Book Review: "The Last Sunday in May" by Kate Clark Stone

Mackenzie “Mack” Williams has always had the need for speed. In fact, her father always said she was born with her foot on the accelerator. And he should know, as he was a star in dirt track racing.

Her competitive streak compelled her to push herself as hard as she could in every race she entered. She took the motorsports world by storm, and each race she won took her closer to her ultimate goal: the Indianapolis 500.

But when she wasn’t racing, she was drinking, partying, and sleeping around, so when she became pregnant, she knew it was time for her to hang her helmet up. Now, 10 years later, she lives in rural Indiana with her daughter and her father, who requires constant care even years after an accident. She manages the family’s small dirt racetrack and fills in for drivers every now and again. And she tries not to think about what could have been.

One night, she gets a visit from her idol, Janet Joyner, who blazed a trail for women in racing. Regardless of what Mack says, Janet believes she still has the spark that could make her a winner. She offers Mack the chance to qualify for the Indy 500. It’s not going to be easy, and she’ll have to leave her father and daughter behind, but how can she pass up this chance?

Mack moves to Indianapolis and moves in with her older sister, who hasn’t been home in years. She’s determined to give everything she has to qualifying, even though it’s much harder than it was 10 years ago. Along the way, she has to deal with the stress of being away from her family, and all of the domestic dramas that come with motherhood and dealing with her daughter’s father. But she can’t let herself get distracted by anyone or anything this time.

I think I’ve only read one book about racing, and it was a rom-com, so I found this book to be a pleasant surprise. Even though I had a feeling what would happen, I was invested in the story from start to finish. This was one of Amazon’s First Reads for April.