Take the Long Way Home - by Rochelle Alers (Paperback)

About the Book

Spanning seven decades and two continents, this chronicle of one woman's remarkable journey through some of history's most turbulent eras follows Claudia Patterson, freedom fighter, businessperson, wife, master of languages and ultimately, savior of a European dynasty, as she encounters four men who impact her life along the way.

Book Synopsis

In an arrestingly vivid novel spanning seven decades and two continents - from a cloistered 1950s Mississippi town founded by freed slaves to the striking diversity of Paris and Rome in the 1960s and 70s, through the glamor of 1980s Wall Street, to present day New York - bestselling author Rochelle Alers chronicles one woman's remarkable journey through some of history's most turbulent eras--and the four men who impact her life along the way. Perfect for fans of Angela Flournoy, Zora Neale Hurston, Sue Monk Kidd and Dolen Perkins-Valdez.

Freedom fighter, brilliant businessperson, devoted wife, master of languages, and ultimately, savior of a European dynasty. Claudia Patterson would become all of these--spurred on by the fiercely powerful loves and losses along the way...

• Denny Clark. An abused thirteen-year-old white boy whose life twelve-year-old Claudia saves--complicating her own life for years to come.

• Robert Moore. A young Black lawyer who becomes Claudia's beloved husband and partner on the explosive front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Amid the violence of the Ku Klux Klan, Claudia has a shocking personal encounter--with unimaginable consequences.

• Ashley Booth. A Wall Street executive who brings the glamour of New York alive for the now-widowed Claudia, introducing her to an elite circle of Black peers. But their long yet uncommitted romance leads Claudia to move on--to an overseas assignment at an Italian bank.

• Giancarlo Pasquale Fortenza. An Italian automobile industrialist, once enamored of a young Claudia--handsome, worldly, and twelve years her senior. A man with whom Claudia reconnects, bringing her life full circle in the boldest, bravest, and most unexpected ways...

Rich with history and timeless emotion, here is an epic tale of rising through poverty, racism, and heartbreak--and the awesome role of our most significant relationships throughout our lives.

Review Quotes

Praise for Rochelle Alers​

"Alers skillfully brings together two confident, middle-aged lead characters, a rare feat for the romance genre. Their banter and the mouth-watering food descriptions will have readers dreaming of having their own adventures in New Orleans." --Booklist on Breakfast in Bed

"Mature, realistic protagonists, a plethora of family and friends, and a well-researched and thoughtful story that skillfully straddles the line between romance and women's fiction beautifully sets the stage for this fascinating series to come." --Library Journal on The Inheritance

"Engaging and entertaining...a wonderful journey of four women who go from unemployed to best friends to innkeepers." --Romance in Color on The Bridal Suite

About the Author

Rochelle Alers is the bestselling author of more than eighty novels with nearly two million copies in print. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Golden Pen Award, Emma Award, Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award. A member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Theta Zeta chapter, she lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island, NY. Visit her online at RochelleAlers.org.