“The first time Chris buried a part of herself by her son’s roadside cross, it was an accident.”

Grief is a well from which many authors draw water, but rarely does it permeate a story as strongly as it does in Crossroads. Every paragraph drips with it, our few moments of joy fleeting and sadly evanescent.

Crossroads is a book about sacrifice. Chris is a mother willing to give everything for her child—even if that child is in his twenties and dead. She’ll do anything to get him back. If it means losing herself in the process, it’s a price she’s willing to pay.

This novella had me thinking it was going a certain way, but Hightower knows how to play with expectations. The ending left me feeling tragedy in a way that is rare.

You feel for every one of these characters. All of them go through such intense hardship and are just doing their best. You can’t help but root for Chris, Dan, Bo, and any ancillary characters that pop up throughout.

I read this after The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper and True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik. Fans of either of those books will love this one, and vice-versa!