The Road to Yesterday: A Memoir

by Maryellen Donovan

For readers who found comfort in Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, a 9/11 widow’s memoir of rediscovering joy and finding love again after the violent loss of her husband.

One sunny Tuesday morning, Maryellen Donovan’s beloved husband, Steve Cherry, lost his life in the 9/11 attacks—rocking her to her core, and changing her family forever.

Maryellen’s life and love with Steve was all she could have hoped for; in the wake of his death, she was inconsolable. But ultimately, she had no choice but to be strong for her two young sons—and even when deep in the grip of hopeless despair, she found solace in her deep faith and belief that, with the support of friends and family, she would eventually find love and happiness once again. Her route to her happy ending proved long and winding and full of obstacles—cancer, family conflict, even more loss—but she always found a way forward, no matter the setbacks she encountered. 

An inspirational story that will provide hope to anyone who’s experienced unfathomable loss and loneliness, The Road to Yesterday is a testament to the idea that there is always a path to love and joy—if only you’re determined enough to keep yourself open to it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Marcia reading past dark · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book. Before finishing the prologue, I knew that this would be a story that would live on in my mind for a long time. Maryellen Donovan’s journey of perseverance in the face of repeated loss is emotionally staggering but also inspiring. Do you remember 9/11? It was a Tuesday.

“The day was clear and sparkling and perfect—unusually so for September. As the car engine hummed beneath us, I smiled to myself…”

Her words transport me back to that day when I watched the television screen as the first plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember the feeling as my stomach plummeted, shock and horror racing through my body, and my mind whirling to make sense of the sight before me. But my husband did not work in one of those towers. Maryellen’s husband Steve did.

The 9/11 tragedy would be enough for one person to suffer, but more trials are headed Maryellen’s way. She faces every challenge laid before her and pushes past obstacles, always pressing forward. A message woven through the narrative is that we are not alone in our sufferings. I loved her friend Gina:

“We needed no words; she held me, we cried together, and I wondered again how anybody navigates the world without women friends.”

Maryellen’s honesty should be applauded. Some readers may be criticize her for being so truthful, for her story is one that is very real and very human. And certainly, every reader will not support all of her actions, but let’s be honest. Life can be messy, and Maryellen found the courage to face what fate put before her; and now, she is brave enough to share both the beautiful and the ugly parts of her journey. Her story is powerful, a story that isn’t about perfection but about survival. It’s about picking up, moving on, and learning to live again.

In the epilogue, she states her purpose in writing this book: “…to inspire other women, other people who have lived through tragedies either global or intimately personal, to believe that their lives are not over, that they can survive the pain, that they can go on to be happy and lead beautiful lives, and that those lost are never really gone.”

Maryellen, my sister, you did it!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I start sharing my thoughts about this book, I just want to say that I always feel strange to rate a memoir because it's someone else's real story and their experience in life, but anyways, to me, I think all memoirs deserve a solid 5-star.

It’s been a while since I last read a memoir as poignant as this one by Maryellen Donovan, whose husband worked in one of the World Trade Center twin towers on that fateful day of September 11 twenty-four years ago. Truthfully, I cannot appreciate more of Maryellen’s bravery and candor for sharing her own story as a survivor to not just the tragic event, but many more obstacles she faced later in her life.

This book marks some of her highest highs and lowest lows, but in the end of the day, her story shows ultimate resilience, positivity, and endless hope however life treats her. In short, she lets us know there is still a silver lining and everything is possible as long as we continue to live, embrace, and love life. <3

All in all, please add this book to your TBR and I hope you’ll feel the power in Maryellen’s personal experience. Feel free to check out the Tribute in Light in remembrance of 9/11 in NYC on my bookstagram post!

