Almost Home
A Novel
-
-
4.7 • 7 Ratings
-
-
- $10.99
Publisher Description
With America's entrance into the Second World War, the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, has exploded virtually overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in Uncle Sam's munitions plants--and they're bringing their pasts with them, right into Dolly Chandler's grand but fading family home turned boardinghouse.
An estranged young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war--they're all hoping Dolly's house will help them find their way back to the lives they left behind. But the house has a past of its own.
When tragedy strikes, Dolly's only hope will be the circle of friends under her roof and their ability to discover the truth about what happened to a young bride who lived there a century before.
Award-winning and bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into a cast of unforgettable characters in this complex and compassionate story of hurt and healing.
Customer Reviews
DELIGHTFUL!
Ok ALMOST HOME by a Valerie Fraser Luesse is Delightful! Be ready - you will want to read this from cover to cover in one sitting! Set during WWII in rural, Alabama, this novel tells of the lives of a group of people that are brought together with one main thing in common. They are all suffering from a “Cash Flow” shortage brought on by the war. They all end up living on “the loop” and most are boarders with Dolly & Si. None of these people ever thought they’d find themselves in such desperate straits, but real life happened and they are trying to make the best of it. Before long, Dolly & Si become mentors to everyone and have found their own problems are diminishing as they invest their lives in others.
Luesse has painted a beautiful word story of the experiences that take place with this group over one simple Southern summer. They learn what Southern Hospitality really means. By the end of the Summer, the group becomes a “family” of sorts as they all experience so much LIVING in such a short time. Some have lost loved ones, some have lost best friends, some have lost businesses, some thought they have lost their futures. But in the midst of it all, they found unspeakable joy also! Some rekindle love, some find love, some find themselves and some find the most unexpected, extraordinary gift imaginable!
Reminds me of home
The hospitality in this book reminds me of home here in western North Carolina. The iced tea Dolly would make is something really big in the southern region of US. I know I seldom read historical fiction but I absolutely loved this book, it may get me hooked on this genre if I could find some as good as this. I’ll be checking out the author’s other work now. How I wish I could stay with Dolly. And I got so invested in all the visitors’ lives. The whole time though, I couldn’t help but think about the risk she was taking with opening up her home. Maybe people weren’t as mean back then. I think about the air B and Bs now days and wonder would they know if a serial killer was going to stay with them. I guess my thoughts go all over the place with something like this. Anyway, Dolly was the most wonderful hostess anyone could find.
I received a complimentary copy from BookishFirst and was not required to write a positive review.