The Journey is about a loving family of six comfortably living in the town Monguno in Nigeria and their harrowing trek. This incredible story begins with a 10-year old boy, Beb, as he is walking with two of his friends. He recognizes a convoy approaching and warns his friends to run, as he knows from his father that it could mean only one thing. It is right here in this story when my heart jumped. The first chapter quickly identifies the rest of his family, and where they are at when the extremists enter their town. The father, Kalu, knew this day was coming. He does his best to quickly round up his family to try to get them to safety.

As a doctor Kalu is torn between the self-preservation necessary to protect his family, and trying to help others as they become injured during this horrific time. Kalu desperately tries to get his family to Morocco, and then Europe, as he has been preparing for this eventuality. The journey is not easy, and is fraught with unimaginable tragedy. As I read this book, the atrocities that took place created such intense sadness and pain in me for these people who were driven from their homes, knowing that their futures offered very little hope. Nothing I have ever read or watched about a great exodus such as this could have prepared me for what the writer conveys in the story.

As described in the blurb, this is an emotional thriller. It is written as realistic as I’ve ever experienced for a fictional tale. This is a book that kept me up until all hours because I just could not put it down! It really made me think of my life and of how easy it is. It also made me sad because of the grittiness in which the tragedies occurred. However, I did not want the book to end. I wanted more for this family. This fact alone proved to me the realism conveyed by Conrad Jones. The book finished with a twist that truly shook me. I won't be forgetting about The Journey anytime soon. Kudos to Mr. Jones.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. ( )

The Journey by Conrad Jones

What if you and your family had to flee for your life? What would you do? How would you get away? Would you be prepared?

Dr. Kalu Andaku has been aware that Boko Haram was on the move and that being prepared was essential if he wanted to get his wife, son and three daughters out safely should the rebel militia arrive in town. But when the time to flee arrived it was so much worse than expected, the trip was fraught with peril and it became a nightmare of epic proportion that saw not all make it out safely.

This is a gritty story of survival that made me revisit wars I have lived through and also think about a time when my husband and I got together items to make on a trek across a dessert to get our son and daughter out safely – if we needed to – and another time when we were evacuated from a coast with one suitcase and snipers on the roofs nearby. We did not have to implement the plans we made to cross the desert but we did make them. If we had ended up like Kalu, his wife and their children…well…I don’t even want to think about what that would have been like!

Even though this story was gritty and the target is no doubt adults I had the feeling it might be a book that could be a class-read novel to be discussed with a wise teacher in a classroom. Educational and thought provoking – this was a quick read but one that will linger with me for some time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )