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 … 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.
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Another superb story from Valerie Fraser Luesse. When I read Missing Isaac last year, I predicted that it would win a Christy Award, and it did. At the same time, I wondered whether the author would be able to match that incredible debut with her second book. She did. Almost Home is another beautifully written, carefully plotted, deeply emotional story. I was entranced by the characters from the first page and had trouble putting the book down, even when I desperately needed sleep. This is a keeper.
What an absolutely PHENOMENAL story! This one came out in 2019 and I regret it took me so long to get to it. I adored this book from its cast of characters which stole my heart(this group of characters was absolutely perfect!) to is historical mystery, to its sweet storyline, I can’t say enough good things about this book. I will be getting a copy for my keeper shelf and I will revisit this one again. It’s just the sweetest story. Definitely a favorite read for 2021!! It might just get top spot for my 2021 reads!
Well, now that I’ve finished this book, I’ve ordered all of Valerie Fraser Luesse’s books. This was a wonderful story full of great characters and relationships. This will fill your heart up with the delightfulness of things southern … the people, the food, the true sense of caring for your family, friends, and neighbors. While set during WWII, it is more of a glimpse into life in the States for those left to keep the country going, whose loved ones are off fighting abroad, whose loved ones are not coming home, and the ones who have returned home after giving up so much for the war.
The conversation throughout the book is full of southern charm, the sense of love and loss spreads itself into your heart and presents so many heartfelt moments. There is a sadness, but there are also moments of laughter and celebrating.
This is one of those books you need to move to the top of your to-be-read list. It will leave you with a need to experience life sitting on the front porch with a neighbor and a glass of sweet tea. You’ll close the book with a sigh and a smile on your face.
Thank you to NetGalley and Fleming H. Ravel Company for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse has Dolly and Si Chandler opening their home to boarders during World War II. In April of 1944 Anna and Jesse Williams arrive in Blackberry Springs, Alabama and get the last bedroom available at the Chandler home. Jesse begins work at the local munitions factory which leaves Anna at loose ends and feeling homesick. Dolly takes Anna under her wing and introduces her to the other ladies in the house as well as the neighborhood women. Dolly and Si can see that the young couple need a help with their marriage and give them subtle nudges in the right direction. One day Dolly tells Anna the story behind the original owner of her home. Anna is intrigued when she learns that no one knows what happened to Catherine and Andrew Sinclair. She decides to look for the answers and maybe find the missing treasure along the way. Almost Home is a satisfying Southern novel. It is well-written with developed characters set in a charming small Southern town. Dolly Chandler has a gregarious personality. She is friendly and nurturing. Dolly and her husband, Si opened their home to help pay the property taxes. They also have a roller rink across the street with dancing and refreshments and Si is building a pond for people to swim in (for money, of course). Dolly has a way of making her boarders feel welcome. There was just one couple who did not fit in and Si soon took care of them (it was a hilarious scene). I liked the variety of residents in the home. There are two college professors, a veteran with PTSD, and a widower as well as Anna and Jesse Williams. There is also Daisy Dupree who becomes close friends with Anna and Lillian the blind woman who lives on the same street. I enjoyed the mystery of Catherine and Andrew. We learn what happened to the couple through diary entries. The search for the so-called missing treasure was great. I love how Almost Home ended. It is a Christian story with the most important lesson being that God should be a priority in our lives. We should put Him first and let Him guide us. All the storylines in Almost Home blended together into one lovely, heartwarming story.
What a sweet and heartfelt story! I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the characters and the town the author created, Blackberry Springs. Highly recommend for readers who enjoy sweet stories with a touch of mystery, romance, heartbreak, and healing.
It’s the 1940 and the war is going on in Europe. Most of the young men are fighting in the Army but not all men were qualified to serve. For them, along with a lot of women, there is war work in factories to make the airplanes and the fulfill the needs of the Army. Dolly Chandler is running a boardinghouse in her family home in Blackberry Springs, Alabama. All of her boarders are far from home and they have a lot of personal baggage – Daisy’s husband was killed in the war, Reed was wounded, Jesse and Anna are in the process of losing the only home they’ve ever known. Will coming to Dolly’s boarding house and getting to know Dolly and Si help them all to become whole again?
This is a book about friendships with a southern setting and lots of sweet tea. The characters were all interesting and even though they had very different backgrounds, they all became friends. Add in a secret hidden diary from 100 years earlier and the quest to learn more about the diary and you have a sweet, simple book that you will be happy you read.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
I liked this book very much. It pulls you in from the start and makes you want more.
Great setting, time period and characters. A southern novel at it’s best for sure. I enjoyed this book and learned a few things along the way.
I highly recommend this book. It’s a 4.5 stars from me.
Thank you NetGalley and Revell for a copy in exchange for an honest review. Loved it!!
This book is a genre I normally don’t read all that much, but discover I should read more. I was pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed this book.
I really enjoyed the writing and the characters and of course the story.
It was entertaining, interesting and really heartwarming. I loved the friendship that developed between the characters and that was the driving force of the story and the people in hard times that they endured.
I really enjoyed the setting, it was perfectly described and made you feel like you are right there with them.
There were a few slower spots in the book but not many and they didn’t drag on too long which of course was a plus.
