this was a well written story.

this story was a lot more than i expected it to be and have for such a short story.

it had a lot of growth in different areas and trying to figure out things: life, love, surviving and living. moving on and letting go with and without forgetting.
trying to learn to live again and learning what that means.

it was a well written story that i think is worth a read!

Although it was well written and I enjoyed it, there was something missing in this story for me.


Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Jess once had a happy marriage, a son she doted on and another child on the way and a fulfilling career. But life took an unfortunate turn and for over the last four years she has been living the van life. Hers is a lonely journey with much hardship and no destination in sight, living in the present with only others whom she meets along the way as her community, each person with their own reasons to choose their way of life. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her son finds her in Arizona. The Scenic Route by Christina Baker Kline is a well-written, emotional read that revolves around themes of motherhood, loss, family, community and second chances. I enjoyed this short story and the descriptions of van life. Though there is lot to unpack in this short read, the length of the story does not allow for a deeper exploration of the characters and their relationships, which is my only complaint.


Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories as well as the author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ArC.
Where does life take you? A quick short story and a mother's love for her child.

I received this short story as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is a powerful glimpse at a woman who has lost everything. Jess had a family: husband, son, and baby on the way. But, in an instant, her life changed. At her lowest depths, she decides to start driving her van across country. She has to learn how people manage to live on the road, including the problems of personal sanitation, food, laundry, terrible weather, etc.

Along her journey, she meets different people, hears their stories, and learns from them. Since they are all on the road to different places, no strong bonds are needed. "Convergences" gave the travelers the opportunities to see each other down the road. As she travels, Jess begins to rebuild her life.

The author has done a great job of engaging the reader's interest and sympathy in a very few pages.

This short story takes us on a woman’s journey to recover after she’s lost what’s most important to her. Jess, discovered her husband’s affair and struggles with the major change in her life. Her son now lives part time with his dad and his new wife and she’s left lonely. One night, when she’s picking her son up to take him to his father’s, they get into a car accident - ultimately resulting in Jess losing custody of her son and him pushing her away. With nothing else to lose and nothing better to do, she packs up her van and starts living on the road. Meeting fellow travelers and discovering a new found family of sorts, she starts to rediscover who she can be and rebuild who she is. But when her son unexpectedly appears at her campsite, will she be ready to be back in his life?
This is a sweet story about loss and rebuilding after major change. It was so realistic to read I had to go back to the disclaimer that it was 100% fiction. So well written, I went through shock, sadness, hope, and happiness in this short tale. I loved the comments Jess makes about nature being meditative and how we’re just a tiny being in this “vast living, breathing ecosystem” - which is how I feel when exploring the outdoors.
This short story was a very good read.

The Scenic Route is a remarkable Short Story by Christina Baker Kline.
This novella was an emotional journey for the characters and I enjoyed getting a look of what it’s truly like living this lifestyle. I thought Baker did an excellent job creating these characters and setting the scene.
I could feel the emotions and visualize it all so perfectly. It was real and raw.
I was engaged from the very beginning and wished it lasted just a bit longer.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." Thank You NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Jessica was happily married with a son, Charlie. When her marriage starts to crumble she finds her escape via a camper van which enables her to find an equilibrium and a life where things are not perfect, but she is more content. When Jessica begins to take control of her life things start to look up. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story but felt there were many questions left unanswered. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short story from Amazon Originals which I read because I have previously enjoyed some of this author's novels, especially A Piece of the World.

The Scenic Route tells the story of a young woman, happily married with a son and a baby on the way, when everything goes wrong. As a result she takes to living a nomad's life in a van, effectively hiding from everything. She makes money by working online and it is her virtual life which eventually leads to her past catching up with her.

This is a very emotional short story, beautifully written of course, and full of detail on the way people live on the road. Very enjoyable and it has reminded me to look out for more of this author's novels.

