Gail Caldwell, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, has written a wrenching memoir on love, loss, and friendship. Let’s Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship is a deeply touching tribute to Caldwell’s deceased friend, Caroline Knapp. The memoir quickly draws the reader into their remarkable friendship. These two generous and talented women forged an ironclad bond in midlife. They added richness and texture to each other’s lives. They walked their dogs together, taught each other their favorite sports, and celebrated their professional successes.
Gail and Caroline would sometimes joke about caring for one another in their old age, but this was not to be. Lung cancer ended the younger Caroline’s life quickly and painfully. Gail was left to console and support Caroline’s husband and cope with the immense emptiness in her own life. Let’s Take the Long Way Home is not a wistful or airbrushed version of friendship, but it is an exploration of the power and depth contained in our connections to one another.
~Rosemary
Read it or Weep 