TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME
In an arrestingly vivid novel spanning seven decades and two continents – from a cloistered 1950s Mississippi town founded by freed slaves to the striking diversity of Paris and Rome in the 1960s and 70s, through the glamor of 1980s Wall Street, to present day New York – bestselling author Rochelle Alers chronicles one woman’s remarkable journey through some of history’s most turbulent eras—and the four men who impact her life along the way. Perfect for fans of Angela Flournoy, Zora Neale Hurston, Sue Monk Kidd and Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
Freedom fighter, brilliant businessperson, devoted wife, master of languages,
In an arrestingly vivid novel spanning seven decades and two continents – from a cloistered 1950s Mississippi town founded by freed slaves to the striking diversity of Paris and Rome in the 1960s and 70s, through the glamor of 1980s Wall Street, to present day New York – bestselling author Rochelle Alers chronicles one woman’s remarkable journey through some of history’s most turbulent eras—and the four men who impact her life along the way. Perfect for fans of Angela Flournoy, Zora Neale Hurston, Sue Monk Kidd and Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
Freedom fighter, brilliant businessperson, devoted wife, master of languages, and ultimately, savior of a European dynasty. Claudia Patterson would become all of these—spurred on by the fiercely powerful loves and losses along the way…
Denny Clark. An abused thirteen-year-old white boy whose life twelve-year-old Claudia saves—complicating her own life for years to come.
Robert Moore. A young Black lawyer who becomes Claudia’s beloved husband and partner on the explosive front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Amid the violence of the Ku Klux Klan, Claudia has a shocking personal encounter—with unimaginable consequences.
Ashley Booth. A Wall Street executive who brings the glamour of New York alive for the now-widowed Claudia, introducing her to an elite circle of Black peers. But their long yet uncommitted romance leads Claudia to move on—to an overseas assignment at an Italian bank.
Giancarlo Pasquale Fortenza. An Italian automobile industrialist, once enamored of a young Claudia—handsome, worldly, and twelve years her senior. A man with whom Claudia reconnects, bringing her life full circle in the boldest, bravest, and most unexpected ways…
Rich with history and timeless emotion, here is an epic tale of rising through poverty, racism, and heartbreak—and the awesome role of our most significant relationships throughout our lives.
- Dafina
- Paperback
- October 2023
- 576 Pages
- 9781496735478
Buy the Book
$16.95
About Rochelle Alers
Rochelle Alers, the bestselling author of over eighty novels with nearly two million copies in print, has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most prolific and popular African American authors of romance and women’s fiction. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Emma Award, the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the RT Career Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Theta Zeta chapter and her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling. A full-time writer, Ms. Alers lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island.
Discussion Questions
1. When Claudia finds Denny in the woods, do you think Earline is right to take him in? Why or why not?
2. When Claudia gets her period for the first time, her family turns it into a celebration. What did you think about this reaction? What are the rites of passage celebrated in your own family?
3. Did you agree with Claudia’s parents’ decision to send her to live in Biloxi with Aunt Mavis? Would you have done?
4. At various points in the novel, each if the Bailey women – Claudia, her mother, and her aunts Mavis and Virginia – is referred to as “uppity.” Do you agree?
5. Do you think Claudia’s aunt should have warned Giancarlo to stop seeing her niece when they first meet in France? How do you think things would have turned out differently if Aunt Virginia hadn’t intervened?
6. Claudia learns significant life lessons from the relationships she forms, including those with her close female friends. What do you think is the most important lesson she learned from her college roommate, Yvonne? What about Noel?
7. Though the main characters are fictional, there are many references throughout this novel to real historical figures, such as Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Pauli Murray, Emmett Till, Harlem racketeer Madame Stephanie St. Clair, and many more. Were you unfamiliar with any of the real people who were mentioned in the novel? If so, which ones and what did you learn about them?
8. Throughout the novel, Claudia meets four men who impact her life in crucial ways: Denny, Robert, Ashley, and Giancarlo. What do you think are the best and worst qualities of each man? Why do you think she includes Denny on this list even though he’s the only one with whom she didn’t fall in love?
9. What do you think is the significance of the novel’s title, Take the Long Way Home? What is the “home” it refers to?