Danny Johnson brings us an excellent classic southern coming of age novel. Set in a small southern farming town in the 1950's where hardline discrimination is the norm and the klan is king, this is not an easy book to read though it is so compelling you cannot put it down. Even as we move into the 1960's and countrywide black/white discrimination is more of a casual sort the Vietnam war veterans join the mix and mix it up again. We know intellectually that we still have such a great way to go in achieving true equality, but it takes a book like The Last Road Home to underline just how far we have come. This is the debut novel in name only. Danny Johnson is an author to follow.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Danny Johnson, and Kensington Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

The Last Road Home encompasses the notion of belonging in highlighting the small town racist attitudes still evident 100 years after the abolition of slavery. The lifelong inter-racial familial closeness of Junebug, Fancy and Lightning is cruelly tested as the prejudices of 1960s rural southern America threatens their existential and societal beliefs. Seeking an alternate and more tolerant community, each character finds solace and peace within the context and community of the ‘family’.
Thoroughly recommend this book. Beautifully written.

This isn't the sort of book I normally go for, but that didn't mean I didn't enjoy it. The characters are full, well described, easy to empathize with and I loved that it showed a snapshot of where I've lived from the past (Durham) because I can picture those places in my head to make visualizing it easier. There's some really good research in this book which I appreciate. I'm a little sad about the ending, there's some heartbreak there. Junebug seems like he's really just had a rough lot and can't win. You could really feel "the south" coming through in some many ways.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a digital ARC of this novel. There is quite a bit going on in this first novel from Danny Johnson. It is interesting that although this novel deals with so many topics (race and love in the South at the cusp of the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, family relationships, drugs, and murder), the novel still has the "slow-down" feel of the South. Not that this is a slow-read, it just doesn't feel as high-strung and frantic as the range of topics might suggest (in some ways sort of "Forrest Gumpian"). I had no idea where this novel was going when I started, but Junebug and Fancy stole my heart and took me along for the ride. I enjoyed the solid writing and strong characters. Recommended!

Thank you, Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "The Last Road Home". I found this book to be very informative and also really sad. I really was hoping for a happier ending.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Road Home is a heart breaking poignant coming of age novel that takes place in rural North Carolina in the years leading up the Civil Rights Movement. Set in a small farming town in the 1950's where the klan is king.....this won't be one of those feel good books. It's a hard read, but written in such a powerful way you can't put it down. And like all good books should it, will stay with you, even after you have read the last words and closed its pages.
Stellar writing and excellent character development, were giving this a 4 star

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for a copy of this book. A dramatic, graphic and moving debut novel from Danny Johnson set in the South amongst racial tensions and injustice. An orphaned child “Junebug” the main protagonist grows up with two local black children. Colour is not an issue for him, a relationship develops between him and Fancy and they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. “Junebug” weathers the storms that inevitably present themselves.

A wonderful read! This is the sort of book that stays with you long after you've finished it. This was well written and most definitely recommended.

One of the best books or best beginnings I have read this year. Set in my home state of North Carolina, Danny Johnson's first novel is a memorable one. It is a coming of age tale set in the times of racial unrest in the south. Junebug (don't you love the name) moves to live with his grandparents and he befriends the children of sharecroppers on a nearby farm. Tensions build and...the book disappears from my Kindle. As Netgalley and the publisher had given me the copy for an honest review, and it had been archived when I lost it, I no longer have a copy to finish. It is such a good book that I am awaiting my turn for a copy from the public library, so I can finish it.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Fair warning - there are some graphic scenes in this, but none of them are gratuitous and all contribute to the story. Set in North Carolina during one of the most volatile times in the civil rights movement, when even an interracial friendship, (much less a romance), could cause problems, this book is a powerful and emotional read. It's a small peek into the uglier side of history in America, made personal by the endearing main characters. A great read with some themes that might be difficult for some readers.