The Journey Home by Michael Baron

Joseph wakes up disoriented and confused.  He doesn't know where he is, where he is from, or where he should be.  He remembers a woman, and her love, but he doesn't remember anything else.  He doesn't remember how she looks, her name, or where they live.  He just knows she is his wife and he needs to find her.

Antoinette is an elderly woman living in an assisted care facility.  She just wants to sleep and dream of her days with her late husband, Don.  They've always called each other Don and Hannah, an inside joke, even though it's not their real names.  She relives moments with him when she dreams, and she doesn't want to wake up. 

Warren is Antoinette's son.  He recently lost his job and his marriage crashed.  He spends his days with his mom, hoping to draw her from her bed and back to the land of the living.  He begins to cook lunches for her everyday, meals she had cooked for him growing up.  The smells bring back memories and those few moments of lucidity make all the work of cooking an elaborate meal for lunch worth it.

Then there is Will, a young teenager who befriends Joseph.  He insists on assisting Joseph on his quest for home and the two of them set out on a journey. The three journeys will collide into an emotional filled ending that will leave you breathless.

The Journey Home is a heart-warming story of love.  But also, a heart-breaking story watching Antoinette fade away from the living, preferring to live in the past when her husband was alive.  A story that is real and will touch you in many different facets.  Michael Baron has a gift.  He has penned such an emotional and memorable tale that will stay with you long after the last page.  Simply beautiful.