For fans of The Dutch House, Ask Again, Yes, and other emotionally gripping, generation spanning, family dramas. A spellbinding story with characters so painfully vivid they almost leap off the page. Readers’ Favorite finalist Tanya E Williams weaves a complex and heartbreaking novel about lies, love, forgiveness, and family.
A battle-scarred father. A disillusioned daughter. Can a grieving … disillusioned daughter. Can a grieving widower rebuild his splintered family to find peace at last?
South Dakota, 1949. WWII veteran John Smith longs for the life he lost after the tragic death of his wife during childbirth. But in the desperation to provide for his two small children, he is manipulated into an unsuitable marriage by a young woman with a dark neurosis. Tormented by his own grief and the ravages of war, John is blind to his children’s turmoil and pain.
Washington State, 1964. John’s sixteen-year-old daughter Calla dreams of a life beyond her vindictive stepmother. Forced to care for her younger siblings with a list of household demands larger than she is tall, Calla knows it’s only a matter of time until she can escape the abuse and begin anew at college. But her dreams crumble when her heartless stepmother claims the college fund for her own selfish purposes.
As John fears he is too late to stop the war within his home, Calla vows to build a new life worth living.
Can John survive the consequences of war on the home front? Can Calla find the strength to rediscover the meaning of family?
A Man Called Smith is the heartwarming and heart wrenching story following the life of John Smith. If you like courageous characters and narratives told over multiple generations, then you’ll love Tanya E. Williams’ emotional tale.
Buy A Man Called Smith to witness a dramatic family saga today!
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‘A Man Called Smith’ is the first book I’ve read by Tanya Williams. It was an easy read, but, I had to set aside and take breaks for the emotional rollercoaster she takes you on. It’s a story of a daughter trying to find love of her father, a father who is broken with grief and memories of serving in WWII and in the end a father’s unconditional love for his children, despite bad choices he made.
A Man Called Smith is a fantastic conclusion to Tanya E William’s historical fiction trilogy about John Smith. Tanya creates interesting characters and relates their intertwined stories over several generations. The twists and turns in their lives will keep you turning the pages. If you enjoy historical fiction, you’ll love reading this book. Be sure to read the first 2 books in the trilogy – Becoming Mrs Smith and Stealing Mr Smith.
I read all the books.leading up to this latest fantastical story of Mr. Smith and his life. I don’t go into what the story is about because to me then you will not read the book,miss out on the whole story that this author spent so much time and thought to provide us with her talents! The characters in this on going story just get better and better where you are right there in the story and you become one of the members of the community or even the family. The emotional twist is what is one of the many things I love about the writing of these books. You will be thinking of this book say after you have finished!!
I had the opportunity to read this book early from the author Tanya Williams. “A Man Called Mr. Smith” is the 3rd book in her series. Even though this book was great on it’s own, I definitely want to read the first 2 in the series.
The author does a wonderful job in writing in a way that makes you want to keep reading and not put the book (or in my case Kindle) down! You feel like you are right there with the characters and know them personally.
The story has your emotions going in all directions! In the beginning, Mr. Smith has just buried his wife and is left behind with 2 very small children. He remarries, but his 2nd wife does not love his children. They have children and you can guess how she treats them vs. his children from his first marriage. The family is very dysfunctional and it seemed like there was one misfortune after another.
One of the things I liked the most, was that I couldn’t guess the ending. I like reading books that take me by surprise. I don’t want to give too much away, but I highly recommend reading this book.
A Man Called Smith by Tanya E. Williams was my most anticipated read of the summer and left me with so many mixed emotions. The story begins with the aftermath of John Smith losing his beloved first wife, Violet, and quickly escalates through his time married to the heinous and conniving Bernice. Due to horrors witnessed in World War II, he has become a man bent on avoiding personal conflict, most often at the cost of his children’s happiness. As a result, his sixteen-year-old daughter, Calla, spends life planning for the day when she can escape and build a better life. But when that day finally arrives, it results in a question with no perfect answers and no turning back.
I can almost guarantee that at some point this book will leave you in an emotional puddle on the floor. At least it did to me. Throughout the story, you’re rooting for John, praying that he’ll pull his life together and save what’s left of their family. You’re rooting for Calla that she’ll finally find the love she’s always longed for and a place to call home. You’re rooting for the belief that, no matter how far gone life seems, we all have an opportunity to rise from the ashes. It is an experience as hopeful as it is heartbreaking, right up until the novel’s moving final chapters. Definitely Ms. Williams best work yet.
Although this novel is the third in a trilogy, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you haven’t yet, I would recommend reading the first two books as it will give you a full perspective on the Smith family and the choices they make.
This review first posted on kelseygietl.com.
