Home Before Dark

By: Susan Wiggs

Narrated by: Tanya Eby Sirois

In her career as a photojournalist, free-spirited Jessie Ryder has seen the world through her camera lens. But she's never traveled far enough to escape a painful moment that has haunted her for the past 16 years: the day she gave her baby daughter away. Now, facing a life-altering crisis, she's decided to fix the broken pieces of her heart and seek out Lila, even if it means she has to upset the world of Lila's adoptive mother...her very own sister, Luz.

Like a Technicolor tornado bursting into Luz's picture-perfect life, Jessie returns to her Texas hometown with a shattering request. She wants to tell Lila the truth. As Luz and her husband struggle with what Jessie's return may mean to rebellious Lila, their seemingly solid marriage falters. Old secrets are exposed. Then, just as Jessie comes to terms with the past, life's bittersweet irony plays its hand. She meets Dustin Matlock, a young father who has survived a devastating loss. And Jessie begins to see the hopeful possibilities that lie buried in the most wrenching tragedies.

Though she aches to reach out to those she loves, Jessie stands at the crossroads. She is leaving behind the only life she knows and blindly leaping into the unknown. Now the choice she makes will affect the life of her daughter and challenge the meaning of sisterhood. As Jessie and Luz examine the true meaning of love, loyalty and family, they are drawn into an emotional tug-of-war filled with moments of unexpected humor, surprising sweetness and unbearable sadness. But as the pain, regrets and mistakes of the past slowly rise to the surface, a new picture emerges - a picture filled with hope, promise and the redeeming power of the human heart.

©2004 Susan Wiggs (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great read

I have never read a story like this one based on the development of blindness in a young person! Very touching story!

Mostly Enjoyed This Book

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Pronunciation of the word Maori and Maori words were terrible, I would have though that would have been something the narrator would have checked on, how to pronounce words properly.

Fantastic

Love family and life happens .... its how you pull together that is beautiful. Just like this book.

May Be Susan Wiggs Worst

Would you try another book from Susan Wiggs and/or Tanya Eby Sirois?

I have liked other Susan Wiggs books and search for anything that she writes. If this was my first by her I would not buy another. I hope readers who do not like this will give her another chance. The narrator was not outstanding but not bad.

What was most disappointing about Susan Wiggs’s story?

I found the character Jessie to be selfish, unlikeable and having extremely poor judgement. I cannot understand why the other characters loved her so much and cannot understand why no matter what she did to them they just shrugged and let it go. I am very glad that I have never met anyone like her. The characters was not at all believable.

What about Tanya Eby Sirois’s performance did you like?

The narrator was good. I had a little trouble distinguishing which character was speaking, the voices were very similar, but that may have been inattention on my part because of the story itself.

Do you think Home Before Dark needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Absolutely not. I couldn't wait for this one to end.

Entertaining - made the hours fly while driving

Would you listen to Home Before Dark again? Why?

probably at some time in the future

Have you listened to any of Tanya Eby Sirois’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

not sure

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of it

Any additional comments?

It was very easy to listen to, the writing was great, it was a great experience