Lost Along the Way (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798218719326)

ABIGAIL JONES is a people-pleaser. At the age of fifty-seven, she has never learned to put herself first. After divorcing her ex-husband, DAVID, she would never dream of saying a harsh word about him to her children, MATT, GRACE, and ROSE. She thanks God every day for them.

As Abigail slowly realizes that her youngest daughter is an alcoholic, the only solution is to check her into a rehabilitation center, and at first Rose agrees. But then Rose speaks with her father, who convinces her to move in with him and his new wife, hundreds of miles away.

It doesn't take long for Rose to place all of her hopes in relocation. Her youngest child is caught between her parents; unsure of how to please them both. Like mother, like daughter, and that's the last thing Abigail wanted for her.

When Rose begins to have problems at the halfway house, Abigail doesn't want to share the catastrophe with her fiancé, Sam, but she does, and in a shocking display of kindness and generosity, he offers to pay for Abigail to fly out to Arizona. She accepts his offer just in time to learn that Rose has been kicked out of the halfway house for drinking and staying out all night. Sam comes up with a last-ditch solution: if all else fails, Rose will live with him and Abigail.

When Abigail arrives in Arizona, Rose is ragged and thin beyond belief; she wouldn't have survived on her own for much longer. Again, Abigail tries to convince Rose to enter rehabilitation, but it's too late. David has already told her that it's too expensive and not a good idea. Out of nowhere, Rose asks if she can live with Abigail and Sam, and Abigail agrees.

After the third relocation, Abigail doesn't think that life could get any worse. She feels more alone than ever. She wonders if she'll ever be able to get Rose sober on her own, and if saving the life of one child is worth losing the love of her other two. She begins to believe that even God, her sole strength in so many times of sorrow, has abandoned her. She stops eating. She stops sleeping. She stops praying. She lives day to day, a shell of her former self. Her one goal is to get and keep Rose sober. She puts herself in Rose's shoes.

And then, Sam slips and confirms her suspicions that the family did act behind her back and decide that sending Rose to live with Abigail and Sam was the best solution, and Sam only accepted Rose into their home to keep Abigail from leaving him. She wants to abandon ship, to walk away and disappear from her family and God. And one terrifying night, evil gains power. She wants to hate them all. She dreams the worst nightmare-her darling Rose is standing in the middle of a boxing ring. She is all alone. She is helpless. Rose has no tools to win the battle against her addiction.

Shaken by her realizations, Abigail turns once again to God. She asks for His forgiveness, and she vows to rebuild the beautiful life she previously shared with her children. But first, she knows, she must rebuild herself. She must forgive herself for doubting the love of her children, and for doubting God. She confronts Sam. She is on fire. He has no defense.

She is in control of her own life once again. She and Rose pack their bags and set off on their own, mother and daughter reunited and stronger than ever.

The family's recovery took time. It wasn't smooth-life isn't always easy. But the Jones family is still intact, and that's all that really matters.