This book is like a sacred offering to those with willing ears and thoughtful minds. It is an invitation to walk in the shoes of a young black girl named Claudia, tracing her way into adulthood. How she lived and endured in a pro-active, Martin Luther King, Jr sort of way against blatant, hard core racism in the 1960's in the Mississippi region and beyond.

There were so many levels of racism exposed in a range from the outright, up front, in-your-face to the insidious and underhanded; either way, it is horrendous and has been a huge eye-opener for me. Yes, I know racism is, very unfortuately, alive and well but "living with Claudia" over the past few days of reading has helped me see, to a small degree, what it is like to be on the receiving end of harassement, threats and injury all because of one's skin color.

This book comes in four parts. Each one from the angle relating to a specific boy or man in Claudia's life. The big thing I didn't like was the acceptance as a societal norm of pre-marital sex, as something not to fuss, fidget or flinch about. What I did love was Claudia's loving family and support group. All in all, it has been quite a walk of extra miles for me that, although I had to take some breaks to ponder on the evils of racism, I believe it will keep a reader riveted to the end of this romance and historical fiction chronicle.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

February 2023

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

Since this is in an early ARC, I will try to forgive the huge amount of errors that I assume will be caught in the editing process, but it did make reading especially difficult. The story line takes place in a variety of settings which was a little overwhelming at points, although I did enjoy the Paris and Rome settings. I like the use of foreign languages woven into the story to remind me that the characters were speaking in that language. The story did move slowly and some details were more than was needed to convey the emotions of characters. A few less historical references and less graphic sex scenes would have shortened the story and helped the reader focus on the character development. I look forward to reading the additional chapters that I hope will bring the main character's journey around the world to a fulfilling ending to this story.

The first chapter of Claudia’s life brings a riveting, heart, wrenching story to the reader. The following chapters, as we follow her life, takes us out of Mississippi into New York and Paris, with her trials, and tribulations and significant men in her life. I found the overall Story a page Turner, and loved watching how Claudia navigates her life with the help of her to aunties and mom. I admire her independence, self-care, and confidence at such a young age. The turbulent times of her life and the world and the south kept me riveted with anticipation. Her reuniting in Paris the second time caused me to stay up and read into the wee hours of the night. Just as the reader wonders which direction she will choose, and what important event will happen next, the story ends, and the author informed that there will be 3 to 5 chapters added when the book is released in two months. . my choice remains feel disappointed in this version or wait two months and read the last 3 to 5 chapters at the author includes. What an unusual quandary after reading 455 pages of a well written novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this historical fiction.

Take the Long Way home is about a young Black girl finding her way in the world amid racism and violence, interwoven with the love of her family, international travel, finding her career, and three important men she meets in various times along the way.

As this was an unfinished eARC, I'm left wondering where the story is going and how it's all going to tie up. I'd very much like to find out! Overall, the book was good but not amazing. I found it quite long, and quite history-lesson-heavy, although I can understand why the author wanted to put so much of it in, as the historical events are so influential to who Claudia is and how/why she makes the decisions she does.

I enjoyed my journey with Claudia. To read of a middle class black woman in the 1950's and 60's was very appealing to me. This portrayal of life in America was beautifully done, peopled with strong female characters. I was given an ARC , with more chapters to come, so this review is incomplete. However, what I have read so far was entertaining and enlightening for an Australian reader. My only quibble is that we are constantly seeing how beautiful Claudia is, as if that is the most important thing about her, yet her other qualities are immense, and does it matter if someone is not physically perfect? And gosh, this makes me think about race in America and in Australia……we haven’t got very far yet! Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC,, I am looking forward to the final chapters, although if you re-read the beginning you can work out a fair bit.

Many thank to NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read Rochelle Alers book. I love it. I think it's an important story and beautifully written.