Valerie Fraser Luesse: Almost Home

By Kelly Bridgewater

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.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Southern Fiction is not my go-to genre, but I  have enjoyed The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton. Most Southern fiction doesn't capture my attention. Almost Home by debut author Valerie Fraser Luesse is a wonderful realistic view of the Southern culture. The enduring characters kept the story moving and kept my attention focused on the story. The idea of a family of misfits keeping tabs on each other while surviving in Dolly's and Si's house was a little different but interesting. The pirate's treasure with Catherine and her husband mingled with my imagination. I wanted to find the treasure along with the characters. The only problem I have with the plot is that the story starts with a letter written by Dolly to her sister, but I had no idea what actual year the story starts off in. I believe it isn't long after the letter was written with the clues from Reese and the other male characters, but sometimes it felt much later than during the last year of World War II. Overall, Almost Home is a informative and entertaining debut novel bringing the southern historical culture to life for readers. Fans of Billy Coffey, Lauren K. Denton, and Charles Martin might enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars