Almost Home

by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Hennepin County Library paperback 318 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

This is our March book club title. I really enjoyed it a lot! The characters were wonderfully written, though there were a lot of them and I didn't remember them all.

Book blurb: "With America's entrance into World War II, 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."

Page 41 - "Nobody knows. Presbyterians keep things close to the vest. They're not like us Baptists. If we know it, we've told it."  This made me laugh! I don't know a lot about the different denominations, but I would be a Baptist if this were the only criteria! Actually, I can keep quiet about things; it just takes effort.

Page 47 - "She would much rather have one close friend than twenty casual acquaintances, and she tended to move slowly in forging those bonds." Said about Anna, it makes a lot of sense that some people are more deliberate and prefer a smaller, tighter circle of people around them. I'm not that way in general.

Page 57 - "Leaves are at the mercy of the current, Anna, but you and Jesse are not. You can choose whether to float wherever it takes you or swim against it. And you can choose whether to travel together or let the rocks divide you. That's a decision you must make together. Otherwise you could land on opposite sides of the river." I love Lillian's gentle, loving way of prodding people's minds and hearts.

Page 66 - "Tell him you're done with this nonsense. You're his wife and you mean to have a husband again. Just give it to him straight. Men can't decipher hints and moods, so you gotta put what you're feelin' in a cast-iron skillet and hit 'em over the head with it." Amen, Daisy! These two women were so good for one another. Daisy's advice to Anna was what she needed to hear. Men definitely are not fabulous (in general) about picking up on subtle hints.

Page 157 - "He had not lost his faith, but he had lost the ability to cope with the powerful emotions it stirred. Church seemed to demand that he contain but not extinguish the fires it stoked. Reed just wasn't up to it." I loved the story of Reed's journey through this book.

Page 261 - "We've been throwin' time away, Reed. And time's a gift. We oughta be usin' every minute we've got." Yes, Daisy! You're absolutely right. Time is an incredible gift.

This book was fairly predictable but definitely interesting enough to keep my interest. I want to read more by this author! I enjoyed this and look forward to the book club discussion.

Dolly and Si
Anna and Jesse
Daisy
Reed
Miss Lillian
Catherine and Andre