***Massive thanks to the author and BookSparks for sending me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.***

[Booksandchinooks (Laurie)]

This memoir starts on Sept 11, 2001 when the terror attacks hit the Twin Towers in NYC. Maryellen’s husband Steve was one of the victims leaving her a widow at age 37 and a mother of two small children. In the aftermath as she finds her way forward she draws closer to Steve’s stepbrother and they decide to marry. She uproots her family to Los Angeles for a fresh start and embarks on her new marriage. Maryellen soon realizes she and her husband are not compatible but she concedes he is an amazing father to her children and recommits herself to him. Sadly before long she becomes a widow again while also battling cancer herself. The memoir details Maryellen’s journey and her hope to find stability and happiness for her children. There are quite a few losses and setbacks she endures through the years but she is buoyed by strong friends and a strong extended family. Maryellen finally finds her happily ever after with her third husband and is now living an amazing life in Idaho.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is always one of somber reflection for me. I am a native New Yorker who attended college and worked in lower Manhattan. My family still lives in the tri-state area, including a cousin who worked in the WTC at the time of the attacks. He survived, but lost more than 300 colleagues and friends. A cherished friend lost her first responder husband to cancer associated with his work at Ground Zero. And, so, the opportunity to read Maryellen Donovan’s poignant memoir feels like an honor.

The author tells her personal story of heartbreak, loss, and grief after the death of her husband at the WTC. Widowed with two young children, she faced indescribable challenges as she navigated her grief alongside the need to be strong for her children. Her honest reflection on the mistakes she made along the way and the painful path to moving forward is sobering. Above all, her ability to find hope, seek joy, and embrace life again is inspiring. I wish nothing but happiness for her and her family in the future.

I appreciate her candor and courage in sharing her story. I recognize that what for most of us is an annual remembrance is, for her, a significant part of her daily life. On September 12, 2001 we promised to never forget. I hope we keep that promise.

Thank you to @booksparks and @donovanmaryellen for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Sara (sarasbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release date September 9, 2025

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It’s such an emotional story of love, loss, and resilience. To get that call on 09/11 to turn your TV on and watch as a plane hits the World Trade centers, a building your husband works and then wonder if he made it out alive to find out he did not and now your life has changed forever is heartbreaking enough. Then, to step into a second marriage that wasn’t always the easiest or the happiest, and still face the unimaginable loss of that husband to cancer. She also endured her own health issues all while staying strong for her boys. My heart ached for her every step of the way.

What makes this book so moving is Mayellen’s honesty. She doesn’t shy away from the complicated parts of love, grief, or marriage. Life didn’t give her a perfect love story the second time around, yet she still found the courage to share both the beauty and the struggles. That openness makes her journey even more powerful, showing that resilience isn’t about perfection it’s about surviving, enduring, and finding light again.

If you’re looking for a book that’s raw, real, and deeply human, this is one I’d highly recommend. Just make sure you have tissues with you; no doubt you'll be crying

[Vonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 pages in and I was already bawling my eyes out! This is the kind of book that tugs at your heartstrings with every chapter. Maryellen went through so much, and I can’t imagine having to face what she did. She’s unbelievably strong, and I highly recommend this one!

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maryellen Donovan’s The Road to Yesterday: A Memoir is one of those books that quietly enter your life and then, like the sound of an old tune you half-remember, refuse to leave. Its strength lies not in spectacle, not in drama engineered for effect, but in its trust in memory, in its attention to the contours of a life lived through family, migration, and the ever-shifting search for a sense of home. It’s the kind of work that reminds you why memoir is such a deceptively rich form: it’s never simply about a single life but about the resonances that one person’s journey can set off in the reader’s mind.

What struck me first is Donovan’s prose. She doesn’t try to dazzle you with metaphors or make herself the heroic protagonist of her own life. Instead, she writes as if she is having a long evening conversation with you—sometimes tender, sometimes mournful, sometimes brimming with sly humour, but always with the unmistakable intimacy of someone who trusts you enough to be vulnerable. This lived-in quality—prose shaped by experience rather than affectation—gives the book a texture that is far more enduring than stylistic fireworks. One feels, while reading, that these stories are not just written but worn, like the creases in an old travel bag or the softened corners of a family photograph.

