Home Before Dark

( 31 )
Marketplace (New and Used)
Hardcover
from
$0.01
$24.95 List Price (Save 100%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (67)  
Used (57)  
New (10)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 7
Showing 1 – 9 of 67 (7 pages)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
OwlsBooks-TRM
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition: Good
Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Discover Books Ltd.
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(3584)

Condition: Good
Some wear on book from reading, some spine creases, wear on binding and pages, we guarantee all purchases and ship all items via USPS mail.

Ships from: Sumas, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 96%)
Goodwill Industries of SF
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(119)

Condition: Good
2003 Hardcover The cover may contain minor wear, and the corners may have some light degree of damage. If there are any notes present, they would only be penciled and only ... visible on a few pages. There are no ink markings of any kind, but there may be a remainder-mark on the outside edge of the pages. Proceeds benefit non-profit Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. We create solutions to poverty through the businesses we operate. Your purchase creates jobs and transforms liv. Read more Show Less

Ships from: San Francisco, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 96%)
SuperFlyBooks AZ
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(397)

Condition: Good
2003 Hard cover Good. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 384 p.

Ships from: Phoenix, AZ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 96%)
Avenue Book & Co.
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(1248)

Condition: Very Good
Hardcover Very Good 1551666731 Purchase Protected By Our Satisfaction Guarantee. Over 500, 000 Satisfied Customers And Counting!

Ships from: Fort Wayne, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.50
(Save 94%)
Springys Treasures MI
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(1040)

Condition: Very Good
2003-04-01 Hardcover Very Good

Ships from: Irons, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 92%)
Wonder Book
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(13616)

Condition: Very Good
Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket.

Ships from: Frederick, MD

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 92%)
Books Squared
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4450)

Condition: Good
Only lightly used. Book has minimal wear to cover and binding. A few pages may have small creases and minimal underlining. Book selection as BIG as Texas.

Ships from: Dallas, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 7
Showing 1 – 9 of 67 (7 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$10.19
BN.com price
$11.99 List Price (Save 15%)

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

Overview

She left her child behind, but couldn't let her go

As an irresponsible young mother, Jessie Ryder knew she'd never be able to give her newborn the stable family that her older sister could, and the security her child deserved. So Luz and her husband adopted little Lila and told her Jessie was but a distant aunt.

Sixteen years later, having traveled the world with the winds of remorse at her back, Jessie is suspending her photojournalism career to return home—even if it means throwing her sister's world into turmoil.

Where life once seemed filled with boundless opportunity, Jessie is ...

See more details below

More About This Book

Overview

She left her child behind, but couldn't let her go

As an irresponsible young mother, Jessie Ryder knew she'd never be able to give her newborn the stable family that her older sister could, and the security her child deserved. So Luz and her husband adopted little Lila and told her Jessie was but a distant aunt.

Sixteen years later, having traveled the world with the winds of remorse at her back, Jessie is suspending her photojournalism career to return home—even if it means throwing her sister's world into turmoil.

