A Short Road To Longbrook

A Short Road to Longbrook by Bethan Roberts is a quietly powerful family drama that traces how love, anxiety and unspoken history can shape a home for generations. Set between the mid-1960s and the early 2000s in Abingdon, it follows Lillian Wells as she balances first love and big ambitions with the pull of a devoted, fragile single mother.

As a teenager, Lillian dreams of escaping to art school in London, but every step forward risks unsettling the careful routines that keep her mum, Winnie, steady. Decades later, Lillian faces a new kind of leaving when her own daughter Rachel prepares for university—stirring old fears, nervous habits and the town’s whispered warnings about Longbrook.

Perfect for readers who enjoy literary fiction, mother–daughter stories and emotionally astute British settings, especially fans of character-driven novels with family secrets at their core.

Add this tender, thoughtful novel to your next stack and discover its aching, hopeful pull.