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The Shortest Way Home: A Novel

by Juliette Fay

Published: 2012-10-30
Paperback : 386 pages

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Introduction

A NOVEL FULL OF HUMOR AND HOPE FOR FINDING YOURSELF WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECTED

Sean has spent twenty years in Third World war zones and natural disaster areas, fully embracing what he’d always felt was his life’s mission. But when burnout sets in, Sean is reluctantly drawn home to Belham, Massachusetts, the setting of Fay’s much-loved Shelter Me. There, he discovers that his steely aunt, overly dramatic sister, and quirky nephew are having a little natural disaster of their own. When he reconnects with a woman from his past, Sean has to wonder if the bonds of love and loyalty might just rewrite his destiny. Completely relatable, The Shortest Way Home is another perfect serving of a slice of life from the irresistible Fay.

Winner of the Library Journal Award for Best Women's Fiction

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Discussion Questions

1. After spending most of his adult life as a nurse in developing countries, Sean returns home to reconnect with what’s left of his family. How might things have turned out differently if he’d gone home more often?

2. The Doran family has dealt with enormous loss. How does each member of the family cope, and how well are these coping methods working?

3. When he first comes home, Sean falls into some old habits, including his teenage crush on Chrissy Stillman. In what ways is Sean stuck in his adolescence? What events help him grow up a bit over the course of the story?

4. What does Sean learn about his brother Hugh through other characters in this book? How does this impact Sean’s decisions about his own future? Do you think Sean will be a good parent? What will his shortcomings be?

5. Outwardly Aunt Vivvy displays mixed emotions about her role as sudden parent to the Doran kids. What do you think her true feelings are? Why does she hide them?

6. Sean’s relationship with God shifts over the course of this book. How does it evolve and why? Is destiny a permanent thing or can it change?

7. What was the saddest moment of the story for you? The funniest? The most surprising?

8. Which character are you most like? How did you relate to that character’s learning curve over the course of the story?

9. Though he has only ever worked in extremely impoverished communities, Sean takes a temporary job as a school nurse. Where you surprised by what Sean learns from this experience?

10. At the end of the book, Sean and Rebecca have some decisions to make about their future. What do you think their life will look like? What advice would you give them?

11. What character would you most like to have lunch with and why? What questions would you ask? What would you like to tell him or her?

12. If you were at risk for a genetic disease, would you get tested?

Weblinks

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Author Juliette Fay's web site
»	Follow Juliette Fay on Facebook
»	Follow Juliette Fay on Twitter
»	Read a Sample

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

“Fay is one of the best authors of women’s fiction, and her novels are not to be missed. A moving, introspective look at what it means to be family, and to be truly home.”

—Library Journal, starred review

“Fans of Fay’s first novel, Shelter Me (2009), will spot a familiar face in Sean’s hometown, and readers old and new will fall in love with the flawed, endearing cast of characters. A beautifully written novel infused with Fay’s generous spirit.”

—Booklist

“Fay’s third novel (after Deep Down True) is a touching exploration of a damaged family working to repair itself, with universal appeal.”

—Publishers Weekly

“The Shortest Way Home is as complex and full of surprises as the well-examined life. This is one beautiful novel, rich with depth and heart.”

—Julianna Baggott, bestselling author of Pure

“The Shortest Way Home is Juliette Fay’s best yet and shows us that loving the people in your life can be as exciting, as daring, as difficult an adventure as any.”

—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Together and Love Walked In

“The Shortest Way Home is full of heart and of understanding about the often awkward

collection we call ‘family.’”

—Meg Waite Clayton, bestselling author of The Wednesday Sisters

“If you’ve ever thought you or anyone in your family might be just a bit less than perfect, read this book.”

—Nancy Thayer, author of Summer Breeze

“With trademark wit and grace, Juliette Fay portrays a man forced to rescue his family as he reaches for his own freedom. She keeps you turning the pages, even as you want to stop and admire her writing.”

—Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters

“Insightful, funny, and tender-hearted…full of truths about family, falling in love, and finding out who we are meant to be.”

—Amy Hatvany, author of Best Kept Secret and Outside the Lines

“A touching and engrossing story about the lengths to which we’ll go to avoid where we’re meant to be, and the way the heart leads us gently back.”

—Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

“A smart, sincere look at the meaning of home, the complicated nature of family ties, and how the things we run from are often what we need the most."

—Allie Larkin, author of Why Can’t I Be You

“Heartfelt... Juliette Fay does a wonderful job creating this quirky, lovable cast of characters finding their way in life and love.”

—Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Daughter

"Powerful, beautifully written, and at times heartbreaking… a meditation on the impossibility and the inevitability of finding our way home.”

—Julie Buxbaum, author of After You

Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 1 members.

Member Reviews

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"The Shortest Way Home"by Carolyn R. (see profile) 07/08/16

Three decades ago, Sean Doran’s mother died at 33 of Huntington’s disease, and his father, a merchant marine, left Sean and his two siblings in the care of their cold and distant Aunt Vi... (read more)

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