I received this story as an ARC from NetGalley. I have loved everything I’ve read by Christina Baker Kline, and while this story was definitely a detour from the historical fiction I’m used to from her, it does not disappoint. From the very beginning, I found the the story’s narrator to be very compelling, giving glimpses into her history that made me want to get to know her more. Her strength in dealing with her challenges, juxtaposed with her vulnerability in discussing them, made her intensely relatable. I wish there was more to read about her and that this story was a full novel! A worthwhile read, to be sure.

I really enjoyed this short story. A lot of stories about #vanlife get mostly into the social media aspect. This story was about a woman and her journey while living her van life. I know it is a short story but I could totally have gotten on board with more of Jess and Charlie's relationship and growth! Loved this.

A short story novella with both a cool title and cover that I decided to try from a new author. I kinda sensed it would be fairly introspective but it was ok, especially for a short story. I’ve thought about the lifestyle subject of this story before and I think the author did a good job portraying it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

Since Christina Baker Kline is a favorite of mine, I requested “The Scenic Route” from NetGalley. I’m not usually a fan of short stories but this was an emotional story of a mother and son who struggle to find happiness “on the road.” After a quick downhill turn in her life, Jess takes a van and travels to rebuild her life. Several years later, her son catches up with her on the road.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the eARC and the opportunity to review “The Scenic Route” by Christina Baker Kline.
3 Stars—Pub. Date: September 1, 2023

As you may or may not know, I'm not a fan of short stories. I find either I don't understand them or I end up wanting more of the story. Once in a while I come across one that I really enjoy and that was the case with The Scenic Route although I wouldn't have minded if it was a bit longer. As another reviewer commented, it reminded me a lot of the movie Nomadland which I also really enjoyed.

Once married and mother to a young son, now divorced and estranged from her son, Jess takes to the road to escape her life. I don't want to say too much because it is such a short story it'd be easy to give something away so I'll just say that the story stirs up a lot of emotions but it's very enjoyable. I have some of the author's other books on my TBR and I think I'll move them up closer to the top.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley for the opportunity to read a copy of this short story which was published in June 2023. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5★
“Most people don’t get it. They think living in tiny houses on wheels is weird. But van dwellers tent to think that other people are the weird ones – stuck in concrete boxes that go nowhere, staring out at the same view every day: a sad little fenced-in yard, the vinyl siding of the house next door.”

Ok. When you put it that way, I can see the appeal of life always on the move. Changing scenery – taking the scenic route. Having watched and loved the recent moving film, ‘Nomadland’'starring Frances McDormand, I was familiar with what she describes about life on the road.

This short story is about a woman who comes completely undone from a family tragedy, followed by a betrayal, followed by despair and self-medication, followed by the obvious repercussions and then thoughts of the final escape. She stops herself short, still hoping beyond hope to reconnect with her child some day, and hits the road.

She doesn’t make it sound easy. She explains about the strange (and awful) things you need to do to deal with washing, toileting, and living in a confined space.

“Van life isn’t for everyone. There’s a lot to contend with: The cold, the dark, the rain. The loneliness. The lack of normalcy.”

But when she meets others and discovers they connect regularly “down the road” at convergences, she knows she has found a sympathetic tribe.

“But whatever your tolerance for healing crystals, convergences serve a real purpose. They allow van dwellers to dip in and out of each other’s lives like extended family at Thanksgiving, without the metaphorical baggage.

I’ve never been particularly woo-woo. But I appreciate the way my fellow travelers would go out of their way to embrace strangers, offering a chair and a paper plate at the supper buffet.”

I’ve never been particularly woo-woo either, and I also appreciate those who share unselfishly and don’t demand that you explain yourself – at least not until you’re ready. When you are, they are ready to listen.

How she gradually pulls herself together makes this seem bigger than the 40-something pages she takes to tell it.

Thanks to #NetGalley for #TheScenicRoute, another excellent Amazon Original Story. I’ve enjoyed many of these.

