Sean Dolan has spent his adult life traveling from war zone to disaster zone, offering his services as a nurse to the injured and sick. He has distanced himself from his home and family in Massachusetts both physically and mentally. Following the lingering death of his mother from Huntington’s, Sean decides to commit his life to helping others as long as he is able, not knowing if he carries the gene for Huntington’s. Treating the injured in the war-ravaged areas of Africa have taken a toll on Sean, and he returns to his home. There he finds his elderly Aunt becoming confused, his quirky nephew is having problems at school and his sister is ready to head off to New York. Sean reconnects with old friends and his family while leaving open the option to return to his nursing career in third world countries. But his ties to home and the people he cares about draw him in a different direction, even though his life becomes more complicated. The Shortest Way Home is a charming novel about the complications and love that comes with being part of a family, along with the importance of forgiveness and understanding. The characters are appealing, interesting and well-drawn–a touching portrait of a family with all of it’s flaws, humor and joys. Fay is also the author of two other novels about family life, Shelter Me and Deep Down True.