Introduction

Named a Best Book of 2018 by Real Simple and Redbook

"Delightful... effervescent, heady and intoxicating." -Elin Hilderbrand

How far would you got to find the place you belong?

Hannah is finally about to have everything she ever wanted. With a high-paying job, a Manhattan apartment, and a boyfriend about to propose, all she and Ethan have to do is make it through the last couple of weeks of grad school.

But when, on a romantic weekend trip to Sonoma, Hannah is spontaneously offered a marketing job at a family-run winery and doesn't immediately refuse, their meticulously planned forever threatens to come crashing down. And then Hannah impulsively does the unthinkable - she takes a leap of faith.

Abandoning your dream job and life shouldn't feel this good. But this new reality certainly seems like a dream come true--a picturesque cottage overlooking a vineyard; new friends with their own inspiring plans; and William, the handsome son of the winery owners who captures Hannah's heart only to leave for the very city she let go.

Soon, the mission to rescue the failing winery becomes a mission to rescue Hannah from the life she thought she wanted. Crackling with humor and heart, The Shortest Way Home is the journey of one woman shedding expectations in order to claim her own happy ending.

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Excerpt

Chapter 1

I would have never predicted that a winery could change my life. But when I walked into the empty tasting room at Bellosguardo on the first weekend in May of my thirtieth year, a feeling came over me. The kind you get when you taste a new food for the first time and you know it will be your favorite, or when you see a guy across the bookstore and you know he'll be your new boyfriend. It was like inspiration. Never before had an empty room made me feel like I belonged in it, but this room had that quality. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Hannah has spent most of her life trying to escape her hometown and the life it offered. What are your feelings towards the town you grew up in? Do you feel the same way towards it now as when you first left?

2. The “I choose me” epigraph at the beginning of the story ends up being a guiding light for Hannah. What has been your own most important/favorite “I choose me” moment?

3. Hannah’s relationship with her mother suffered because Hannah didn’t think she would ever understand Hannah’s goals, and she let Ethan go so she could pursue what made her happy. If you were in Hannah’s shoes, would you let go of the people who didn’t support your dreams?



4. Linda leaves her life behind, a similar move to Hannah’s, but ends up returning home. What do you think motivated her return from her dream escape, versus Hannah’s decision to stay?

5. Celeste is a force of nature, well-meaning but often overwhelming Hannah as she tries to get her bearings in this new place. What role, direct or indirect, does Celeste play in Hannah’s personal growth?

6. When she faces a big decision, Hannah often turns to her brother Drew to talk it out and think it through. Who’s your go-to call when you need advice?

7. From her video-chatting with her niece, texting her brother, and ignoring her mother’s calls, Hannah is a great example of how different types of communication can exist within a family unit. How do you think that shapes Hannah’s relationships and decisions? How does it affect yours?

8. Social media plays a big role in the story, from being a staple of Hannah’s new role at the winery to being a way that Hannah measures the life she chose against the one she left behind. Does social media play a multi-faceted role in your life, and how does it affect the decisions you make?

9. Tannin is an adorable and perfect name for a dog living at a winery. If you had to name a pet after an aspect of your own job, what would you choose?

10. Hannah mentions early in the story (page 16) that she is suddenly embarrassed by her personal success. What role do you think her realizing that she’d attained what she’s worked her whole life for plays in her leaving it behind and taking up a new challenge?

11. Hannah finds an unlikely ally and confidante in Everett. How do you think her time at the winery, and her relationships and decisions she makes once there, would have been different if she hadn’t made this connection?

12. We all dream about leaving our life behind for a romantic locale and ideal job. What’s yours?

13. Whether it’s a bowl of pasta or a bowl of ice cream, what is your favorite thing to pair with a glass of wine?

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