Almost Home

Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse
Genre: Historical Fiction

The things that tear us apart can also bring us together

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.

A struggling young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, and a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war are 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.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

What an incredible book! Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse is like a warm hug that stays with you for a very long time.

I loved the cast of characters and I will miss them all, although some stand out more than others - like Reed and Daisy, Anna and Jesse, Miss Lillian and especially Si and Dolly. I feel like I just stepped back in time, took a trip down South and then somewhere between last night and this morning, realized I was reading a book and I was not really there! What a disappointment. LOL! 

Dolly and Si Chandler run an interesting boardinghouse that helps its tenants in more ways then just providing a place to sleep and eat. Within its walls friendships are made, love is found and mysteries are uncovered. It is a delightfully restful place where you wish you could stay (if only it were real)!

Valerie Fraser Luesse is a new author to me and one I will be closely watching. If you enjoy historical fiction and characters that are so real they jump off the pages and into your heart, you will love this book! 

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

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Reviewer: Olivia R.

I anxiously awaited to read this and when I first started it, I literally read almost half of it right off. The gentleness of the characters and the way their lives become weaved together. There is a sweetness to the description and I just love how unique the characters are.

Something happened to my enjoyment of this book a little over halfway through. The fault may be mine, since I don't have as much time to read now, but there was a disconnect with the characters as well. I wanted to see more of Anna's story, although I loved Reed and Daisy's story. And then the mysterious story from the past came into play, and unfortunately, it distanced me more from soaking in each character. 

Saying all that, the romance was sweet and made me happy. The spiritual content is good, besides a couple scenes that I didn't agree with. I love the setting and I could totally picture the style and way of life following the Second World War.

If you love a story weaved with several characters and a slight hint of mystery, then this one is just for you. 

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

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