Where life once seemed filled with boundless opportunity, Jessie is now on a journey to redeem her careless past, bringing with her a terrible burden. Jessie's arrival is destined to expose the secrets and lies that barely held her daughter's adoptive family together to begin with, yet the truth can do so much more than just hurt. It can bring you home to a new kind of honesty, shedding its light into the deepest corners of the heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
Sixteen years ago, unmarried Jessie Ryder gave her newborn daughter to her sister and brother-in-law, trusting them to do what was best for her child, even if that meant never letting Lila know she was adopted, or that Jessie was her birth mother. But now the shocking news that Jessie is losing her sight to a condition that may be hereditary sends her back to Texas, to reveal the truth to her daughter, even though the secret she's kept for so long may shatter her sister's marriage. After rocking all their worlds, Jessie is desperate to comfort Lila, repair the damage her honesty has done to her sister's family, and prepare herself for the time when what's left of her sight fails her. In the face of the dark unknown that lies ahead, Jessie longs for home and hope, but she fears that letting Dustin Matlock -- a new widower with a baby daughter -- into her life will be a huge mistake for both of them. Dustin needs a competent, motherly wife, not a woman who's struggling to come to terms with going blind and to redefine herself and her family. But, just as Jessie works to heal the family she helped to create 16 years ago, Dustin works to convince her that their love is strong enough to meet whatever difficulties the future holds. Sue Stone
Publishers Weekly
Wiggs's latest is an entertaining romance perfect for beach listening. Sixteen years ago, unwed Jessie gave her newborn daughter up for adoption to her married sister (whose husband, unbeknownst to him, was actually the baby's father). Jessie then settled in New Zealand and became a celebrated nature photographer. Now going blind, she returns home to Texas to reconnect with her sister and see her daughter-and conveniently fall in love with Dusty, a widowed pilot who lives nearby. This is enjoyable fluff, apart from the clich of the heroine abruptly dumping the hero without explanation because she doesn't want to "burden" him with her terrible secret. Narrator Eby reads with expression, but ignores specific vocal directions in the text. It's jarring to hear various characters comment on Jessie's New Zealand accent when listeners are hearing her speak without one, or to learn that Jessie's mother, Glennie, has "a deep, sweet voice" when Eby reads her lines in a high, crackling tone. Throughout the text such lines as "her voice broke on a sob" or "there was a hitch in her voice" are not accompanied by any break or hitch in Eby's reading. On the positive side, she does attempt a Texas drawl for Dusty and a Spanish accent for his friend Arnufo. And she's terrific when portraying petulant teenager Lila: Eby's "Whatever!" captures teenage sarcasm perfectly (listeners can almost hear the accompanying eye roll). Simultaneous release with the Mira hardcover (Forecasts, Mar. 31). (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Blindness, babies, bathos. When photojournalist Jessie Ryder finds that she's losing her sight to a rare retinal disease, it's time to take stock-and, at last, meet the child she gave away years before. She rails against her cruel fate as she leaves New Zealand for the Texas town where she grew up. After all, she'd stayed away, kept her distance-and kept her side of the bargain she made with God. She'd provided the best possible home for her newborn by handing her over to her sister Luz and her husband Ian. Even now that she's a teenager, Lila has no idea that she was adopted (and there's another thing even Luz doesn't know). Lila escapes serious injury during a joyriding car accident that shakes the family out of its complacency and forces them to grapple with the Big Questions. Why does Ian, a Death Row lawyer, always have time for his clients but not for his family? Must Luz always shoulder most of the burden of raising the kids and running the house? Luz pines for what she perceives as her sister's freedom, but Jessie, of course, isn't really free. She's always been haunted by what she never told Luz: Lila is the product of a long-ago, whirlwind affair with Ian. Her vision dimming day by day, Jessie wonders whether she'll ever find happiness. There's hunky rancher Dusty Matlock, father of an adorable toddler, still fending off media attention ever since his pregnant wife, comatose after a stroke, gave birth by Cesarean and expired a couple of years ago. Should Jessie give in to Blair LaBorde, tabloid reporter, and photograph Dusty? Perhaps. But will Jessie even admit that she's losing her sight? Yes, once she shares her story yet again at the world-famous center for the blind not faraway. Well-written women's weepie from the author of many, now with her first hardcover. Agent: Meg Ruley/Jane Rotrosen Agency

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781551666730
  • Publisher: Mira
  • Publication date: 3/25/2003
  • Pages: 384
  • Product dimensions: 6.45 (w) x 9.54 (h) x 1.35 (d)

Meet the Author

Susan Wiggs' first book was published by Zebra in 1987, and since then she has been published by Avon, Tor, HarperCollins, Harlequin, Mira and Warner Books. Susan is a frequent workshop leader and speaker at writers' conferences, including the Romance Writers of America conference, the PNWA and Maui Writers Conference. She won a RITA award in 1994, and her recent novel The Charm School was voted one of RWA's Favorite Books of the Year.
She lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jay, her daughter, Elizabeth, and an Airedale that hasn't been groomed since 1994.

Read an Excerpt

That spike of panic a woman feels when the thought first hits her—I'm pregnant—is like no other. Sixteen years after that moment, its echo haunted Jessie Ryder as she drove through the Texas heat, having traveled halfway around the world to see the daughter she'd never met.

She could still remember the terror and wonder of knowing an invisible cluster of cells had changed her life forever, in ways she could not imagine. Sixteen years and uncounted miles separated her from that day, but the distance was closing fast.

Simon had tried to stop her—It's madness, Jess, you can't just go dashing off to Texas—but Simon was wrong. And this wasn't the craziest thing she'd ever done, not by a long shot.

For the hundredth time since flinging her belongings into a bag in an Auckland hotel room, Jessie wondered what else she could have done. There was no script for this, no instruction manual for putting the broken pieces of a life back together.

There was only the homing instinct, the tendency of the wounded animal to seek safe haven. And then there was the unbearable urge, long buried but never quite forgotten, to see the child she had given away at birth to the only person on the planet she trusted—Luz, her sister.

