I have read a number of Rochelle Alers’ books and always know I’m in for a detailed and complex book. This foray into historical fiction is well written and a powerful and emotional look at segregation, racism, civil rights, and relationships. It was odd not having the final chapters of the book included, so I look forward to finishing the story.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher, and the author, Rochelle Alers, for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of "Take the Long Way Home.” I was interested in this novel for it’s historical fiction value. “Take the Long Way Home” is a mix between historical fiction and romance. While Rochelle Alers is a prolific and well loved author this is my first exposure to her work. I appreciate the opportunity.

“Take the Long Way Home” is a valuable piece of historical fiction. The story begins with the main protagonist, Claudia Patterson, traveling home to visit after living the largest portion of her life in Italy as an Italian citizen, and takes us through several phases of her life. The sections of the book are titled after the four men who helped define Claudia's life.

Claudia was born in 1940 in the all-Negro town of Freedom, Mississippi, during a time when to be Black was to be unsafe due to racial tension and the violence forced on the Black community by Whites in general and and especially the KKK. Her family was unique in that her parents were the successful owners of a barber shop and beauty salon, and her maternal aunts have chosen unconventional lives, choosing not to marry. We are quickly brought back to the beginning of the story where Claudia and her grandmother save the life of a White teenager who grows up to be a leader in the KKK organization. Denny Clark has been beaten and left for dead by his father and Claudia’s grandmother nurses him back to health. Even though her life has been somewhat sheltered living an an all-negro town Claudia becomes unsafe because of the complexities brought on by her connection to a White boy.

Claudia leaves her rural community and goes to live with one of her aunts who is a teacher who teaches her multiple languages and takes her to visit the other aunt in France. Claudia goes to college, marries, and brings her husband home to Mississipi where he is killed due to his work as a civil rights attorney. Claudia then leaves the south and we follow her through her life as she makes her way to New York and then Italy. Opportunity presents itself due to the multiple languages taught her by her aunt.

At times the story is unrealistic but Claudia is a lovable character and Rochelle Alers does a good job of telling the story of her life while weaving in a variety of racial US history.

Take the Long Way Home



Claudia Patterson was born in Freedom, Mississippi in 1940. She lived a varied and interesting life, going to college, coming of age during the civil rights era, moving to Europe, becoming a successful Black businesswomen at a time when the race barrier, and the glass ceiling were both very much in place. Along the way, she gained the love of several quality men. In her later years, she reconnects with a love from long ago. Will she, or won’t she, have a new start with her old flame?

This is a good read spanning many miles and many years.

Take the long way home By Rochelle Alers.
Is such an interesting historical fiction novel that as the title suggests is about when life leads you back to where you are meant to be. Call it your destiny or fate.
The story starts with the main character Claudia Patterson born in 1940 in Freedom Mississippi (in the heart of the South). Where cornbread and grits are the foods loved by all, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was prevalent causing trouble between between the whites and blacks, it was the time of Martin Luther King, Vietnam war and John F Kennedy (JFK).
Claudia lived with her Father and Mother Earl and Sarah who owned a barber shop and beauty salon working while Claudia would stay with her Grandma Earline. She also had two Aunts Mavis who lived in Paris and Aunt Virge from Biloxi.
Claudia loved going to school and one day was walking home from school with her best friend when in 1952 they found a injured white boy named Denny Clarke. Claudia and her Grandmother helped him heal from his inflicted wounds from abused received. Only for Denny to later return the favour in a strange way.
At the age of 12 Claudia was sent to Paris where her Aunt taught her about art, culture and 3 languages italian, French and Spanish. This is where her life begins to change. At the age of 18, She meets a man much older than her who would later be her second husband. He was banned from seeing her because of her innocence.
Claudia returns to the states in 1958 to go to college to study business meets Robert Moore a college law student. They date, fall in love, and marry on her graduation day in 1962. Robert become a civil rights lawyer and activist. Claudia began working in the local bank. Unaware where her career would lead. They loved building a future together in a world that gave cruel treatment to black men and women of the South. They both tried to change this through their work. Unfortunately, Robert's life is shortened too soon. Claudia was devastated by this as well as a hatred of living in the South.
Claudia moves to New York, was again treated unfairly but persisted with her work. She then meets Ashley Booth in 1968, rekindling feelings in Claudia that were different to the relationship she had with Robert. Again Ashley changed her future.
In 1969 Claudia was offered a role in international banking. Leading her to Rome. Where after 10 years reunites with Giancarlo Fortenza. He was the man she met n Paris at the age of 18. He owned Fortenza Motors a family owned car designer and manufacturer. It was love at first sight for Giancarlo, for Claudia she needed to fall in love first before she could marry again.
This story spanned a lifetime full of surprises and changes that bought Claudia towards her long way home. I was given a copy to read by NetGalley for an honest review. I rate this book 5 out of 5. Absolutely loved the mix of culturesand historical events.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC, in exchange of honest review*

So many emotions are going through me at this moment: love, hate, fear, anger, hope. I only wish t had the complete ARC so that I know what happens next, how it will end for Claudia, and if it’s Giancarlo that she ends up with. Besides Robert, Giancarlo was my favorite of all the guys that Claudia ended up encountering and getting involved with. The last chapter that I read, the way that it ended, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next, especially since it said that there were few more chapters in the full version of the novel. Would Giancarlo be the one? Would the two of them have children? You can’t help but be curious about what is to come for Claudia. If I wasn’t busy packing for the move in July, I would spend all my day reading the book.