At its core, The Road to Yesterday is about displacement and the search for rootedness. Donovan’s family stories unfold against larger cultural shifts—migration across countries, the pulling apart of families, the longing for something stable in a world that is perpetually in flux. She writes of childhood places that vanish with the passage of time, of houses sold or demolished, of the quiet ache of losing a parent, and of trying to make sense of traditions when uprooted. Yet this is not a memoir weighed down by nostalgia in the narrow sense. Donovan understands that memory is not a perfect record; it is, rather, a compass shaped by both longing and loss, and it guides us, sometimes shakily, toward the future.

Reading it during the Puja vacation of 2025 added another layer for me. After hours of pandal-hopping, with music and conch-shells still ringing in my ears, I came back to her pages and found her reflections echoing the mood of Puja itself. Durga Puja, at heart, is a ritual of remembering: the re-enactment of a mythic story, yes, but also the revival of family practices, the gathering of communities, and the return of sounds, smells and foods that are passed down through generations. In that sense, it is “yesterday” performed anew each year. Donovan’s narrative of revisiting her past, confronting the shadows and savouring the sweetness, felt inseparable from the ritual of Puja, where every lamp lit is also an invocation of those who are no longer with us but still shape our present.

The memoir is divided, not into sharply demarcated “chapters”, but into flowing sections that move from family stories to travels to reflections on belonging. She writes about her parents with both tenderness and honesty. There are no saintly portraits here—her family members are fallible, sometimes frustrating, sometimes inspiring, always human.

In one particularly moving passage, she recalls the dissonance between her mother’s expectations and her own chosen path, not with bitterness but with a clear recognition of how generational gaps create wounds that only time can heal. The way she handles grief is especially striking: not as a sudden rupture but as an ongoing presence, a shadow that becomes part of the furniture of one’s days.

Travel, too, is an essential strand in Donovan’s narrative. She is not the kind of traveller who reduces places to tourist checklists. Rather, she lingers on how unfamiliar streets and foreign languages reshape one’s own sense of self.

Her displacement is not only geographical but emotional. In recounting these journeys, she is always attuned to how encountering another culture reveals both its differences and the buried assumptions of one’s own upbringing. Home, in this memoir, is not a fixed place; it is something provisional, constructed, always under negotiation.

What keeps this from becoming abstract is the detail with which she remembers small things. A train compartment where she overheard strangers talk in a language she barely understood. The ritual of her father’s evening walks. A family recipe prepared after years of absence, its taste not quite what she remembered but close enough to bring tears. These fragments accumulate to create the road she is tracing. And this road, she makes clear, is not a straight line but a series of detours, delays, and sudden turns. Yesterday is not behind us; it keeps re-emerging in the present, shaping every step forward.

In many ways, Donovan’s memoir is also a quiet meditation on the act of writing itself. She acknowledges how memory is selective, how it smooths some edges and exaggerates others. She admits to forgetting, to misremembering, and to revising stories over time. Yet rather than undermine the memoir, this honesty makes it more compelling.

She reminds us that writing about the past is not about capturing it perfectly but about engaging with its hold over us. Each retelling is also a renegotiation with one’s self.

What also lingers is the cultural dimension of her reflections. Donovan is acutely aware of how traditions, rituals, and community practices shape identity. Even when she feels displaced, she recognises that her sense of self is inseparable from these inherited practices.

But she doesn’t treat them as unchangeable relics; she sees them as evolving, as something to be adapted in new contexts. This is perhaps why her memoir resonates universally: anyone who has migrated, or even simply moved from childhood into adulthood, knows that tension between holding on and letting go.

Late at night, reading her words after wandering through the festive chaos of Kolkata’s Puja streets, I realised how much the memoir insists on the simultaneity of past and present. Puja is filled with music that is centuries old, yet played on modern loudspeakers; it is celebrated by young people scrolling Instagram in between offering anjali; it is memory transformed into a living ritual. Donovan’s narrative, likewise, suggests that yesterday is never gone; it is continually re-enacted in the rhythms of our lives.

