Most days it’s manageable. No more than a quiet wondering around the edges of her mind. What has become of the baby she left behind? Smiling through the pain and suffering in silence, Leslie Laudon marches forward. Embracing the life skillfully designed by her husband Paul. Living right could be penance for an impossible choice made with an uneasy heart. Dutiful and anchoring, Leslie poured … poured herself into her other children. Nurturing them through infancy, protecting them as toddlers, guiding them as teens. As her youngest child heads off to college with her suitcases and coordinating dorm room accessories, so goes Leslie’s identity. The chaotic life of a busy working mother threatens to become dangerously quiet. Quiet enough to hear the voices she’s tried to silence for decades.
Gwen Fox was adopted by two perfect people. Noel and Millie have always treated her the same as their two biological sons. Her parents love is strong and unwavering, yet a soul-deep ache still lingers. Plagued by an unnamed, hard to explain, longing Gwen could never shake. Riddled with doubt and dragged down by the undertow of unanswered questions, Leslie and Gwen both find their lives suddenly upended. One seeks the truth about the day she was born. The other seeks herself, the woman she was before motherhood. Before she made a choice to leave a piece of her heart lying asleep in the hospital nursery.
In this complex journey for answers, blame is abundant. Guilt is thick enough to choke on. Marriages are brought to the brink of disaster. As the ripples of the past vibrate through their lives, Gwen and Leslie realize there is no turning back. What they have put into motion cannot be stopped. The road toward the truth will be littered with casualties.
“You will not be disappointed if you take a journey around The Bend in Redwood Road. You will hang on every word wondering if resolution will be possible” Michele, 5 stars
“Stewart has a knack for creating rich, complicated characters. One standout is Leslie’s daughter, Kerry, who is defiantly vocal about the issues within her family and laudably supportive of her mother. The author treads carefully around the subject of adoption, respectfully noting systematic issues while preserving the emotional complexities of Gwen’s experience. Another intriguing feature is the romantic subplot” – Kirkus Reviews
more
I really loved this book. Though I wasn’t adopted I did live with my aunt and uncle. They were very good to me and my siblings even though they had 2 of there own still living at home. Foster kids and blended families can be tricky. This book to a difficult situation and made it okay, being up front and honest is always a good policy. Very realistic. I loved it.
I did not enjoy this book
Wonderful plot and characters
I haven’t finished it yet . . . hope to today. But it is a very engaging read and brings up topics and ideas relating to adoption that I had never considered.
What a wonderful story with many layers about making hard decisions that can affect lives forever.
Danielle Stewart’s “The Bend in Redwood Road” Centers Around the Secret of an Unusual Adoption. I enjoyed interviewing the author on Charlotte Readers Podcast.
The Bend in Redwood Road by Danielle Stewart is the first book in the Missing Pieces series. Gwen Fox was adopted by two loving people and had the idyllic childhood that most people only dream of and yet there’s a deep ache and soul longing she tried to ignore. Some days were manageable but the wondering of what became of the baby she left behind hangs on the edges of her mind. Smiling through her pain and suffered in silence, Leslie Laudon marched forward, living the life so skillfully designed by her husband, Paul. She was the life as a dutiful wife and mother, she did everything for her husband and her children. But as her youngest daughter gets ready to head off to college and Leslie faces an empty nest, thoughts of her other child become more and more prominent. Riddled with doubt and waves of unanswered questions, Gwen and Leslie start a complex journey for answers, redemption and an identity. Gwen seeks the truth about the day she was born and Leslie seeks an identity, the woman she was before she was a wife and mother. As they begin down the road of no return, can they navigate the blame, the guilt? Are they prepared for the answers to their questions?
The Bend in Redwood Road is a story about family: the one of genetics and the one of memories and love. Gwen is a great character caught between two worlds: the family she has grown up with and loved and the family she doesn’t know. She feels guilty seeking answers about her birth family. She feels she’s betraying the parents who lovingly raised her and possibly regretting the answers she finds when she seeks answers through her genetics. Leslie is a woman who made an impossible choice, one she questioned every day since she left her baby behind at the hospital. These two women are surrounded by great supporting characters and one not-so-great husband. My only complaint is that it seemed to drag out the climax and then rush to a resolution. The resolution is emotional and the answers to Gwen’s questions are gasp worthy revelations. I teared up at the end as these women realize they need to confront the past in order to move forward. There were moments of humor and heartfelt words of wisdom. A couple quotes I liked that I highlighted to write down when I finished. I highly recommend The Bend in Redwood Road. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
The Bend in Redwood Road is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook.
Love this author. Another great series!
Will be reading all the books in this series!
I loved this book. I loved it so much, I bought book 2 in the series. The story is compellling and it’s a well written book
A fun read with a few twists to keep it interesting.
enjoyable read
Good characters just a bit fluffy
I’m not crazy about cliffhangers
I loved it!