Overall I really enjoyed the book and even enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
I rate it 3.5
This is a gem of a book. The setting is a boarding house in Blackberry Springs, Alabama in 1944. Everyone has fallen on hard times so Si and Dolly Chandler open their home that was her grandmother’s. The boarders are Harry and Evelyn, professors from Chicago; Jesse and Anna, a young couple from Illinois; elderly Joe; and the Clanahans from Reno that didn’t last long since they are rather horribly behaved. Later Reed joins the household. He had been a neighbor of the Chandlers till he was twelve. Now he’s a young veteran who needs a good place to rehab his injured leg, come to terms with his PTSD, and decide what he wants to do with his life. Others in the neighborhood play important parts in the story, including blind, elderly Miss Lillian and young war widow, Daisy. An interesting aspect of the book is the hundred year old journals. There is humor as well as poignancy, romance, faith, and wisdom. One of my favorite scenes was when Reed and Daisy went to Loveman’s store in Birmingham. Almost Home is the first book I’ve read by this author but won’t be the last. I highly recommend it.
Wonderful characters and touching story of hurts, healing and home sweet home.
Sweet Story, full of colorful characters – perfect summertime read.
A great book for anyone!
“What’s the hardest part o’ coming back?”
Sometimes leaving is easier than coming back. Sometimes giving up is the only way to start over. Within the walls of an Alabama boarding house, broken hearts find their way back to whole, and battlefield memories find a way to co-exist peaceably with new ones.
During the years of Great Depression, Dolly and Si struggle to continue paying taxes on an old homeplace. Only by renting out rooms and converting empty spaces into entertainment venues do they stand a chance. When a beaten down young couple arrive, followed by a young veteran whose physical and mental injuries are a daily struggles, they put their hospitality into full gear. Gently feeding their boarders food for the body and wisdom for the soul, the couple guides their young guests along a road called hope. Simmering in the background is a decades old mystery; will it ruin their dreams or bring the answers that they so desperately need in order to survive?
Such an inspiring story!
Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse is a magical book that captures the essence and charm of the South. At times, the story seemed so familiar, that I felt like I was reading about my own memories of Southern life. Luesse spins an intriguing tale of a woman who opens her Alabama home as a boarding house during World War II. The odd assortment of people who seek shelter there are ultimately changed by their host’s love and endearing charm. I thought it was very well written. Luesse’s characters are varied and complex enough to captivate. Even though this is a rather long book, the story moves at a good pace. I had a difficult time putting it down. There are several delightfully sweet romances. “As Anna’s tears subsided, Jesse’s hands were no longer comforting but reclaiming. The waters of the slough reflected a kiss, long and deep before Jesse carried Anna to her mother’s quilt and the two of them let the tall pines drink in their kisses and sighs and whispers.” Almost Home is a delightful book with a great cast of characters. I am looking forward to reading more by Luesse in the future.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
The setting is BlackBerry, Springs Alabama in World War II and in a little boarding house called Dolly’s. Families from all over were coming to this little town to find jobs during the war because they just can’t make ends meet at their previous jobs. With a variety of people from different places and walk of life, Dolly’s became interesting at times. All hoping to find healing from the loss that they have suffered. What will happen to this group of people, all who have become best friends, for some, more than friendship.
Almost Home is one of those reads that just make you feel good after reading it. I enjoyed each person involved in Dolly’s boarding house. Each couple and person brought their own unique experiences and personality to the place. The characters are so realistic, and I connected with them well as they developed throughout the story. The main thing I felt after reading this story is that people from all walks of life can become friends, and even help each other heal from the issues life throws at them. I enjoyed the way Ms. Luesse weaves each of these mixed up lives together, bringing a happy ending. This is a book everyone wanting a clean interesting read will enjoy.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
DELIGHTFUL!
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!
Although it took me awhile to get into this book, by the last half it had grabbed me, and I read the rest of it very quickly! I did love the kind characters and wished I could live in a place like that!
The world is headed into a second war, times are tight as people are still pulling out of the Great Depression. In the midst of financial hardship, Dolly has turned her family home into an Inn and it’s attracting the right kind of people, the kind of people that need a place to call home and perhaps some people to call family.
Dolly and Si are a great couple and they reach out to each of their tenants in a way they need. When Jesse and Anna first showed up, Dolly had them read immediately, and she knew that their relationship needed a little push. This wasn’t Dolly being nosy by any means, this was just her way, of helping people see past the turmoil in their lives.
Then we meet Daisy who is having a hard time getting over the death of her husband. Lost to the war, she feels it’s her fault he died and she’s having trouble reconciling her feelings about it. When Reed shows up, he too is wounded from the war, both physically and mentally. Perhaps their bond over their trauma can help them to move on.
As we’re meeting all these great characters we’re also learning of a mystery. Catherine and Andre were known to live in the area, and it’s rumored they left a good deal of money behind. We learn about their story through Catherine’s journals, seems her life was just as hard as everyone we’ve been meeting.
I loved the layers to the story, that we spent time with each couple and then moved onto the next. Once I started reading this I couldn’t put it down. The storyline was so sweet and engaging, the characters were multi-layered and so likable, it was hard not to get drawn into the story. A fun and touching read.
Almost Home, written by Valerie Fraser Luesse, is set three years after the start of World War II. In the small town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, the population has exploded. Workers from all over the country are moving into the area to work at the nearby munitions plant. Taking advantage of the increase in temporary residents, locals Si and Dolly Chandler, who are desperate to pay the outstanding taxes on their property, turn their family home into a boardinghouse.
For the entire review, please go to https://kindredconnection.wordpress.com/2019/04/26/almost-home/.
Amazing. Sad to see it end, but rejoicing with the richly presented characters – I feel like they are my friends.