Out and Back

by Diane Strong

An out and back is a run that starts and ends at the same point. Along the way we are changed. In the end we are back where we started. Amber Stoneway is an anal, control freak who falls apart when her mother refuses to take her advice, and dies without Amber’s permission. Amber is lost without her mother and is plagued by memories as she struggles for normalcy in her grief stricken life. Without her mother to talk with, Amber begins to write messages to her on Facebook. She uses it to ask questions and beg for reassurance that everything is going to be okay. When her life seems to suddenly fall apart, her mother replies.Watch as Amber emerges from grief with an attempt to host the perfect Christmas party, something her mother was never able to do. (Based on a mostly true story)

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2012

About the author

Diane Strong lives in Kentucky with her husband and their two children. She received a liberal arts degree at Itasca Community College, a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Equine Studies from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana and a Master’s degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Kentucky.
She writes a small column for the Georgetown News Graphic and homeschools her children. In her spare time she competes in road races, triathlons and adventure races. She is the founder of the Georgetown Run Club and Intellectual Society. She loves what she does.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for free on feedbooks and it was a pretty good read.

Amber stoneway loves to run and takes care of her family. When her mom passes away from oral cancer, will her life ever be the same again? Read this and find out for yourself.

This was a great and heartfelt story about family.I enjoyed it and definitely reccomend this to others.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out and Back, by Diane Strong, caught my attention with its title and cover image. As a runner, I can relate to stories about runners, and I am definitely familiar with the type of course called an "out and back." For those who haven't heard of the term, it's when you run to a specific point and then turn back around, ending where you started.

In my opinion, the "out and back" course is very difficult. The protagonist, Amber Stonewall, finds herself on a difficult journey, indeed, when she loses her mother to cancer. The story begins with her mother's death and takes the reader back in time with Amber's memories about her mother.

The author mentions in her preface that the book was inspired by the death of her own mother. The preface also says that the book is very much fiction. Although it is fiction, this is a story that could happen to any person. It is definitely believable.

There were many sad moments in the book. It deals with issues such as death, job loss and injury. However, there are also some funny and happy moments.

While reading the book, I couldn't help but think of my own mom, and it makes me appreciate her and not want to take her for granted.

The story is heartwarming and has strong details and content. My only problem would be with the editing of the book. There were some usage and spelling mistakes that distracted me. However, this is a first edition of the book, and I don't doubt that these issues will be cleared up later on. Full disclosure: I'm a high school English teacher, so I think I am just nit-picky. I don't think most people will notice.

You don't have to be a runner to enjoy this book. I recommend that you give it a read.

*I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but this fact has not altered my review in any way.*

[Mark Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out and Back is the story of how a mother, runner, and uniquely gifted and wonderfully flawed human being deals with the death of her mother, and how, even after her mothers death, she is constantly working through their relationship.

This novel fell into my lap at a time when I was dealing with the death of a loved one, and was also in the throes of marathon training, so it spoke directly to my life circumstances and so my read was done in a unique mindframe. I am very glad it came into my life when it did.

Out and Back was very readable, easily accessible, doesn’t require work but just keeps your attention and interest since if you’re a parent or a runner you can relate. I loved the main character, who I assume is partially but not completely the author. I loved how she was aware of her flaws, how she had such high expectations of herself yet also swore (love the 'fuck fuck fucks') and scolded herself when she didn’t meet her own standards. She seemed so real, and the challenges of raising a family were portrayed with a sense of urgency amongst the very real threats we face.

And, when possible, the main character runs to cope and give her strength, yet is challenged to fit in a run when injuries and other annoyances get in her way. Yes, I did hope for more running in the novel, much like in my own life.

