Nobody wants to get to the heart of this town: THE LONG WAY BACK.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

Charlie and Eva hit unexpected Instagram fame with a photo of teenage Eva by a waterfall. Their newfound fame allows them to hit the road for over two years in their Airstream trailer, spending all their time together. But now they are back in Charlie's Minnesota hometown, where Eva is attending her senior year of high school. Charlie dreams of one last trip before Eva heads off to college, but Eva is ready for stability. Then everything changes when Eva disappears while the two are boating. Suddenly, it seems their Instagram fans and the police suspect Charlie of hurting her own daughter...

This was a great read--beautifully written, suspenseful, and a total page-turner! Baart does a wonderful job exploring motherhood and parenthood alongside the mystery of what happened to Eva. Charlie struggles with returning home--she's famous not only for her Instagram and traveling with Eva, but for being the daughter of the town drunk in small town. She holds so much baggage from her past and clings to the idea that traveling on the road with Eva will keep her close and prevent her from having secrets.

But, wow, secrets abound in LONG! There are some amazing twists in this book! While so much of the story focuses on the potential benefits and dangers of social media (are you exposing your child while traveling around, or putting your adventures on social media, or giving her memorable adventures that she couldn't find elsewhere), there are other dark turns too--and it's best to go in blind.

Told from both Charlie and Eva's point of view, THE LONG WAY BACK shows a mother struggling to let her daughter go and a daughter itching to be set free. It delves deeply into familial relationships of all types and the power of social media in our divisive world. It keeps you reading with its immersive tale and beautiful prose. It presents a fascinating mystery along with a thoughtful story. 4.25 stars (rounded up).

I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE LONG WAY BACK on 6/13/2023!!


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