Stylistically, she avoids sentimentality even when dealing with loss. Her writing is reflective, yes, but never indulgent. This restraint gives her memoir its dignity. It allows the reader to enter her experiences without being forced to feel in prescribed ways. The effect is cumulative: by the time you finish, you realise you have been carrying her stories with you, that her memories have braided themselves with your own.

The universality of the memoir lies in its refusal to present a triumphant narrative. Many memoirs are structured around redemption arcs or climactic victories. Donovan offers no such neatness. Her road to yesterday is ongoing, without final resolution. The effect is paradoxically comforting: it tells us that it is alright not to have closure, that life is made up of unfinished stories, and that carrying the past with us is not a weakness but a form of continuity.

By the time I closed the book, the sound of dhaak drums from a nearby pandal still in my ears, I realised that Donovan had given me a new way to think about tradition itself. We return to Puja every year not because it is the same but because it is different each time, layered with new memories. In the same way, revisiting one’s past is not about fossilising it but about finding new meanings in it. The road to yesterday is also, always, the road to tomorrow.

In the end, The Road to Yesterday is not just Donovan’s memoir—it is a mirror for the reader’s own memories. It invites you to think about your own family, your own displacements, and your own rituals of remembrance. It lingers because it does not pretend to answer life’s questions; instead, it offers the companionship of someone who has wrestled with them honestly. That companionship is, perhaps, the greatest gift a memoir can give.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book review: The Road to Yesterday: A Memoir by Maryellen Donovan.
Published by She Writes Press. Thank you Book Sparks.

Reading The Road to Yesterday is like sitting down with a friend over a pot of tea while they tell you the story of their life—unfiltered, raw, emotional, sometimes meandering, but always deeply personal. Maryellen Donovan’s memoir begins with an unthinkable loss: the death of her husband, Steve, in the 9/11 attacks. But what makes this book compelling isn’t just the tragedy—it’s the long, slow, complicated road she walks afterward. This is not a 9/11 memoir in the expected sense. It’s a grief memoir, a faith memoir, a motherhood memoir, and a survival memoir—one that doesn’t always offer easy answers but does offer hard-earned hope.

Donovan writes with clarity and emotional honesty, never romanticizing her pain or exaggerating her triumphs. She simply tells the truth. And it’s the kind of truth that catches you off guard. She gives you glimpses into the beautiful, ordinary life she shared with her husband before that Tuesday morning, and then she shows you what it looks like to be left behind with two young boys, a shattered world, and no choice but to figure out how to keep going.

What I appreciated most is that this book doesn’t rush the healing process. Donovan isn’t interested in wrapping everything up in a bow. She admits when she felt numb for years, when she leaned too hard on her sons, when her faith faltered, and when she made choices she questioned later. But there’s strength in that vulnerability. She lets you sit beside her through it all, including the years of loneliness, the unexpected cancer diagnosis, and the difficult family dynamics that made moving forward even harder.

At times, the structure of the memoir feels more like a collection of thoughts than a linear story. Some readers might find this disjointed, but I found it realistic. Grief doesn’t follow a neat timeline. Neither does healing. Donovan’s willingness to pull readers into those messy middle moments—when she wasn’t sure what she believed anymore or whether she could find love again—is exactly what makes the book resonate.

There’s a beautiful line that stayed with me: “Love doesn’t die—it just changes its job description.” It’s simple but profound, like much of Donovan’s writing. She doesn’t try to impress the reader with grand statements. Instead, she captures the smaller truths that live beneath the big events: the quiet strength required to pack school lunches when your world is falling apart, the comfort of friends who show up without asking what to bring, the ache of sitting alone at church, trying to believe in something again.

