“I couldn’t fix my life, but there were other lives I could fix.”
After finding out his ex-wife is getting remarried, Charles James decides he will still finish his walk along Route 66, but has no clue what to do when the walk is over. He decides not to decide until he arrives in California – whether to see her and his son, whether to announce to the world that he is still alive or even whether or not to return to work. In The Road Home, Charles James realizes the journey is what changes him, not the destination.
Richard Paul Evans is one of my favorite authors and The Road Home is his newest release. It is the final book in The Broken Road series. I have reviews of the first two books, The Broken Road and The Forgotten Road, posted on the blog. The first book was a good introduction to the character and the story, but the second book seemed more focused on what he saw on his walk along Route 66 than how he was thinking and changing during his journey. However, what currently exists along Route 66 is fascinating to read about.
In the last part of his walk, Charles James encounters a man trying to make a difference running a homeless shelter. After spending the night there and talking to some of the men, he starts to realize how much small things can make a huge difference for people. When he finishes his walk, he realizes that while he may have lost the chance to reconcile with his ex-wife, he can become a different person by helping the people he encountered on his walk. Finally, he is able to focus on others instead of his wealth and success. He will enjoy his journey and that will be enough. But, that is not how the book ends. (I can’t give any more away.)
I enjoyed The Road Home and thought it was a great way to end a story about redemption, love and being able to change. I read it in one afternoon (Mother’s Day) and was smiling at the end. Fans of Richard Paul Evans will enjoy how this trilogy ends. It is a good reminder that as long as we are breathing today, we have a chance to become the best version of ourselves and help those around us.
The series reminded me of what Mother Teresa said, “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in homes and in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”
How do you make a difference in your world? Share on the blog!