This is a beautiful story by Christina Baker Kline, about a woman who - in her own words - had a miscarriage, lost her unborn child, and then, in quick succession, lost her marriage, her job, and ultimately, her mind.

Sinking into a depression after losing the baby, Jess struggled to cope with her lively 4-year-old, Charlie, while her husband began the affair that ended their marriage. Reckless drinking after the divorce caused an accident that cost her access to Charlie.  

Unable to cope with what she had become, and how even her child considered her an unfit mother, Jess took off in a van, and - remaining in touch with her son through a series of postcards that Charlie never replied to - gradually rebuilt herself from scratch while living life on the open road.

The advantage of this lifestyle was that no-one relied on her - other than her little rescue dog - and nobody judged her either. Because everyone living the van life has their own story, and their own reasons for running away.

It's remarkable how much of human experience Baker Kline has managed to cram into this short story - loss, grief, recovery, motherhood, marriage, divorce, and self-acceptance all make an appearance, in one form or another. And even if you've never set foot in a van or had a miscarriage, it is somehow very relatable.

I'm VERY picky when it comes to short fiction! The length of a novel can hide a multitude of sins, but the 'humble' shortstory is never the beneficiary of such grace...

My pet peeve with many shortstories is they leave me unsatisfied. So, the biggest compliment is that this story left me with a heart full of reading pleasure 💜 And that bookcover... *chef's kiss* 😮

A short story from one of my favorite authors. I couldn’t put it down. I’ve been reading some long books lately, so when I was offered to read this short story I said yes. And so glad I see. A story about a women finding herself, losing a husband and a son, But finding her son in the end. Please, Christina write some more short stories. I love the way you tell a story. Each character just comes to life..Thank you for a great story.

Christina Baker Kline is such a talented author, so I was super excited to see she had written an Amazon Original Story. And she did not disappoint! Since it's a short story, I don't want to give too much away, but The Scenic Route centers around a woman hiding on the road for 4 years living life in a van where she discovers her own "family". Kline does a fabulous job of creating the scene and conjuring up feelings. And oh my, it pulls at the heartstrings! This is definitely worth picking up! Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the eARC.

A poignant story about motherhood, loss, and second chances. Christina Baker Cline's prose is lovely and full of emotion, and you can feel Jess's sadness and grief (and later, hope) in every sentence.

I thought that this story was the perfect length. It's long enough to get a glimpse into Jess's past, and of her struggle to forget the grief and pain that came along with it. At the same time, it's not so long that the reader has time to grow too weary of the constant unhappiness of her situation.

I also enjoyed learning more about the nomadic existence of van life, both the highs and the lows.

My complaints with this story pertain to the epilogue-y bit at the end. It's nice to have those few paragraphs of closure, but it would've been even nicer to have a few sentences describing how they got there. Was it a mutual agreement between the two parents? Is Charlie still technically a runaway? The answers to those questions could completely change how I feel about the outcome of this story. Should I be happy or worried about the way things played out? And how did they overcome the awkwardness and negative emotions of the earlier pages? It seemed just a little too saccharine to be realistic.

Still, this is a touching and emotional story that was worth the short bit of time that it took me to read it. Final rating: 3.49 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with a copy of this story to review.

The Scenic Route is a short story by Christina Baker Kline released under the Amazon Original Stories banner. How easily events cascade to take Jessica from being a happily married pregnant mother of a toddler to being a divorced woman, estranged from her only son, a van lifer travelling around the highways of the USA in the Toyota Sienna she took from her ex’s driveway.

“Every person I met in the van-life community was escaping something. All of us out there seeking answers, trying to find a path forward. Looking for a way to get it right.”

After some years, she’s got it down to a fine art: she’s upgraded her van, has a dog from a shelter. She’s Jess_on_the_Go, making a living online through content marketing. There’s relief in the anonymity of this life, although she has made some friends amongst the van life community when Charlie, now teenaged, turns up. Time to stop running away?
A short but very moving read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.