I will say, if you’re picking this up expecting a detailed account of 9/11 and its direct aftermath, you might be surprised. The actual events of that day are only a small part of the book. Donovan doesn’t rehash the details of the tragedy; she focuses on the ripple effects. Some readers may find that shift unexpected, even disappointing, if they came for a more historical or journalistic angle. But I think that’s part of the memoir’s quiet power: it doesn’t sensationalize. It stays personal.

There were a few sections where I wished for more depth—more specifics about how she navigated certain emotional pivots or what resources helped her during key transitions. The book sometimes tells what happened without fully showing it. As a result, I occasionally felt a little removed, like a listener standing just outside the circle. That said, I always felt invested, and I always wanted to keep reading. Even when the narrative slowed, Donovan’s sincerity kept me engaged.

Ultimately, The Road to Yesterday is about survival, yes—but it’s also about permission. Permission to grieve without a deadline. Permission to love again without guilt. Permission to find happiness even when the world tells you that chapter should be over. Donovan doesn’t claim to have all the answers, and that’s what makes this book feel trustworthy. She simply offers her story and lets you sit with it, like a warm light left on for someone who’s still out in the dark.

I think this memoir will resonate most deeply with readers who have experienced significant loss or upheaval—especially women, especially mothers, and especially those trying to rebuild something from the ashes. It’s a book to read slowly, maybe with tissues nearby, maybe with a journal on hand to scribble your own thoughts. It doesn’t preach, and it doesn’t pretend. It simply reminds us that while some roads are broken beyond repair, others are just overgrown, waiting to be found again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

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[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly can't remember requesting this book from BookSparks for their Fall Pop-up program, but I'm really glad I did! While 9/11 happened 24 years ago, it sometimes still feels like yesterday. Even though it was such a huge tragedy, sometimes people forget about all the individual lives impacted that day. Maryellen Donovan's life was one that was impacted as the result of cruel and horrifying actions.

Maryellen takes us back and forth throughout her life, starting with that terrible day and finding out that her husband was one of the many lives taken, and then she goes back to when she first met her husband and their complex but happy courtship. She allows us to feel her grief and numbness after 9/11 and then takes us on her journey to reclaim her happiness. There are many other bumps and heartbreaks along the road and I definitely felt bad for her when she hit those head on. I also celebrated with her when things went really well. Maryellen was so relatable, even having not been in her shoes. The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like I was hanging out with an old friend.

I felt the epilogue could have been tightened up a bit though. It felt more like another full chapter and went in a bunch of different directions. It was still interesting though. I also wish there had been more pictures than just the one of her late husband at the very end. He kind of fit the image in my head, but I was also picturing Parker from Drop Dead Diva. (Probably because I've been bingeing it a lot these days.)

Overall, this was an interesting read and I would definitely recommend it to others. I think people really need to see how 9/11 ripped apart the lives of people whose spouses and parents were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Especially those who think it's cool and trendy to be on the wrong side of history these days by cheering on the same terrorists who made it happen.

I know this must have taken a lot out of Maryellen to rehash everything that happened and I appreciate her sharing her life in this way.

[Mayra Tepi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“.. unlike the towers themselves, I would not collapse. I was still standing .."

🗓 September 11th.. a day we will never forget. If you are of a certain age, you will remember this day. I was in fifth grade, sitting in the classroom, when we noticed smoke far away through the window. Classmates started to leave early. Then it was my turn. My mom was picking me up, too. Like any other child, you get excited to end a school day early. Little did we know what was truly happening. I’ll never forget the way the air felt different for the next couple of days.

👩 Being a mom of four boys, I was intrigued to read Maryellen Donovan’s story. Her world turned upside down on 9/11 as she lost the love of her life.

🌃 Four pages in, and I already wanted to bawl my eyes out. The thing is you already know that The Road To Yesterday is a memoir about a mother of two kids who loses her husband during the 9/11 tragedy… but to read the details of how it happened and the way she was truly feeling, is another thing. Maryellen shares her internal feelings and honest thoughts.

