Slow Way Home (39 page)

Audrey Whitfield gave me an unconditional love that only God Himself can surpass. She graced this world for seventy-two years but her love and wisdom live on in the lives she touched.

It is estimated that 2.5 million grandparents are raising grandchil-dren in the United States. Most are doing so with little or no financial support. I thank them for taking responsibility for the future and offer my humble gratitude.

About the Author

MICHAEL MORRIS is the author of the acclaimed novel
A Plac e Calle d
W ire g ras s ,
winner of the 2003 Christy Award for Best First Novel, and a contributor to the short-story collection
Sto rie s fro m the Blue M o o n Café .
He lives with his wife, Melanie, in Alabama.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Praise for Slow W
ay Home:

“The reader may hear echoes of Harper Lee in his focus on racial conflict, or of Flannery O’Connor’s Southern grotesques . . . or even of Huck Finn. . . . But Morris has his own voice and his own story, and he tells it with uncommon skill and compassion.”

—Washington Post

“A compulsively readable novel with many fine passages on the importance of home and the comforts of faith.”

—Booklist

“Eight-year-old Brandon Willard may well be one of the most endearing novel narrators since young Scout Finch in
To Kill a Mocking-bird
. . . . There is much to be lauded about
Slow Way Home.
It is a story about dysfunction and destiny, family and friendship, redemption and reconciliation—and more than a few moments of pure grace.

Michael Morris has told a great story, but also to his credit, he has told it masterfully.’

—Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

“Pain, joy, anger, and love suffuse Michael Morris’s moving novel
Slow
Way Home,
in which a young boy narrates his turbulent journey toward the defining moment in his life. . . . Morris excels in creating the child’s voice: Brandon’s attempts to comprehend his teetering world are realistic and, at times, absolutely heart-rending. . . . Morris’ debut novel,
A Place Called Wiregrass,
was a BookSense pick, and in this second effort, he has again crafted an inspiring portrait of a true sur-vivor.”

—Bookpage

“In
Slow Way Home,
Michael Morris has written a lyric pavane for a lost mother and a destroyed youth. With almost perfect pitch, he captures the rhythms of childhood and the tempo of slow maturation.

—
New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Alabama writer Michael Morris is someone to watch. . . . When I picked up
Slow Way Home,
I thought I’d get a charming, Southern, coming-of-age story. This book is much more than that. It’s also courageous and heartbreaking and moving in a way I didn’t expect . . .

Morris gets it right—from the clothes to the politics to the people.”

—Birmingham News

“A heartwarming story about family sacrifice.”

—
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Morris . . . has a wonderful ear for the vernacular of the South.”

—
St. Petersburg (Florida) Times

“[E]motional and fast-paced. . . . The social issues covered make this an intelligent book for debate. . . . Michael Morris has written another empowering story of a young person escaping a dangerous environment and his journey to self-discovery and love.”

—Southern Scribe

“[A] tour de force . . . told in a Southern style that invites readers in and asks them to stay awhile.”

—Gadsden Alabama Times

“
Slow Way Home
is a warm, witty, fresh, and innovative novel. At once touching and funny, it is the story of a family on a journey of discovery and truth. Hang on, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.”

—Homer Hickam, author of
October Sky

“
Slow Way Home
is a novel for the heart. It is pitch perfect and the character Brandon is going to linger. . . . The opening chapter is one of the most poignant and powerful I have ever read. This is a fine book.”

—Anne Rivers Siddons, author of
Nora, Nora

“A gentle story suffused with brutal truths, almost fablelike in its reso-nant simplicity. . . .
Slow Way Home
is a journey well worth taking.”

—Tim Farrington, author of
The Monk Downstairs

“. . . a novel for the ages. Told with compassion and honesty,
Slow
Way Home
is an inspiring story that will leave you wanting more.”

—Richard Paul Evans, author of
The Christmas Box

“Master storyteller Michael Morris has delivered another stunning novel . . . touching, truthful, and beautifully written. It is not to be missed!”

—Lynne Hinton, author of
Friendship Cake

“Brandon Willard’s amazing journey is peopled by some of the most endearing characters I’ve encountered in ages. . . . In a remarkably consistent narrative voice, Michael Morris takes us along for a moving, funny ride.”

—Silas House, author of
Clay’s Quilt
and
A Parchment of Leaves

“
Slow Way Home
is a gem—both gritty and heartwarming at once.

Complex characters and major themes reward the reader—who won’t be able to put this deeply moving novel down. A wonderful, emo-tional read.”

—Lee Smith, author of
The Last Girls

Praise for A Place Called Wiregrass:

“Erma Lee Jacobs is a wonderful character full of strength, vulnera-bility and possibility, all in equal measure. It is hard to believe that
A
Place Called Wiregrass
is a first novel.”

—Anne Rivers Siddons, author of
Nora, Nora

“Having done a lot of literary work in one of the poorest counties of eastern Kentucky, I know the world of this novel. Michael Morris has captured the hardscrabble world of the marginalized and dispossessed to a ‘T.’ The depiction of abusive relationships is very real, as is the friendship, camaraderie, and strength among women. This novel is truly inspiring and uplifting without ever being preachy or didactic. A real page turner with very strong characters.”

—Lee Smith, author of
The Last Girls

“In words both simple and eloquent, Michael Morris writes of the people he knows with honesty and compassion. His style is worthy of comparisons to fellow Southern writers Larry Brown and Lee Smith.”

—Tim McLaurin, author of
The River Less Run

“Michael Morris is a born writer who learned his craft by living. He knows that story comes first. Try putting this one down!”

—Janice Daugharty, author of
Like A Sister

“
A Place Called Wiregrass
is a powerful story of saving grace, cherished friendship, and gritty survival. You’ll read it and cheer. This is a great book!”

—Lynne Hinton, author of
Friendship Cake

a l s o b y M i c h a e l M o r r i s

A Place Called Wiregrass

Credits

Designed by Joseph Rutt

Copyright

SLOW WAY HOME:
A Novel
. Copyright © 2003 by Michael Morris. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader February 2009

ISBN 978-0-06-190024-2

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Publisher

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United States

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http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com

• Title Page
  
• Dedication Page
  
• Contents
  
  • Chapter One
    
  • Chapter Two
    
  • Chapter Three
    
  • Chapter Four
    
  • Chapter Five
    
  • Chapter Six
    
  • Chapter Seven
    
  • Chapter Eight
    
  • Chapter Nine
    
  • Chapter Ten
    
  • Chapter Eleven
    
  • Chapter Twelve
    
  • Chapter Thirteen
    
  • Chapter Fourteen
    
  • Chapter Fifteen
    
  • Chapter Sixteen
    
  • Chapter Seventeen
    
  • Chapter Eighteen
    
  • Chapter Nineteen
    
  • Chapter Twenty
    
  • Chapter Twenty-One
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Two
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Three
    
  • Epilogue
    
  • Acknowledgments
    
  • About the Author
    
  • Praise
    
  • Also by Michael Morris
    
  • Credits
    
  • Copyright Notice
    
  • About the Publisher