The Long Road Home

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Tony Fusco

Bestselling novelist Danielle Steel takes us on a harrowing journey into the heart of America's hidden shame in a novel that explores the power of forgiveness, the dark side of childhood, and one woman's unbreakable spirit.

From her secret perch at the top of the stairs, Gabriella Harrison watches the guests arrive at her parents' lavish Manhattan townhouse. At seven, she knows she is an intruder in her parents' party, in her parents' life. But she can't resist the magic. Later, she waits for the click, click, click of her mother's high heels, the angry words, and the pain that will follow. Gabriella already knows to hide her bruises, certain she is to blame for her mother's rage--and her father's failure to protect her. Her world is a confusing blend of terror, betrayal, and pain. Her parents' aristocratic world is no safeguard against the abuse that knows no boundaries, respects no person, no economic lines. Gabriella knows that, try as she might, there is no safe place for her to hide.

Even as a child, her only escape is through the stories she writes. Only writing can dull the pain of her lonely world. And when her parents' marriage collapses, Gabriella is given her first reprieve, as her father disappears, and then her mother abandons her to a convent. There, Gabriella's battered body and soul begin to mend. Amid the quiet safety and hushed rituals of the nuns, Gabriella grows into womanhood in a safe, peaceful world. Then a young priest comes into her life.

Father Joe Connors never questioned his vocation until Gabriella entered the confessional and shared her soul. Confession leads to friendship. And friendship grows dangerously into love. Like Gabriella, Joe is haunted by the pain of his childhood, consumed by guilt over a family tragedy, for which he blames himself. With Gabriella, Joe takes the first steps toward healing. But their relationship leads to tragedy as Joe must choose between the priesthood and Gabriella, and life in the real world where he fears he does not belong, and cannot cope.

Exiled and disgraced, and nearly destroyed, Gabriella struggles to survive on her own in New York. There she seeks healing and escape through her writing again, this time as an adult, and her life as a writer begins. But just when she thinks she is beyond hurt, Gabriella is once again betrayed by someone she trusts. Brought to the edge of despair, physically attacked beyond recognition and belief, haunted by abuse in her present and her past, she nonetheless manages to find hope again, and the courage to face the past. On a pilgrimage destined to bring her face-to-face with those who sought to destroy her in her early life, she finds forgiveness, freedom from guilt, and healing from abuse. When Gabriella faces what was done to her, and why, she herself is free at last.

With profound insight, Danielle Steel has created a vivid portrait of an abused child's broken world, and the courage necessary to face it and free herself from the past. A work of daring and compassion, a tale of healing that will shock and touch and move you to your very soul, it exposes the terror of child abuse, and opens the doors on a subject that affects us all. The Long Road Home is more than riveting fiction. It is an inspiration to us all. A work of courage, hope, and love.©1998 Danielle Steel; (P)1998 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, a Division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Danielle Steel

“Steel is one of the best!”—Los Angeles Times

“Few modern writers convey the pathos of family and material life with such heartfelt empathy.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Steel pulls out all the emotional stops. . . . She delivers!”—Publishers Weekly

“What counts for the reader is the ring of authenticity.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Graphic, Moving and Intense

Not your typical chic lit...enjoyable because of the depth of the characters and the compassion it illicits. I would recommend it but don't expect it to be to uplifting. Evokes emotions.

Kept my interest from begining to end

It's sad, but thing's do happen to children, but really make's you wonder why a parent would just stand by and do nothing...

grip taking excited very scary action pack emotion

action pack emotional scary you just wanted to rescue the little girl and protect her or hide her

Amazing!!! Wonderfully written.

When I first started reading this book I didn’t think I could listen to it after the first paragraph I wanted to shut it off but then I wanted to know what happened. So I kept it listening, this book is so well written that you just wanted to keep listening yes it’s the saddest book I’ve ever read in my entire 60 years of living but the way it ends beautifully written and very sad, I thought this wasn’t a book that Daniel still would’ve written it’s nothing like any of the 23 books of hers that I’ve read so I was quite surprised and kept looking to make sure it was written by her, it’s definitely a book that is amazing which says it all about Danielle steel she is an amazing author I’m going to read every book she ever wrote.

Sad but entertaining

It was a really good book. It was interesting and it never dragged. However, the brutality of the abuse was horrifying. Gabby seemed to just have one terrible thing after another happen to her and it wasn't until the very end that it seemed like things might finally be looking up. But knowing her history, if the book would've continued, that probably would've went horribly wrong as well.

When it first started I thought it was weird that a man was reading it but he did a fantastic job. I read the first chapter on my own but knew it would take me way too long to finish it so I got the audiobook and read along whenever possible. In my experience with audiobooks, the person reading it can either make or break the listening experience. Anthony Fusco made it. Great job.