The book is timely in the sense of showing respect for undocumented immigrants and the need for reform to create a path to citizenship. Good story and great summer read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice easy story to read. Not deep on plot or theme, yet relaxing. Lots of good horse stuff weaved within the story which I enjoyed. I liked it. Also good insight into Mexican culture and thinking.

[Yvette Ward-Horner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well done -- an original idea thoughtfully explored. The characters are vivid and interesting; I might even say unique. Some of the scenes are beautifully written. One of my favorite aspects was the switching back and forth between spanish and english. Well worth a read.

[Beckysue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't like the swearing, but loved the characters. A lot of food for thought, too.

[Rose Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Highly recommended. If you loved "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" then pick this up, you will be rewarded.

[Joelle Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the writing sometimes confusing, but the story amazing and exciting and not what you will expect. Definitely worth reading.

[Jen Reardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about a woman rancher and a Mexican she finds during a snowstorm.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read, full of information about horses, so I learned a few new tidbits. A romance that is allowed to build and a dash of immigration.

[Vicky Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really good tv book

[D. B.]

Kennedy Foster knows how to string a sentence together and creates a vivid sense of place, but for me, it ended up a little too vivid. In the first 50 pages, too much horse-ranching talk and untranslated Spanish left me confused and a little alienated, since none of it was dumbed down for a non-rancher, non-Spanish-fluent reader.

I don't find anything wrong with a book that demands a reader just go along with its well-realized world, but in the case of All Roads Lead Me Back to You, the alienation was the insult that went along with a bigger injury: by page 50, I didn't care about any of the characters enough to power through what I didn't understand.

Note: I don't give star ratings for partial reads.