Ah, the ‘Suburban Stepford Novel’. Ever since women became a marketable force in
the literary world, there have been books targeted toward qualities that
publishers presume women admire or covet.
The formula is simple: passionate, thwarted teenage love, surprise baby,
domineering battleaxe mother, death, tear-soaked happy ending. Easily digestible over tea and bantered over coffee
tables during book clubs.
Kristen Hanna’s “Night Road” follows along a similar path of
most Suburban Stepford Novels, but takes itself to such extremes that the
entire event turns laughable. It’s the
story of Lexi Baill (the name and spelling is indicative of her character), who
sprouts forth from a dysfunctional family and a history of foster care
ludicrously unscathed to live with her great aunt and to become involved with a
towheaded set of twins who change her life forever.