❤️ Set in dualtimes - the beginning of Maryellen’s love story with her husband Steve and her life after losing him. I love how raw this book is. Her love story was not perfect, but it was real. She lets us know the good, the bad, and the ugly.

“If something seems too good to be true, it’s because it is."

🌱It’s wonderful how this book goes beyond the tragedy. It goes in depth of grief and loss but also being a woman in the early 90’s, giving love another chance and battling life situations.

✨️ The Road to Yesterday is a motivational story that will fill you of hope, no matter what you're going through.

Where were you on 9/11?

Thank you @booksparks and @donovanmaryellen for the #gifted copy 🫶🏽

[Readingbythepool · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? I do.

I was a freshman in college, having just moved from Connecticut to the Midwest. My grandma called and told me to turn on the TV. I watched as they reported on the first crash, and then, live, the second plane hit. My heart stopped. I remember praying my dad hadn’t gone into the city that day, wondering about friends and their families. Eventually, I got through the jammed phone lines and learned my family and friends were safe. I was one of the lucky ones.

But many weren’t.

One of those forever changed was Maryellen Donavon, who lost her husband that day and suddenly found herself a widow raising two young boys. Her memoir, The Road to Yesterday, is not only about the tragedy of that day, but about what comes after—the grief, the rebuilding, and the strength to move forward. Maryellen has faced other tragedies in her life, but what stands out is how she continued to move forward with grace and courage, proving that hope and healing are possible even in the darkest times.

She writes: “I was driven to write a story of survival and triumph, of the saving power of love—that I hoped to inspire other women, other people who have lived through tragedies either global or intimately personal, to believe that their lives are not over, that they can survive the pain, that they can go on to be happy and lead beautiful lives, and that those lost are never really gone.”

This book is about loss, yes, but even more, it’s about resilience, courage, and hope. It’s an inspirational story that touched me deeply.

Today, September 11th, I remember, I honor, and I will never forget.

Thank you, @BookSparks, @SheWritesPress, and Maryellen Donavon for the physical ARC of this unforgettable memoir. 💛

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Road to Yesterday….I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I will start with the title. Before knowing the meaning behind it, I already loved it. It is so poignant. Once I found out where it came from.....queue the tissues.

This book was everything I expected it to be and so much more. A firsthand account of 9/11 and the impact it had on the family of Maryellen Donovan, The Road to Yesterday takes the reader through the step-by-step account of that horrific day and the days and weeks that followed. From the first phone call, the quick to rally support system, and all the things those of us who were not as personally affected would even think of, still coming into play many months down the line.

This book does not just start and end with 9/11. It goes so much deeper. It is a raw and honest account of the author and the road she and her family faced as they stared down unimaginable loss and tried to rebuild a future. As a woman, Maryellen is so relatable. While many readers may not have lived some of the experiences she has, you are left with nothing but respect for the grace with which this woman faced each challenge that laid before her.

A tribute to her late husband Steve, who died on 9/11 and her determination to honor him by raising two wonderful sons who he would be proud of, this book is a reflection on the obstacles Maryellen faced as well as lessons learned. It is a love story as well as a book about tragedy, strength, hope, family, love and resilience.

Thank you to Book Sparks for the ARC of this truly special and emotional book (readers, have your tissues handy!). It was a deep and important read!

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maryellen Donovan experienced a tragic loss when the World Trade Center buildings fell taking with it her husband. Left behind with two young boys, Maryellen learned to rely on her friends and family to get through each day. Eventually the fog would lift and Maryellen would come to accept that life moves on, even when you're not thinking about it. Married again when tragedy strikes again, Maryellen's story is about love, love and rediscovery.

One of the reasons I love reading memoirs is because it teaches me about people and experiences I would have never otherwise met or experienced. While I resonated with the first handful of chapters which covered the before and the immediate after I struggled to connect with the story. There are very few topics that immediately turn me off in a story; whether it's fiction or nonfiction, and that topic is infidelity. Maryellen's story includes this more than once, and it kept me from connecting with her and her journey. If this doesn't bother you, in the same way it does me, than you may enjoy it more. I skimmed to the end realizing I just didn't care to see where Maryellen's life took her.

