Monday Give Away: THE WAY TO LONDON

Every now and then, you luck into a book that just sweeps you along. In this case, all the way from Singapore to Cornwall to London. For this week’s give away, I give you… Alix Rickloff’s The Way to London.

Here’s the official blurb:

way to londonFrom the author of Secrets of Nanreath Hall comes this gripping, beautifully written historical fiction novel set during World War II—the unforgettable story of a young woman who must leave Singapore and forge a new life in England.

On the eve of Pearl Harbor, impetuous and overindulged, Lucy Stanhope, the granddaughter of an earl, is living a life of pampered luxury in Singapore until one reckless act will change her life forever.

Exiled to England to stay with an aunt she barely remembers, Lucy never dreamed that she would be one of the last people to escape Singapore before war engulfs the entire island, and that her parents would disappear in the devastating aftermath. Now grief stricken and all alone, she must cope with the realities of a grim, battle-weary England.

Then she meets Bill, a young evacuee sent to the country to escape the Blitz, and in a moment of weakness, Lucy agrees to help him find his mother in London. The unlikely runaways take off on a seemingly simple journey across the country, but her world becomes even more complicated when she is reunited with an invalided soldier she knew in Singapore.

Now Lucy will be forced to finally confront the choices she has made if she ever hopes to have the future she yearns for.

At its heart, The Way to London is a heroine’s journey of self discovery. Like the eighteenth century novels about young men thrown into the world, Lucy has her share of adventures on the road, but each, ultimately, helps her discover just who she is and what she wants.

So, for a chance to win my advance copy of The Way to London, here’s your question: what’s your favorite road trip novel? (Or movie?)

The winner will be announced on Wednesday.

The Way to London will be available in stores on September 19, 2017.

53 Comments

  1. Mary Lou on June 5, 2017 at 7:57 am

    Not exactly a “Road Trip” but: Three Men and a Boat by Jerome K Jerome.

  2. Alyson on June 5, 2017 at 8:11 am

    Juliet by Anne Fortier

  3. Laura on June 5, 2017 at 11:21 am

    Seconding Anne Fortier’s Juliet. A wonderful book set in Siena, Italy.

  4. Anne Burner on June 5, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    That would be Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman. It’s a coming of age weird west fantasy novel. First of the Devil’s West series. The main character learns who she is on something a lot like an Oregon Trail adventure.

  5. Rachel Adrianna on June 5, 2017 at 6:21 pm

    Film: “Rain Man”
    Sexy, arrogant Tom Cruise, mind-blowingly talented Dustin Hoffman, quotable dialogue… so good!

    Book: “Tales of a Female Nomad” by Rita Golden Gelman
    Rita make you envious enough of her life to inspire you, but not enough where you hate her and feel like your life is nothing in comparison. She has such a beautiful way of integrating herself into different international cultures and presenting other customs in a thoughtful, respectful way.

  6. Dianne Casey on June 5, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    My favorite on the road novels is The Tradd Street series by Karen White. Especially if I’m on my way to Charleston SC.

  7. Amy M on June 5, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    I think my favorite road trip novel is still The Cockermouth Mail by Dinah Dean. I remember reading it for the first time when I was about 13 or 14, and it holds up well on reread as an adult.

  8. Carla on June 5, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    This book looks amazing! Thanks for sharing Lauren!

    Not exactly “road” trip 100% but Monkey Dancing, a book about a newly divorced, broken hearted dad, and his travels with his two kids, is really good.

  9. Tara on June 6, 2017 at 5:57 am

    Into the Wild was a great road trip, life-journey movie.

  10. Maureen on June 6, 2017 at 9:20 am

    And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

  11. Abby on June 6, 2017 at 9:27 am

    Heidi’s Alp by Christina Hardyment, about one family’s travels through Europe in the 1980s in search of the places and history behind fairy tales and children’s stories.

  12. Ashley A on June 6, 2017 at 10:26 am

    I just finished “Travels with Charley in Search of America,” by John Steinbeck, and it was very good! He drive all around the US in a camper with his poodle, Charley. Maybe it was my love for my own poodle that caused me to enjoy it so much.

  13. Anna D. on June 6, 2017 at 10:36 am

    First Lady by the incomparable Susan Elizabeth Phillips

  14. Randy Riddle on June 6, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Also going with Anne Foltier’s Juliet. One of my all time favorites.

  15. Kierstin on June 6, 2017 at 11:23 am

    It’s less of a road trip and more of just a travel book but Eat, Pray, Love is one of my absolute favorite books. It’s definitely a journey of self-discovery novel and I love to reread it.

  16. Jennifer on June 6, 2017 at 11:36 am

    A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

  17. Céline on June 6, 2017 at 11:36 am

    That book seems absolutely wonderful!!! I’ll definitely read it!!!

    As for the “road trip” book or movie, I’d pick Little Miss Sunshine! Loved it!!

  18. Rebecca W. on June 6, 2017 at 11:38 am

    I’m not sure if this counts, but Notes from A Small Island by Bill Bryson is one of my favorites!