I loved that each part started at a different time and told a story about a particular guy she encountered that year. I loved that the story began when she was young. From the moment Denny Clark spoke to Claudia, I knew he was bad news, and I had a feeling that things would not end well for him. I wasn’t even surprised to find out what he had become. Denny Clark is not the character I liked, and I knew he wasn’t one that I would like even if I tried to. Ashley Booth was one of the characters I had mixed feelings about; there were times that I liked him, but then there were times that his actions made me wonder if he loved Claudia. The relationship between Ashley and Claudia, there was no connection there, not like she had with Robert and
Giancarlo. Even if she didn’t end up taking an overseas assignment, I don’t think that their relationship would last for much longer.

I felt as if I walked through history as I went along the journey with Claudia. I enjoyed how many different places she ended up in through the years. I loved how the descriptions were portrayed throughout the book, transporting me there. I read late into the night multiple times, one more chapter turning into five more. There were a few parts that felt that were dragging on a bit, but they usually didn’t last for long. I can’t wait to read the full version, which means I will be re-reading the book in the future.

I recommend this book to any historical fans; a must-read.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for early access of this wonderful publication.

The early release of this wonderful novel did not include 5 chapters. I can't wait for them to be revealed. This book was such a fresh take on lives in the 60s. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to rate this given that the ARC for "Take the Long Way Home" is unfinished. This was not advertised in any way when I requested/downloaded the book, so this was extremely disappointing.

I was 1/4 of the way through this book and I thought, "why bother"? There are too many good books out there to try and finish this lackluster novel. It was poorly written - not the least bit eloquent. I know this was an ARC but the mistakes throughout became very distracting.

Take the Long Way Home is an interesting story full of up and downs and untold emotions.
Young Claudia is learning what life is about and it’s rough for a black woman. Many of us take things fir granted whereas Claudia doesn’t have that luxury.
This is not a finished product so I can’t give a full insightful review but it is very worth the read.


Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #TaketheLongWayHome for this ARC.

"Take The Long Way Home, " by Rochelle Alers was a beautiful read. I hate it wasn't the completed copy, but I got the jest of the story. Ms. Alers is truly in my Top 3 List of authors and this story did not fail.

The character development was amazing and I'm a junkie for a historical journey. I craved to know more as the story progressed. Family dynamics is always amazing. I fell in love with Ms. Alers' work from the infamous Cole family.

This is a true journey of pain, heartbreak, love, and strength.
This read was educational and I will await to see if Claudia and Ashley make their love work. ❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Dafina Books for this amazing ARC in exchange and for my humble and honest opinion.

This book is about segregation in the South, the civil rights movement and its affect. Unfortunately, for myself and others who have read this ARC, it remains unfinished. There is nothing more to say and nothing more I wish to review about a book that leaves you "hanging." Why NetGalley decided to put this story out there with no ending is beyond comprehension.

I feel like I have lived through the civil rights movement of the 1960s all over again. Take The Long Way Home, by Rochelle Alers gives the reader a view of life in that era as seen through the eyes of strong black women from Mississippi. Claudia’s grandmother, mother, and aunts educate her in unusual ways. She becomes an expatriate living in Rome when she can no longer tolerate the bigotry in her own country. She finds she can be herself and find love there.
This is not an easy read. The violence of the times, harsh and foul language, and some fairly explicit sexual scenes are scattered through the book. It is a reminder of mistakes our society has made in the past and hopefully encourages us to view each person, no matter the color of their skin, as someone worthwhile.

This was a pretty intense book
It was emotional, heartbreaking, thought provoking and finally mesmerizing
I did like it a lot but there were a lot of slow moments that made the pacing off
3 Stars

I’m not exactly sure how to review an ARC book that did not give you the ending? I was not even aware of it until I got to the “to be continued … end of incomplete advance copy.” I was enjoying this well researched novel about black history in the US. It begins with Claudia finally returning to her roots in the South after 50 years away living as an Italian citizen talking about the four men that changed her life. I was very impressed with the amount of historical details incorporated but at times some of those details went on too long. I enjoyed the change to the European setting and thought each of the characters were very well developed. The story of Claudia revolves around the four men who impacted her life the most. I enjoyed this book but definitely would not have requested it as it is an unfinished ARC, which I wish I had known up front.

