A family saga filled with love… her a sandwich and a job at his father’s inn and vineyards. With nothing to lose, Lettie takes him up on his offer and begins a whole new life in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. She immediately falls in love with the land and is fascinated with the idea of growing grapes to make wines. She, Kenton, and Rafe Lopez become friends as she learns about running the small inn on the property.
At the same time she marries Kenton, a stroke kills his father. And then before she can tell Kenton she’s pregnant, he dies in an automobile accident. Heartbroken and burdened with the gift of the Chandler Hill Inn and Winery, she’s left with the task of making them a success. Struggling to raise a child alone while working to grow the business, Lettie makes a shocking discovery that changes everything.
A love story of a family with heart… Be sure to read the other books in the series: Coming Home and Home at Last.
And check out Judith Keim’s other series – the Hartwell Women, The Beach House Hotel series, the Fat Fridays series, the Salty Key Inn series, the Chandler Hill Inn series, the Desert Sage Inn series, and the Seashell Cottage Books that readers are loving.
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This was such a good read, I cried at the end of it. I would certainly recommend it too anyone.
Going Home – I have another new author that I enjoy reading. This is my first read and I love it! The story lines involved in the telling of this young woman’s life weaves a fabric of love, despair, happiness, fear and always the importance of family.
What she overcomes the first nineteen years of her life is heartbreaking and heartwarming, and what she accomplishes throughout her life is inspiring. The emotions run the gamut through the good and the bad and the perfect. Expect tears, laughter, doubts, aspirations, romance and love. Know there’s deception and disappointment, too.
I knew when Lettie made a decision at the end of the book, that there would be a deception and a major problem to quickly rise it’s ugliness. Other than a couple of deceivers, perfect in their roles, there wasn’t a character I disliked or didn’t care about. Every character brought a richness and depth to this well thought out, tightly woven tapestry of a life that ran through the peaks and valley and became a wonderful, loving person.
I enjoyed the author’s easy to read writing style, the variances in her characters and their realistic dialogs along with the vivid descriptions that painted pictures in my imagination of all the good, the bad and the beautiful surroundings and loving people. If you love Binchy, Pilscher, Grainger and their company, you’ll love this book as much as I do. I found this book on Booksprout. 5*
I have been drawn into a brand new series, in this first book of the series, by Judith Keim and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s a story that introduced me to Lettie (Violet Hawkins) and her determination to find her place in life. I hurt for her in the beginning with the childhood she endured and the foster parents who told her she was never going to be anything in her life. Tired of the life she was in, she strikes out for a new life in the “free love” of California only to find out that it wasn’t any kind of life at all. Hungry and homeless, destiny brings her and Kenton Chandler to cross paths. He offers her a job at his family vineyard business and she’s more than eager to accept.
The story takes the reader on a lifetime journey with Lettie. There are so many emotions that my heart went through with her. From all consuming love to the most devastating events, I felt the power of Lettie to pull through each and every situation her life brought her to. She stood up for her principles with determination. She has so much love and compassion for those she’s loyal to. She loves with an infinite heart. I love the character of Lettie and felt a part of her life throughout the book.
Ms. Keim has a wonderful descriptive gift of writing. The research she put into the grape growing and wine making business is obvious and I learned how much there is that goes into that. I love the setting of the Willamette Valley in Oregon and I would love to visit there but feel like I have from reading this book.
I want to thank Ms. Keim for the honor of reading an ARC copy of this wonderful book. I am very much looking forward to reading the second book in this series, Coming Home, and living the next chapter in the Chandler Hill Inn Series. I definitely give it 5 stars.
Follow the awesome Journey of Violet “Lettie” Hawkings from a foster child to a master winemaker. Lettie escaped the foster home in Ohio for a new beginning in San Francisco. Disillusioned by her time here she agrees to travel to Oregon with a stranger that turns into anything but.
With all the love and loss in her life, her journey is amazing. This is only my second Judith Keim book and I’m glad I read it. It was gripping. I couldn’t put it down. Totally enjoyable. I highly recommend it.
What a way to start 2019, reading an advanced copy of Going Home. Lettie grew up in the foster care system and she said after getting out of the system that some are only in it for the money. After leaving the foster care system she hitchhiked to San Francisco and when she arrived, she knew she had to find a job in order to eat. She met Kenton Chandler and he offered her a sandwich and a job at his inn.
She started working at the inn but Kenton showed her the grape fields and she fell in love with the land. He taught her about growing grapes and along the way they fell in love. When they were away getting married, Kenton’s father had a stroke and after they arrived he passed away. Kenton had to go into the military and while he was gone, Lettie took care of the inn and the grapes. Kenton was coming home after boot camp but him and the friend he was riding with, were in a car accident and they didn’t make it.
Life wasn’t kind to Lettie, and along the way, there was a lot of heartaches but she carried on. She created the winery that her father-in-law had dreamed about and had it all in a book. When she hired a contractor to do it, the contractor decided he knew more than she did and did it his way. Well, she told him that wasn’t the way it was supposed to be so he had to undo it and do it the way the contract said. It was like a breath of fresh air when she stood up to him. The woman was amazing, she came from very little, had many heartaches but she accomplished so much. Growing up, I heard no matter what, you just pick yourself up and carry on. That is exactly what Lettie did.
The book is available for preorder now and will be available on February 13. Grab yourself a copy and enjoy reading it as a Valentine gift to yourself.
Going Home by Judith Keim is a very heartwarming emotional Story. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series. I was hooked from the beginning and read this book in one sitting. Yes it was that good, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were well written and realistic, the descriptions are very realistic you can visualize, as if you were there. Judith doesn’t disappoint in this first book in her new series. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
I think Going Home is the start of what will be Judith Keim’s strongest series. I just finished reading the ARC copy I received today for review. It is a tear jerker at beginning and end but what an wonderful story . It starts in 1970 with the journey of Violet Hawkins, Lettie to her friends…a young woman girl who grew up in foster homes in Ohio. At 18, Lettie ventures out to San Francisco and finds herself on the Chandler vineyard in Oregon owned by Rex Chandler a retired movie star and his son, Keaton. She loves the land and feels suddenly at home with Rex, Keaton and Rafe learning about growing grapes, which is a good thing because at the age of 19 she finds herself the owner of Chandler Inn with a baby on the way.
This book will keep you riveted to the end wanting to know what is going to happen to Lettie…how is she going to manage, will she succeed? This book could be a Hallmark movie. A great read and way to start out 2019
SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ PUBLISHER DETAILS. I did not like that the publisher details told what happened to the main characters.
Too predictable and pretty superficial. Would have enjoyed more detail about the winery business, among other things.
The story line was interesting but I wasn’t able to get to know the characters before they died. Too many abrupt deaths. Lettie had abandonment issues but this was unrealistic.
A woman reflects upon her life and success running a winery in Oregon.
The book was predictable. Jumped years so quickly there was no continuity and many of the characters were one dimensional so I couldn’t attach to them. It didn’t draw me in so I would want to read the next book in the series.
A little too fantastical to be believable. Main character was promiscuous with two men, completely different men within short time, loved the first then slept with and marries the second.
I thought the story could gave been good, it was not. Too many people close to the main character died. Would not recommend as it was a downer.
Sad sad sad
I enjoyed the book very much and found it very emotional.
ling winded
I was sorry this book had to end. It was very good.
did I really need so much sadness, don’t think so. Sort of “the notebook” flavor, we avoid such renderings of the major sadness of life, I need entertainment not depression.
I did not finish this book. It is too bad when an author has to ruin a perfectly good story by sending two people to bed without the commitment marriage. The story started out well and I was truly disappointed.