Tess of
The Road' is this deeply personal journey wrapped in a fantasy shell, and honestly, it hit me harder than I expected. The story follows Tess Dombegh, a young woman who’s spent her life crushed by guilt and societal expectations—especially after a scandal that left her family disgraced. She’s told she’s 'ruined,' and the weight of that label is suffocating. But when she snaps and punches her
brother-in-law (who totally deserved it), she flees disguised as a boy and just... walks. No grand plan, just putting one foot in front of the other, trying to outrun her past. The road becomes her lifeline, literally and metaphorically.
What makes this book so special is how it handles trauma and self-forgiveness. Tess isn’t some
Chosen one; she’s messy, angry, and deeply flawed. Her encounters along the way—like with the quigutl (these adorable lizard-
dragon creatures) or her childhood friend Pathka—force her to confront her pain. The world-building is subtle but rich, weaving in themes from Hartman’s other books like '
seraphina,' but Tess’s story stands
alone. By the end, it’s not about some epic quest—it’s about a girl learning to take up space in her own life. I cried. A lot.