The conflicts and suspense of this novel to build a healthy family while fighting economic uncertainties, bickering kids, running injuries, kept me reading. I loved that she was constantly trying to negotiate family relationships by dealing with all the human imperfections we have and ultimately finding some peace by accepting her mother, and herself, for all her faults. Relationships with others don’t change when they pass. This novel showed that.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won Out and Back by Diane Strong in a first reads giveaway. As a newbie runner I was drawn to the topic of how others fit running into their very busy lives. This story didn't quite have the focus on running I thought it would but it still turned out to be a very good read. The author stresses in her preface that the story is a work of fiction. That may be, but it reads like a great memoir. The story focuses on Amber, a stay at home mom, and the death of her mother. Life is never one dimensional though so she also has to worry about her house, which is not selling, homeschooling her two young children, being a devoted wife, sister, and daughter, and trying to deal with an injury when all she wants to do is run for a little stress relief and quiet time. Sounds like many people's lives, right? It is a bit raw and rough around the edges but the story is completely believable and I frequently could make comparisons of the characters to real people in my life. It was almost like sitting in my own parents house sometimes. The story got bogged down in minute details at times and it flitted around quite a bit but that just made it feel more real.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the library because it was by a local author. Out and Back reads like a memoir although it is a work of fiction. I expected it to be about running, instead it focuses more on the main character, Amber, and how she copes with her mother's death.

The writing felt a bit choppy in places and would jump from present tense to past tense with no warning. I kept getting frustrated by small details that didn't line up. For example, Haden and Hayden spelled differently. The mention of not having a TV at home and then two pages later mention of the big screen TV.

Overall it's a quick read that's a little different from what I typically read.

Edited to add: Upon reading through another review I learned that the first edition was not professionally edited. It has since gone through that editing process and the little errors have been corrected for the e-book version.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book on modern grief by a Kentucky writer (and runner!).

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible writing (in desperate need of a good editor) about a woman who is very caught up in herself. Somehow, though, it is a story about loss which is hard to put down.

[Edgars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindles brīvversija, ko atradu pēc tam, kad biju izlasījis iepriekšējo šīs pašas autores grāmatu "The Run". Kā jau var noprast no nosaukuma `Out and Back` jeb `Turp un atpakaļ`, grāmata vismaz daļēji ir arī par skriešanu. Es to arī tādēļ gribēju lasīt, jo man patīk lasīt grāmatas par skriešanu. Taču, ja tā ir vienīgā interese, grāmata tomēr var likt vilties, jo skriešana tajā atspoguļota salīdzinoši ļoti maz. Pamatā galvenā varone vienkārši stāsta par savu dzīvi, galvenokārt par māti, kas, kā jau noprotams no grāmatas pirmajām lappusēm, nomirst ar vēzi (nē, tas nav nekāds spoileris, tas jau pat autores ievadā pateikts), kā arī par citiem ģimenes locekļiem. Jau gaidīju, kad beidzot grāmata sagādās vilšanos arī man, bet tā nenotika līdz pat beigām.

Liekas - kas gan tur var būt interesants, lasīt kādas svešas tantas dzīves aprakstu. Bet uzrakstīts tik ļoti dzīvi, it kā es pats to visu piedzīvotu un justu līdzi. Laikam man šī grāmata ļoti patika tādēļ, ka likās, ka esmu ļoti līdzīgs galvenajai varonei, ļoti daudz lietas daru tāpat, daudz īpašību mums sakrīt (neskaitot vienīgi tādu sīkumu, ka viņa ir tantiņa ar visām no tā izrietošajām nebūšanām). Viss dzīvesgājums faktiski aprakstīts tik sīki un detalizēti, turklāt pirmajā personā, ka, šķiet, nevar būt citādi - tā ir autores autobiogrāfija. Laikam neesmu vienīgais, kas tā domā, jo autore šo lietu jau atrunājusi ievadā, skaidri pateikdama, ka tas tomēr tā nav, pilnīgi viss esot tikai viņas fantāziju auglis. Tas nudien likās savādi, lasot grāmatu un atceroties šo ievada atrunu.