Reviews For Long Road Back
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Reviewer: Marzee Doats Signed [Report This]
Date: 30 Jan 2014 11:01:59 PM Title: Part 1

What an interesting start, Penny!

I have to say, you really drew me in with little Gray's story, and how much he enjoyed accompanying his mother to her rehearsal for the (I presume) Christmas program at church.  I actually kind of adore little Gray.  :-)  And his collection of toy soldiers, especially in these 2 lines:

 

Quote: He would imagine himself leading whole squadrons across enemy lines, or taking a group on a wagon train across the country to some unclaimed land (because the toy soldiers didn't always have to be in a war)

and

Quote: Every week, between those things, while he'd plan safaris and military occupations of the high lands above the cross etched into the back of the bench, some kind of change would come over his mother. 

 

Then how poignant that Gray is lost in the snow, trying so hard to not follow those voices that remind him so much of his mother and this period of time in her life when she got to explore her creative side, step out a little, be more than a housewife and caregiver.  I do hope Gray survives! (Bet you never thought you'd see me write that!)

 

The switch to Jimmy (and Hawkins) was interesting.... is Gray close enough to Jericho that they will be able to assist?  Have they missed him yet?  How close is that fake coffee to the real thing?  And will the Taylor and Hawkins kids get the tree they want? (And will Bill PLEASE keep that toe under wraps!)

And then you plunged me back into poignance, as I contemplated the Taylor siblings and their very real issues around an (apparently) changing family dynamic.  Brother Steven can't make it?  Where's Dad -- dead or MIA after a divorce?  

Needless to say, my interest is piqued.  I can't wait to find out how this all relates!




Author's Response:

Thank you Marzee!

This was my first ever real serious look at Gray (or real attempt at looking from Gray's point of view) so I'm glad my window in also worked for you. I hope he survives too. It's been a neat process of trying to figure him out and get to know him.

I also really like exploring characters with different family dynamics and I always thought Jimmy, who is almost always presented as comic relief or sturdy backup, really has an interesting role in his social circle and in the little bits of information we have about him. And the mystery of the characters whose family life or origin story we never really saw continues to intrigue me (especially given the fact so many of them seem to be without family members in town at the time of the bombs). So I enjoyed both revisiting Hawkins and Jimmy's relationship and through them, their families' sort of chosen extended family dynamic as well as looking back at where Jimmy might have come from. 

Thanks for reading!

 

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