A Man Called Smith by Tanya E. Williams is the first book I have read by this author. Wow! What an emotional roller coaster! John Smith is a veteran of WWII and has recently lost his beloved wife during childbirth. He is left with 2 year old Calla and newborn son Jarred. He eventually sends the children to live with his parents as he is having trouble working and caring for them. He eventually marries only to find out she doesn’t love his children and is controlling and vindictive. As she has more children, John’s children are treated worse and given chores beyond their age, especially Calla. I kept hoping John would step up and do what was right for his children but it wasn’t to be. Instead he promises “Mother” he will never leave her. This is an engrossing story that pulls you in and really keeps you reading. Can Calla forgive her father? Can the children move on as adults? This was one fantastic story that I highly recommend!
A Man Called Smith is a truly heart wrenching story. It’s a roller coaster ride of up and down emotions that left me not knowing what to think! I wanted to love everyone and hate them all at the same time. I won’t say any more about it except read Becoming Mrs. Smith first, then Stealing Mr. Smith, then A Man Called Smith to get the entire roller coaster ride!
Once again Ms. Williams does not disappoint! In A Man Called Smith I was excited to hear the voice of John Smith and that of his daughter Calla. These voices gave insight into why John makes the choices that he does. I was taken on an emotional roller coaster as each chapter made me wonder if John and his children would survive the chaos created by his second wife Bernice. You will not want to put A Man Called Smith down until you find out for yourself.
Calla is struggling to overcome the abuse caused by her step mother. She is determined to go to college and have a completely different life. This all changes when her stepmother steals her college fund.
Calla shows true strength during adversity. I felt for her and her situation. I was rooting for her all the way through this story. She is a great kid and does not deserve her lot in life. And believe me…it does not stop her one little bit.
This is an emotional read, almost too much of one. Basically because I ended up really….and I mean REALLY despising John Smith. He is way too passive as a father and I wanted to come through the pages and Gibb slap him….more than once. He really got my dander up. Now, I know he has been through so much but…there comes a time when your children must come first. So, I guess any book that creates this kind of anger in a reader…is a pretty dang good read.
I received this novel from the author and Suzy Approved Book tours for a honest review.
A Man Called Smith
Sometimes we have to make things happen for us, instead of just letting things happen to us. Back from the war, scarred with memories he would like to leave behind, John Smith is a devoted husband and a loving father. But after losing his wife, Violet, the courage he found for battle died with his wife. 16 yrs later, the life he let happen to him is falling apart. His daughter Calla will no longer be a slave to her stepmother and sets out to follow her dreams. Setting into motion an emotional journey of hope and finding courage once lost. I love a story with layers. It’s one of my favorite aspects of historical fiction. A Man Called Smith is a perfect example. A dynamic story with each character adding a layer that peels back as the pages turn. Book 2 in a series but read as a stand alone, Tanya E Williams invites us into the lives of the Smith family and leaves us emotionally invested with the hope that it is never too late to ask for forgiveness.
Side note- this is technically Book 2, but there is a novel (Becoming Mrs. Smith) that follows Book1 (Stealing Mr. Smith)
“My guilt over wasted time and lost moments creeps in and stands beside me, keeping me company like a schoolyard bully.”
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What a beautifully written, emotional read. The story is about John Smith as he struggles with the sudden loss of his beloved wife, raising his children alone, and coping with his time in WWII. He soon is manipulated into marrying a cruel woman who torments his children and he must decide which path in life to take. Written in alternating chapters from the perspective of himself and his sixteen-year-old daughter, Calla, it is a mix of historical fiction and family drama/turmoil. This is the third book of a trilogy but it can be read as a stand alone, just make sure to have a box of tissues near by. I want to thank @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tanyaewilliams_author for this wonderful reading opportunity! I highly recommend this book to anyone in the mood to really feel for a family and enjoy beautiful prose! I will be adding more of her books to my TBR list!
Tanya E Williams, author of “A Man Called Smith” has written a memorable, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking story. Be sure to keep plenty of tissues on hand! The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Domestic Suspense, and Fiction. The timelines for this story are South Dakota, 1949, and Washington State in 1964. This is the third book in a trilogy but can be read alone. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. I think that some of the characters will be strongly disliked for their actions. Having good and evil characters in a novel can make the story more intriguing and unique.
John Smith is a World War Two Veteran and in 1949 returns to the love of his life, and has two children His wife dies in childbirth, leaving John full of despair and grief. John is left with two young children who chooses to marry another woman who is different from his first wife in every way.
Freud would have a “field day” diagnosing the second wife, who is narcissistic, selfish, self-centered, jealous, vindictive, lazy and manipulate. An example of this would be when his wife calls his daughter Mandy instead of her given name Calla. It seems Mandy is a slave in a book, and the Mother has Calla doing all the work in the house.
Although John Smith is an honorable man, he seems to just want to keep the peace at home, and looks away, and feels he is unable to handle certain things. After a traumatic disappointment, and tired of being abused, Calla writes a note to her father and makes a decision to leave the house.
Will John be able to win this war in his home, and save his family? How will Calla be able to make her world safe? Will the Smiths be able to be a family again? I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel for those readers who enjoy Historical Fiction.