  19. Laura Parker on June 6, 2017 at 11:42 am

    I will say “Roman Holiday”! Not quite a road trip, but she does get around!:)

  20. Katie Malik on June 6, 2017 at 11:49 am

    Love this author. So excited for her new book. My favorite road trip novel is The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay.

  21. Michelle Springer on June 6, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    Book- Eat, Pray,Love. It’s not a novel, but that book has been so helpful to me over the years.

    Movie- Thelma and Louise. Always! 🙂

  22. LynnS on June 6, 2017 at 12:09 pm

    Sara Donati’s Into the Wilderness. It’s also fun playing spot the characters from other books!

  23. Lindsey on June 6, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    Anything by Bill Bryson!

  24. Lilyane Soltz on June 6, 2017 at 12:42 pm

    “All Roads Lead to Austen”, Amy Elizabeth Smith – I adored it!

  25. Amber on June 6, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    Thelma and Louise

  26. Kelly W on June 6, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson

  27. Linda Lassman on June 6, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    Madam, Will You Talk, by Mary Stewart. Well, pretty much anything by Mary Stewart, but this one is particularly a road trip.

  28. Pat Dupuy on June 6, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    That’s tough! I’d say any book by Susanna Kearsley. And Little Miss Sunshine for a movie. Or Family Vacation?

  29. Bekah on June 6, 2017 at 1:55 pm

    I also loved Juliet by Anne Fortier. This book look great too!

  30. Linda May on June 6, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    I’d have to say my favorite road trip movie is Rainman. Thanks for this generous giveaway, the book looks great.

  31. Kelley B on June 6, 2017 at 2:41 pm

    Thelma and Louise!

  32. Jenny Collins Belk on June 6, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    The Prince Of Tides-Pat Conroy comes to mind. Thanks for the chance to win.

  33. DJL on June 6, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    One Plus One by JoJo Moyes, which I discovered last year, is a great take on the “road trip” trope (with romance and a big ol’ dog thrown into the mix).

  34. Mommasue on June 6, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    Walk Across America. I assume it still counts as a road trip if it’s by foot!

  35. Urjona on June 6, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    I haven’t read too much but one that captivated me was And the Mountains Echoed by Kahled Hosseini.

  36. Marlene White Cole on June 6, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. It is non-fiction but truly a journey of heroic measure.

  37. Jane on June 6, 2017 at 5:43 pm

    Susanna Kearsley The Rose Garden. Love that book and it is a trip through time ?

  38. rachel on June 6, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    I read one called “Driving Lessons” years ago and loved it. Not sure how it’d hold up but I loved it as a young teen.

  39. Maria on June 6, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    The Simplicity of Cider by Amy Reichert

  40. Sue Krekeler on June 6, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    Gotta be The Long, Long Trailer. I laugh hysterically every single time.

  41. Jenn Reedy on June 6, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    The Outlander series for the win! I’ve also enjoyed On the Road, The Odyssey, and Susanna Kearsley’s works. Deanna Raybourn has a wonderful series set in Africa, and Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily often travels to the Continent in her novels.

  42. Maria on June 6, 2017 at 8:52 pm

    I always like to bring Anne of Green Gables books on road trips.

  43. Courtney on June 6, 2017 at 9:10 pm

    Road trip movie is two for the road! And road trip book would be something by Bill Bryson or a room with a view.

  44. Alice on June 6, 2017 at 9:26 pm

    Letters From Juliet. That Italian countryside!

  45. Kimberly Bristol on June 6, 2017 at 9:38 pm

    The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. Or The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas. The best book I ever read during a road trip was Vanity Fair. It was the only thing that made me laugh from Brussels to Morocco. Lol

  46. Latricia Davis on June 6, 2017 at 9:45 pm

    I love anything by Bill Bryson, especially Notes From a Small Island, because he’s style of writing and comments always crack me up.

  47. Marianne on June 6, 2017 at 10:18 pm

    Has to be THE LAST OPEN ROAD by Bert Levy. It’s about cars, racing, and travel in the 50s. THE WAY TO LONDON sounds great.

  48. Jill Gonzalez on June 6, 2017 at 10:52 pm

    Not sure if it constitutes as a road trip per se, but my favorite journey book is The Hobbit along with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy although the trilogy can get a little long and tedious in places. And of course, there are a few Pink books that have some travels in them. ?
    This book sounds pretty good too. Thank you!

  49. Tiffany on June 7, 2017 at 1:33 am

    Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Driving through Yellowstone National Park, I couldn’t wait to reach our next destination so I could open this book and read the next chapter!

  50. Amy on June 7, 2017 at 1:50 am

    My daughter and I just finished reading Amelia Bedilia Road Trip! Loved it!!

  51. Eirene on June 7, 2017 at 2:08 am

    It’s a little odd to consider Jennifer Roberson’s Sword Dancer series as a road trip series, but it fits the bill. Lots of adventure and introspection between two traveling companions.

  52. Betty Strohecker on June 7, 2017 at 8:35 am

    The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley and I also loved Anne Fortier’s Juliet, mentioned by several others.

    Would love this book. I am on a WWII kick.

  53. Laurice on June 7, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    I’m going with Rain Man as my favorite road trip movie

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