Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle has a surprising request to make of her hairdresser Dorrie. She wants her to drive her from their hometown in Texas to Cincinnati in order to attend a funeral. What follows is the story of two unlikely friends embarking on a long journey together - Isabelle being an elderly white lady, Dorrie being an African American single-mom.  The long roadtrip will prove to be a journey in more ways than one as Isabelle's surprising past comes to light and as we discover what lies on the other side for them in Cincinnati. Through the weaving of this story, Dorrie will gain the wisdom and insight she needs in order to walk her own rough path.

This book gave me all the feels as it moved between past and present.  It tells the story of forbidden love between Isabelle and Robert, the African American son of her family's maid, in 1939, and also of the hardships of Dorrie as she struggles to balance single motherhood and learn to trust in a budding romance of her own.  The friendship between Dorrie and Isabelle was heartwarming.  And I had a whole range of emotions as I watched the story of Isabelle and Robert unfold. I did feel it sometimes verged on soap opera-ish, and I will admit to wishing the language was richer and more eloquent, but all in all, it was a beautiful story - a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me.