The writing is well done, the story is structured well and mostly in chronological order and care was taken to omit some details for the sake of her sons which I think was a wise decision. However, I question the thought to omit details about her situation during her marriage to Russ, while openly writing about the affair with Steve who brought 2 children from his previous marriage into their marriage. Why do those boys not receive the same consideration?

Thank you BookSparks for the gifted copy.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maryellen Donovan’s husband, Steve Cherry, lost his life in the 9/11 attacks, as expected, this changed her family forever.

This poignant story kept me turning the pages. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but since I don't read a book's synopsis I'm not sure what I thought it would include.

The 9/11 tragedy would have been enough to work through, but her loss caused her to react to situations with different emotions than I think she would have before the accident.

Throughout the book, I felt for Maryellen’s vulnerability. Her honesty and candor were what kept my interest. She didn’t shy away from expressing her raw emotions, which made her story all the more relatable and compelling. Her choices, though not always great, seemed to always come back to the sudden loss of her husband. This central theme of grief and the struggle to move forward resonated deeply with me.

If you’re looking for a well-written book that’s raw and, at times, will possibly even bring back memories of your own, this is it. It’s touching and real, capturing the complexities of grief and the human spirit’s ability to endure.

The book not only provides insight into Maryellen’s personal journey but also serves as a reminder of the collective pain and resilience experienced in the aftermath of such a monumental tragedy.

This book is a heartfelt exploration of loss, vulnerability, and healing. It’s a story that will stay with you, touching your heart and prompting reflection on your own experiences and emotions.

Thank you so much @booksparks for #gifting me this book.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @booksparks and @donovanmaryellen for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

A 9/11 widow’s memoir of rediscovering joy and finding love again after the violent loss of her husband.

MY THOUGHTS: I always enjoy reading thoughtful memoirs, and I found this one to be exceptionally well-written and deeply moving. Maryellen Donovan made a promise to herself early on to become a survivor of her nightmare, not a victim, envisioning it, when she didn’t yet feel it. She wrote, “𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴‘ 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥.“ I can’t imagine the profound grief and sadness that would accompany such a tragedy. We all feel sorrow for our friends who suffer a loss, but how often do we quickly move on leaving them to navigate their grief on their own? The author touches on this and also describes who was there for her and how it helped. Told through flashbacks of tender memories and written in the present as if she was still going through it, this memoir is quite the inspirational story, and while I didn’t always agree with her choices, this is her story and I highly recommend it! This story touches on infidelity, love and loss.

[Oma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this memoir because I was drawn to stories about love, loss, and resilience — and Maryellen’s journey delivered all of that and more. This memoir is raw, emotional, and deeply human. She takes us through her experiences of love, devastating loss, and the complicated ways grief reshapes a life. She’s lived through three very different love stories, each marked by both joy and heartbreak, and she doesn’t shy away from the messy, imperfect truths along the way.
Her honesty struck me the most. The writing flows between intimate narration and almost a third-person distance when she reflects on her past, which made her story even more powerful. It felt like she was both inside her memories and standing outside of them, trying to make sense of it all.
I’ll admit — there were moments I found myself judging some of her choices, but as I kept reading, I understood her perspective. Grief, love, and survival don’t follow neat rules, and Maryellen shows that with courage and vulnerability.
By the end, I was left with admiration for her resilience and a deeper understanding of how grief and love can coexist. A moving and unforgettable read — one I won’t forget any time soon.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone over a certain age remembers where they were on September 11, 2001. Maryellen Cherry was at home. She had just talked to her husband Steve, an executive at Cantor Fitzgerald. None of the employees survived and Maryellen was left alone to raise their two sons. She made what turned out to be bad decisions in the first year after Steve’s death, but is now happily married.

The Road to Yesterday is a story of survival. Maryellen had to learn to Iive without the love of her life. She had to be a single mother to her sons. A difficult relationship caused her to make life changing decisions. She dealt with illness and more loss. Although her life has been filled with tragedy and disappointement, she has triumphed with grace. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, She Writes Press and Maryellen Donovan for this ARC.

[Kaytee Pergentile]

What a beautiful memoir full of tragedy, truth, trust and love. Maryellen and her two boys are such brave humans in this world. Their story weaved its way into my heart, giving me a hopeful peace only to take that emotional rollercoaster ride down to sadness again.

Reading this was gut wrenching so living it must have been like no experience I have ever had. 

Maryellen always puts her boys first and I can really appreciate that as a mom of two kids. She held her head high and kept her heart open and eventually, found a happy ending. That made me more elated than words can say. 

I don't give memoirs a star rating because they are such personal stories. Someone's truth. Who am I to rate that? I think anyone who picks this up will enjoy it but be prepared for some tears. 

[Susan (The Book Bag) · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I was hooked after reading the prologue of this book. Reliving that horrible day of 9/11 again, from a family member's point of view, was heartbreaking but it's something that they have to live with day after day. This memoir shows us, the readers, that even though getting through it was very tough and surreal, it was possible to live a life on the other side of all the heartbreak and trauma.

We get to witness all of Maryellen's ups and downs as she and her family try to navigate their 'new normal'. Times were very tough but love, family, and friends were always at the core of their lives. he Road to Yesterday is a great reminder of the 9/11 event and gives insight as to how people moved on, while never forgetting what they went through.

[Emily Malek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I was given an advanced reader’s copy of this book from SparkPoint Studio in exchange for an honest review.

Grief memoirs can go many ways. It can help people overcome sadness from the tragedy that occurred. It also creates windows for readers to see what it’s like for those going through a certain type of event. However, some can be sensationalized and can only work for so long. Luckily, today’s book "The Road to Yesterday: A Memoir" by Maryellen Donovan does the former two. It’s a realistic look at one woman’s journey to overcoming grief after losing her husband in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

To read more of this review, click on this link: https://chick-who-reads-everything.co...

[Kim Wilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Road to Yesterday is a deeply moving memoir that captures both the tragedy of 9/11 and the resilience that followed. Reading it brought me back to that day—where I was, what I felt—and reminded me of the countless lives forever changed. Maryellen’s story is heartbreaking yet profoundly inspiring, as she navigates unimaginable loss, grief, and the long road of rebuilding. Through her courage and faith, she shows that while the pain never fully leaves, hope and healing can still be found. This book is a solemn reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the power of perseverance in the face of sorrow.

Those lost are never really gone.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @booksparks + @donovanmaryellen for the gifted copy.

This book makes you feel like you’re sitting across from the person telling you the story. It also makes you feel like you can survive anything, too. The story is messy. There are complicated family dynamics and doubts about so many things, including faith. It all just comes off as very honest. If you’ve ever been in a place where you’re stuck in a rut between the past and the future, this is the book that speaks that exact feeling.

[CR · Rating 3 out of 5]

A touching memoir that explores grief, faith, and the slow road to healing. Maryellen’s strength as a mother and widow is inspiring. While not every moment resonated, it’s a brave and heartfelt story for those navigating unimaginable loss.

[Lorna Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic

The most authentic and raw book I've read in years. Brave and courageous woman.
Started this morning and read it all.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book—it offered a lot of Hope. We all have hard things to get through—we need to persevere. Find our own silver linings.

[Josie Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great memoir. Incredible story telling, raw truth

[Carissa Lambariello · Rating 5 out of 5]

you can’t deny the fact that this woman poured her heart and soul into these pages. the raw honesty, the revealing of her deepest secrets and desires, combined with her hope for the future of the days ahead made this an unforgettable memoir.

this is not just a story about the loss of her husband on 9/11. it’s about who she was before, who she became after, and everything she had to navigate in between.

thank you to the author, and booksparks for the early galley.