The front tire rippled over a line of yellow discs marking the center of the highway. Jessie's driving days were numbered, but a stubborn streak of independence, combined with a sense of desperation, made her defiant. She slowed, checked the rearview mirror—still getting used to driving American cars, on the right side of the road—and pulled off. She was lost again.

The glint of the sun over the jagged silhouette of the hills blinded her briefly, and she flipped down the visor. Grabbing the map, she studied the route highlighted by the counter clerk at Alamo Rent-a-Car. Southwest along the interstate to exit 135-A, State Highway 290 to Farm-to-Market Route 1486, following the little red thread of road to a place few folks had heard of and even fewer were inclined to visit.

Jessie had followed the directions. Or had she? It was hard to tell, and it had been so long since she'd traveled these forgotten country roads. As she traced a finger over the route, a movement on the road caught her eye. An armadillo.

She usually only encountered them as roadkill, as though they'd been born that way, with their little dinosaur feet pointed skyward. And yet here was one, waddling across her path like something out of a Steinbeck novel. An omen? A harbinger of doom? Or just another Texas speed bump? She watched the creature wander to the other side of the road and disappear into the low thicket of chaparral.

An oncoming car crested the steep hill ahead of her. She squinted at the approaching vehicle. A pickup truck, of course. What else did you find out here? As it slowed and then stopped on the opposite shoulder, she felt a slick thrill of danger. She was completely alone, lost in the middle of Texas, miles from civilization.

The window rolled down. Shading her eyes against the glare, she could make out only the outline of the driver—big shoulders, baseball cap—and, incongruously, a child's safety seat on the passenger side. A fishing rod lay across the gun rack.

"Everything all right, ma'am?" he asked. She couldn't get a good look at his face with the sun in her eyes, but that Texas drawl somehow put her at ease, evoking faint memories of lazy days and slow, neighborly smiles.

"I'm headed for Edenville," she said. "But I think I'm lost."

"You're almost there," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction he'd come from. "This is the right road. You just haven't gone far enough."

"Thanks."

"No problem, ma'am. You take care now." The pickup truck moved off, backfiring as it headed in the opposite direction.

You take care now. The friendly throwaway admonition lingered as she pulled back onto the road. She fiddled with the radio, finding mostly news and tears-in-my-beer country music. At last she discovered a decent rock station out of Austin and listened to ZZ Top, turned up loud. She hoped the music might drown out her thoughts and maybe even her fears.

Austin's bedroom communities, with names like Saddle-brook Acres and Rockhurst Estates, were miles behind her, giving way to places with folksier appellations like Two-Dog Ranch. She passed a Texaco station with a hand-lettered sign: We Sell Gas To Anyone In A Glass Container.

Deep in the hill country, late afternoon settled in. The dark pockets of shadows hidden within the striated sandstone hills were not to be trusted. The waddling armadillo had reminded her that, at any moment, a jackrabbit or mule deer could leap out onto the road. She would hate to hit an animal. She didn't even want to hit a dead one, she realized, swerving to avoid a battered carcass that had not yet been desiccated into a grotesque kite of flattened skin.

The trip felt much longer than she remembered. Of course, years back, she couldn't wait to leave; now she couldn't wait to get home. Soon she saw it, the weatherbeaten Welcome To Edenville sign with its faded illustration of a peach orchard. Smaller signs sprouted in the field at its feet: The Halfway Baptist Church. Home of the Fighting Serpents. Lions Club meets on the third Saturday each month.

The tree-shaded town had the eerie familiarity of a half-remembered dream. Hunched-together storefronts lined the main square, which was organized around a blocky, century-old courthouse. Adam's Ribs B-B-Q and Eve's Garden Shoppe still stood side by side across from Roscoe's Hay and Feed and an exhausted Schott's discount outlet. Despite the addition of the Celestial Cyber Cafe, the place retained its midcentury, slow moving character, a town content to lag behind while time sped past like traffic on the interstate bypass.

Right out of high school, Jessie had left for college. She'd loved Austin's urban bustle and suburban sprawl, its population of politicians, intellectuals, Goths, Mexicans, criminals and rednecks. Now she was back in the small town filled with everything she'd left behind, whether she liked it or not.

Despite the passage of time, she knew her way now. Five more miles along a narrow lane, past the preternaturally green Woodcreek golf course and driving range, and then a right turn onto the lake road.

She rolled down all four windows of the car and took a deep breath. She could smell the lake before she saw it—mes-quite and cedar and the cleansing scent of air blown across fresh water. One of the few cold, spring-fed lakes in Texas, Eagle Lake was bluer than autumn twilight.

Areas of rounded rock, with hawthorn shrubs blooming in the cracks, plunged down to touch the water. The lake itself was a vast mirror with a forest fringe of the most extraordinary trees in the state. They called them the lost maples of Eagle Lake because everyone knew this particular type of tree didn't rightly belong in Texas. Maples grew in the long, frozen sleep of winter found only in the woods up north, not the unpredictable fits and starts of brutal cold and blistering heat of the Texas hill country. And yet here they thrived, nonnatives huddled together beside a picture-book lake.

Legends about the maples abounded. Indian lore held that they were the souls of long-dead ancestors from the North. Others claimed a settler had planted them for his Yankee bride to remind her of the New England autumns she missed so desperately. But all anybody really knew was that the trees were transplanted strangers that didn't belong, yet managed to flourish here anyway, bursting into hectic color after a scorching summer had sucked the pigment from everything else.

Each autumn, the maples blazed brighter than any forest fire, in colors so intense they made your eyes smart: magenta, gold, deep orange, ocher, burnt umber. For two weeks every fall, the Farm-to-Market Road was clogged with tourists who drove out to Lakeside County Park to take pictures of their kids skipping stones on the leaf-strewn water or climbing high in those God-painted branches.

As Jessie drew nearer to her destination, she tried to remember when the foliage reached its peak. Early November, she recalled. Homecoming season.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 31 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(14)

4 Star

(8)

3 Star

(6)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 31 Customer Reviews

  • Posted March 16, 2012

    I love Susan Wiggs books! This is another wonderful one. It de

    I love Susan Wiggs books!

    This is another wonderful one.

    It deals with the effect keeping secrets has on loved ones as well as dealing with a debilitating illness that ends with blindness. I gained a lot from the emotional struggles within the characters and was satisfied with their final development.

    I was enthralled with the detailed description of learning to deal with and becoming independent after losing sight.

    I felt the ending happened a bit to abruptly with out voicing some of the fears and struggles Jessie was still facing and how she came to terms with them. You know she does and are satisfied with her decisions but would like to hear her voice them for greater satisfaction.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2012

    All time favorite

    This book is my very favorite of Susan Wiggs. A must read for any Wiggs fan!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 26, 2011

    Home Before Dark Audio Cassette

    My mother is legally blind and has listened to many of Susan Wiggs' audio cassettes, but this audio is read too fast with little feelings and pauses/stalls at many unusual times. Is it the CD or the reader? Poor review mainly because of the reader.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 10, 2011

    highly recommended - fabulous read!!!

    I didn't want to put this book down. Susan Wiggs really knows how to write and get all of your emotions involved.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted September 27, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Three Generations of Drama

    This is a story based mostly on the relationship of two sisters, Luz and Jessie. It touches on their mother who was distant, self involved and always in need of a man. The behavior of Lila, the daughter/niece is also examined. For the most part, it is a very touching story. Jess was a free spirit always on the go and Luz was the stable, dependable wife and mom. After years of separation Jess returns and they need to resolve past issues in order to try to have the close relationship they both desire. There is also a romance for Jessie that takes the book from insightful to sappy. The romance would have been better placed in a fairy tale and and if had been deleted would have made this book outstanding. Susan Wiggs has an enjoyable writing style and I would read her work in the future.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 25, 2010

    A wonderful read!

    One of Susan Wiggs' best novels, this is a rich, compelling story with interesting characters. Highly recommended!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 5, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9780778329657

    Great Story

    I loved the book and after I got into it I could not put it down, but when I had to, I kept it close by so I could pick it up again.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 6, 2006

    Another Pleasing Story by SW...

