the secret
One Minute Review
Addy Shadd is a seventy-year-old woman living quietly in a trailer park near Chatham, Ontario, when her troubled white neighbour suddenly abandons her five-year-old mixed-race daughter Sharla on Addy's doorstep and disappears. What starts as a temporary arrangement slowly turns into a deep bond as the unlikely pair heal each other. As Addy cares for the neglected little girl, she begins to revisit her own long, painful life story that stretches back to the 1920s and 1930s in the black communities of southwestern Ontario and Michigan. 'Rush Home Road' is a moving, beautifully written tale of unexpected family, redemption, loss, and the long road home. It is heartfelt, wise, and perfect if you enjoy character-driven stories about chosen family and the power of second chances.
Full Review
'Rush Home Road' by Lori Lansens and it left me with that warm, thoughtful feeling you get from a truly well-crafted novel. This 2002 debut is a rich literary story that blends the present-day relationship between an elderly woman and a young abandoned girl with the sweeping tale of the older woman's remarkable life. I loved how Lansens makes the past and present feel equally alive and connected.
The plot opens in the late 1970s in a trailer park outside Chatham, Ontario. Addy Shadd, now in her seventies and in declining health, finds herself suddenly responsible for five-year-old Sharla Cody after the child's neglectful mother Collette dumps her and vanishes. What begins as reluctant caregiving gradually becomes a profound, redemptive bond for both. As Addy looks after Sharla, feeding her, teaching her, and protecting her, the story shifts back in time to reveal Addy's own difficult journey. We follow her from childhood in the all-black settlement of Rusholme, through trauma, lost love, family secrets, migration, and hard-won survival across decades in Canada and the United States. The two timelines weave together beautifully, showing how the past shapes the present and how caring for Sharla helps Addy finally confront old wounds.
Characters are the heart of this book. Addy Shadd is a wonderfully drawn protagonist: tough, funny, flawed, and deeply compassionate despite everything life has thrown at her. Sharla starts as a wild, neglected child but slowly blossoms under Addy's care in ways that feel honest and touching. The supporting figures from Addy's past, including family members, lovers, and community people, add layers of realism and emotional weight without ever feeling like background filler. The unlikely mother-daughter relationship between Addy and Sharla grows organically and carries real emotional power.
Pace is steady and immersive rather than fast. The present-day sections move gently as the bond between Addy and Sharla develops, while the flashbacks unfold at a measured rhythm that lets you sink into Addy's long life story. It never drags, and the alternating structure keeps the narrative fresh and compelling right through to the final chapters.
World-building feels authentic and lived-in. Lansens captures the everyday details of black life in southwestern Ontario's small communities during the early to mid-twentieth century, including the challenges of racism, economic hardship, family ties, and the pull of migration to bigger cities. The trailer park setting in the later timeline contrasts nicely with the rural and urban scenes from Addy's youth. The sense of place is strong but never overwhelms the human story.
The ending brings a deeply satisfying sense of closure and homecoming. Secrets surface, old pains find some resolution, and both Addy and Sharla reach a place of peace and belonging. It is hopeful and moving without being overly tidy, and the final rush home to Rusholme carries real symbolic weight.
This is a standalone novel with no direct sequels.
Lori Lansens is a Canadian author and former screenwriter born and raised in Chatham, Ontario. 'Rush Home Road' was her acclaimed debut novel, followed by other works including 'The Girls'. She now lives in California and is known for her lyrical, character-rich storytelling that often explores family, identity, and redemption.
Overall I would rate 'Rush Home Road' a strong 4.5 out of 5. It is a wise, beautifully written novel that explores the redeeming power of love and chosen family with honesty and heart. If you enjoy literary fiction with deep character journeys, stories of unlikely bonds, or tales set against the backdrop of twentieth-century black Canadian life, this one is well worth your time.
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