Long Way Gone by Charles Martin

“No matter where you go, no matter whether you succeed or fail, stand or fall, no gone is too far gone. You can always come home.”

At the age of 18, Cooper O’Connor thought he could make it big as a musician and drove 1,200 miles to Nashville, TN. His dreams in the gutter five years later, he falls in love with Daley Cross. Suddenly struck by tragedy he returns home to the remote Colorado mountains, searching for answers about his father and his faith. Charles Martin’s Long Way Gone tells one man’s search for identity and purpose. I love how the story weaves Nashville’s iconic music scene into the heart of Cooper’s life.

A radical retelling of the prodigal son set in Music City.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you relate to Cooper O’Connor and his life’s journey?

2. “Music washes us from the inside out. It heals what nothing else can.” Does this mantra ring true in your own life? What are some lyrics that have provided healing to you?

3. It’s much more difficult for Cooper to forgive himself than it was for his father to forgive him. Why do you think that is?

4. Do you believe that no gone is too far gone?