    In this latest book I selected, Home Before Dark, I had trouble connecting with the lead heroine Jessie and her eventual beau Dusty. She reminded me of so many girls I know who are pretty, spirited, have all the guys after them and spend their lives on the go ¿ never being serious or dealing with reality ¿ because they can¿t deal with it and often don¿t have to. So¿they travel the world and hide behind their looks or talent as inside they are fragile and easily crushed. Jessie had it all to the outside world but, inside she was struggling to find herself and her place in life. Although I appreciated her struggle and journey, I simply never felt emotionally tied to her as the main character, even with her progressing blindness and disease. Instead¿I kept seeing how selfish she was from the time she was a teenager, through her 20¿s and 30¿s and so on. I was irritated with how much she took from people and often how little she gave in return. This made it hard for me to connect with her, feel sympathy for her situation, etc. I warmed up to her more by the end but, she still had a lot of making up to do than the book would allow. I liked Dusty ¿ her future man but, he came in and out in sections and scenes and I could have used more of him to really feel for him as a leading man. I enjoyed reading more about Jessie¿s sister Luz as she was stable, reliable and trust worthy, the rock of the family ¿ both in the younger years and in the middle years. Luz could be depended on as a daughter, sister, wife, mother and co-worker. She was not perfect ¿ in looks, brains or skills but, she had a heart of gold and gave everything her all. I even liked her husband Ian¿he was her perfect compliment. He was handsome, intelligent, solid and kind. Not exciting but, someone you could have fun with, change with the seasons and grow old with great comfort. That has its own appeal. There was so much going on in this story ¿ kids getting in a car crash, a death, disclosure of who Lila¿s real mother and father were, relationship issues with Jessie & Dusty and Luz and Ian, the activity of kids and parents and careers in photography, etc. that the story line almost got away from itself at times. Not because it wasn¿t told well but, simply because there was too much going on. Although this is the least favorite of my books by this author so far, it is still a gem. I don¿t think SW can write a bad book. When you are as good at story telling as this author is, even her least appealing works rank above other authors best attempts. I would recommend this book and the other ones even more. Give her a try if you haven¿t yet. You¿ll be glad you did. She is great at tapping into human emotions and the complexity of relationships ¿ man/woman, adult/child, female to female and more. Happy reading!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 9, 2008

    more from this reviewer

    warm modern day family drama

    After living for the past fifteen years in New Zealand and photographing much of the world, Jessie Ryder returns to her hometown of Edenville, Texas near Austin. Jessie suffers from a debilitating illness that will leave her blind, so she needs to see her biological daughter Lila one last time. Years ago Jessie became pregnant after making love to Ian Benning, who later met, fell in love with, and married her sister Luc. Jessie hid the father¿s identity from everyone and her newly married sister and husband adopted Lila and loved her as their own. Jessie wants Ian and Luc to tell Lila the truth about whom is her biological mother. As the trio struggles with what is best for Lila, the teen engages in hill hopping which leads to the death of another passenger. Meanwhile, Jessie falls in love with widower neighbor Dusty Matlock and his little girl. However, Jessie does not trust relationships so as she loses her sight she flees, but not before the Bennings tell Lila the truth. HOME BEFORE DARK is an engaging relationship novel that contains a delightful extended cast. Much of the tale focuses on Jessie, yet readers also learn about the other key characters. Although why Jessie felt that Lila had to know the truth is never fully explained, the audience will savor this warm modern day family drama. Harriet Klausner

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 4, 2003

    Another WIGGS 'success story'!!

    HOME BEFORE DARK is a must read. So compelling you cannot put it down! The story is refreshingly different, the setting, the family members are places and people you instantly know. (One VERY slight distraction--is Jessie a bit too much the martyr????? )

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 20, 2003

    Home Before Dark

    When two sisters collide over the life's most emotional issues, it's a tender and poignant story that will stay with you long after the book is closed. Jessie Ryder gave her baby to her sister Luz and took off to see the world. Years later, the baby is 15 and in big trouble! Jessie's back, and filled with secrets. This story just took me over and the minute I turned the last page I turned back to the front and read it all over again. It's just that good.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2003

    Bold & Beautiful!

    Susan Wiggs breaks all the barriers with this story about two sisters who've been apart for sixteen years, and the daughter they share. Secrets unfurl with brilliantly crafted pacing, stunning prose, and impeccable timing throughout this groundbreaking novel. Ms. Wiggs pulls no punches and touches on heavy family dilemmas and values that would send lesser authors scrambling for safer territory. It takes an author of incredible talent and sensitivity to pen a novel of such depth and warmth. Brava Ms. Wiggs! All I can say is more, more, MORE!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 11, 2003

    Home Before Dark

    Wow, I'm stunned by the power of this relatively simple story of two sisters. Jessie is the free spirit, coming home at last after 15 yrs. Luz is the stay-at-home mom with dreams of her own and four kids and a sweet but clueless husband. Between the sisters is Lila-- the daughter Jessie gave birth to and Luz adopted. Suddenly, something important is going on with Jessie and she feels she has to reconnect with Lilah and reveal a shocking secret. (unlike other reviewers I won't ruin the surprise) Jessie falls in love (and you will too) with Dusty Matlock and his infant daughter. This book took me into the heart of a woman's life, and reflected it back at me. I can't think of any higher praise than that!!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 9, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 11, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 28, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 21, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 17, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 5, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 31 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit