Renee had left her “crime scene” home to fly to Alaska with her daughter, Breea, finding safe haven at her mother-in-law’s house. But Renee soon had to return to San Diego to salvage or give away what was left of her life there. That handled, she answered the calling of her soul, relishing the nine day drive while rushing to make Eagle River for Breea’s eighth birthday. Without money for motels, Renee sleeps in her car or camps with pepper spray in hand. As she endures flashbacks and moments of terror, like leaving her keys and Haley locked in her car, Renee finds herself learning again to ask for help and trust others.

Moments of road-trip splendor also help: “I hadn’t felt so purely, deeply in the moment, and connected, ever in my life,” Renee writes of driving through the Canadian Rockies. Trauma grows after the trial, as the verdicts don’t slam the case shut, and Renee faces lies and innuendos as she seeks justice. Renee brings healing full circle as, years later, she moves toward active, radical forgiveness in a face-to-face encounter with the past. The result is complex and heartening, a feat of empathy.

Takeaway: Healing, forgiveness, and a marvelous road trip power this touching memoir.

Comparable Titles: Lysa TerKeurst’s Forgiving What You Can't Forget, Stephanie Foo’s What My Bones Know.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A