Claudia Patterson is the much-adored only child of two small business owners in an all-Black town in Mississippi. When heading to her grandmother's house after school one day, she and a friend take the long way home. This begins a sequence of events leading to a life that she could never have imagined, beginning when she and her friend find a white boy badly beaten and likely to die without immediate assistance.

The novel begins with a prologue where Claudia is an older woman, but then the novel returns to her childhood and the tale of the first of four men who had a significant impact on the course of her life. Because of some of Claudia's internal dialogue and her conversations with two old friends, we already know that she was married twice and that the second and fourth men will be her two husbands. We actually encounter the first and third men within the prologue.

I really liked the concept behind this book - a woman looking back on her life and four instrumental people within it - so that is why I requested an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. The novel spans approximately 60 years, so we are taken through a number of turbulent periods within recent American history in quick succession. We watch everything through Claudia's eyes and see how she is shaped into the woman we met in the prologue. I think my favorite character was Claudia's grandmother and I liked that Claudia refers back to her in various places in the novel.

There were a couple of issues with the book for me. First, it seemed like some of the parts were rushed, particularly the part with Ashley. I had anticipated them having a much longer relationship from the way she spoke about him and how they used to throw elaborate parties and were a power couple. I had thought they had any number of dinner parties, but we only learn about one and it seems like only one occurred. I do not know if that was a continuity error or not.

Second, this was an incomplete early version of the novel, and it cuts off abruptly in the middle of a conversation. So, it is impossible to tell if the author really brought the story back around like the title and premise lead the reader to expect. And although the notes at the beginning advise the reader to ignore typographical errors as they will be fixed prior to publishing, the large amount of such errors made it difficult to ignore. There were any number of sentences with extra words or missing words or repeated words. There is one place where you read a paragraph, read the next paragraph, and then encounter that first paragraph again. Still, the novel was appealing enough that I kept reading. I really hope that a strong copy editor went through the novel before publishing so that it does not have the same issues upon release.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Claudia Patterson was born in a small town in Mississippi, which had been founded by freed slaves. She was not exposed to white people in general, until she came upon a badly beaten white boy in the forest. She and her grandmother nursed him back to health, despite concerns about what might happen if the boy did not recover.

Fast forwarding to Claudia's education, travel, falling in love with her future husband, Robert, and the ongoing civil rights movement in the US and how it affected their lives.

This is a fascinating novel, and I found myself drawn into the story and the characters...and was crushed to find out that the book stops abruptly and that the last 5-8 chapters were not included. I am not sure what the purpose of this was, but I am not a fan and feel tricked because nowhere was it stated ahead of time that this was an incomplete book. I have no doubt that if I had been able to read the complete novel, I would have rated the book higher.

This book was a book to savor, not devour. I’m some ways Claudia reminded me of Anne Moody and in others of Maya Angelou. Her life has not been an easy life. It has been filled with pain and has been surrounded by hate. But, she has also been loved fiercely and she possesses a confidence and strength many only dream of having. The sections are titled after the men who helped define her life and the periods of her life. But Claudia is a woman who learns to live life on her own terms. She is a character that will live in the hearts of readers for decades. The only downside is the ARC I received from NetGalley is not complete. The last 5-6 chapters are not included, and now I have to wait until the book is published to find out more about Claudia’s life. Rest assured, I will buy the book to finish it once released!!

This was an eye-opening walk through history that most of us as white students were never taught. It was hard to read at times; why do people treat others differently because someone looks different on the outside! This book is a reminder that there is more history than needs to be studied than what we were handed in the classrooms. There is history still taking place that needs to stop.

The character development was really good. Each of the characters in the story jumped off of the page and had a voice. The descriptions of clothing, etc. got a little carried away but at the same time I was able to see the scenes more clearly because of that. The family dynamics were well written and made the characters easier to understand.

Since the history was the high point in this book, the sex scenes etc. detracted from the story. That's my personal opinion.

Overall, I found this book to be educational, a good read, and look forward to seeing what the final chapters have to say! Hoping that Ashley has become the man Claudia wanted him to be (I loved him at the beginning of the book).

An enthralling story about rising up during difficult times.
Claudia Fortenza is an African-American living during the 1950's .. an epic journey through living during these days, right into the Civil Rights Movement.
A story of love, pain, heartbreak and resilience.
4 men, each one of them will have a story to tell.
A historical novel mixed with romance you'll won't stop reading.
Special thanks to netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange of my honest opinion

A quarter of the way through this novel, I’m calling it quits. Yes, parts of it are well-written. And I did like the Romeo/Juliet type story that seemed to be developing. But then the book became decidedly message-oriented and very expository. And the number of typographical errors made it a difficult read. And it’s missing the last section of the book. All that being the case, I decided to stop, believing my time is better spent elsewhere. I will not be posting this review to any other site.