Betting on the city of Detroit’s eventual comeback, cousins Addie and Samantha decide to risk it all on an affordable new house and a culinary career that starts with renovating a vintage diner in a depressed area of town. There’s just one little snag in their vision.Angus, a weary, beloved local, is strongly opposed to his neighborhood’s gentrification—and his concerns reflect the suspicion of … suspicion of the community. Shocked by their reception, Addie and Samantha begin to have second thoughts.
As the long hours, problematic love interests, and underhanded pressures mount, the two women find themselves increasingly at odds, and soon their problems threaten everything they’ve worked for. If they are going to realize their dreams, Addie and Samantha must focus on rebuilding their relationship. But will the neighborhood open their hearts to welcome them home?
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I loved this book by Peggy Lampman. Her writing style is lovely – deep and rich like the food she mentions in her book. A winner for sure.
I have a new favorite author. Peggy Lampman provided hours of reading entertainment in The Welcome Home Diner. As soon as I closed the last page, I hurried and ordered her other novel. Can’t wait to it to arrive!
This book is cast with a colorful and diverse group of characters led by two cousins who decide to open a wholesome diner in a neglected part of Detroit. With a rich and descriptive flair, Peggy Lampman gracefully tackles the contentious issues the cousins face including prejudice, the community’s resistance to change, and their own personal clashes.
The Welcome Home Diner is a refreshing novel filled with the realities of big city living. When cousins Addie and Sam finally realize their dream of opening a restaurant, little did they know they would be faced with opposition from the local citizens. Wanting to help build their community up, Addie and Sam work with local vendors to purchase fresh produce, meat and other supplies. Part of helping to build the depressed area up, Addie and Samantha hire, a troubled young lady, who was sold into Human Trafficking by her mother. The Welcome Home Diner serves not only delicious food but also a generous helping of love and understanding! Author, Peggy Lampman, continues to enthrall me with her beautifully written novels! I am so excited to see what she has in store for us next!
Peggy Lampman’s books are delicious in every way, not merely when she writes about food … which she does brilliantly, I might add. The characters in this story are diverse and real, as is the neighbourhood setting in Detroit. Lampman weaves magic with her words as we become completely engaged in the challenges faced as cousins Sam and Addie work flat out to ensure the success of their diner, as well as their personal relationships. There’s a lot going on, many social issues addressed, and page after page of a great story. More, please!
The story of The Welcome Home Diner begins many years ago in the kitchen of cousins Sam and Addie’s Babcia (grandmother). That is where their dream started. Her picture hangs in the diner located in a depressed area of Detroit, reminding the girls of their Polish heritage and how they all spent their summer months together shopping at the farmers market, cooking and eating together. I could almost smell and taste the delicious foods as I was reading.
Ah! But there’s so much more to this story than just the wonderful food. What a diverse and wonderful cast of characters. I had such a fondness for them all. Their personalities were unique and special. There were some very dramatic moments throughout the book, and the girls faced many adverse situations that put their business and relationships to the test.
It was such a delight to read a second novel by Peggy Lampman (my first was Ruby of the Sea). She tells stories that tug at your heart and touch upon topics that are both difficult, but equally important and meaningful. Her message gives us hope and faith in humanity and shows us that love always prevails. The Welcome Home Diner is a delectable and amazing story of courage, family bond, friendship, hope and assures us that forgiveness and compassion can bring a community together.
A lovely read with very realistic characters and setting. I could feel the challenge these two friends faced as the struggled to start a new business in what they hoped would be a revitalized area of Detroit. Even the minor characters were well-drawn and realistic. This is an inspiring story of how a community can come together for the betterment of all. And, I absolutely loved the descriptions of food and recipes. A must-read for foodies.
It was a heartwarming story & at times I felt like I was sitting in the diner. Took me awhile to get into it but I would recommend this book.
When it’s raining and dreary outside, I just want to curl up on the sofa with this cozy novel. A feel good novel, for sure.
Very much enjoyed this book. Will look into others by this author. Also want to go back and give Detroit another look.
Living in Michigan, this story about a diner being opened in Detroit caught my eye. There are the owners, who are willing to do whatever it takes to make it successful. Then there are the “native Detroiters” who aren’t very enthusiastic. Then there’s the neighbor man, who isn’t at all pleased with their work. A good read.
Loved it. Not the usual, great and different setting. A pleasure to read.
What a wonderful story of what defines family! The story will have you smiling as you remember times spent with your Grandmother, Aunt or your Mother. You will feel the struggles, the courage and determination for the two cousins vision, as the story unfolds. “The Welcome Home Diner” is a tale that will bring all kinds of feelings to the surface. You will be rooting for them to succeed.
Addie and Samantha have decided to come together to open a vintage diner in a struggling Detroit neighborhood. The community is not very supportive, making Addie and Samantha work harder to make their dream come true. Should they give up or tread forward?
I enjoyed reading this novel by Peggy Lampman. She is such a talented writer that will have you craving to read another one of her stories sooner than later. Plus, Peggy shared some recipes mentioned in this charming story. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy reading “The Welcome Home Diner!”
~This book was given to me through a giveaway by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.~
Welcome Home Diner is a wonderful story about cousins Addie & Samantha and their lives once they open their diner in Detroit. Their hope is that it will help revitalize the area but their next door neighbor isn’t happy about it
That combined with man troubles and other problems at work cause tension between the cousins. After something unimaginable happens, it brings them together and gives them clarity. Is this the start of a new beginning for Welcome Home Diner?
This is the first book by Peggy Lampman that I’ve read and it was beautifully written. The cast of characters was colorful and I could practically taste the food that was described. I actually listened to the audio book and I think that made the experience of Welcome Home Diner much more special. The narrator was Angela Dawe and, while her voice was interesting, she did a great job differentiating all of the characters. Especially having Addie and Sam sound completely different.
Thank you so much Peggy Lampman for this experience! I look forward to reading more!
I’m halfway through this book and am taken by the fully formed characters.
The diner and the characters evolve experiencing misunderstandings and subsequent growth. Authentic voices in paths to rebuilding a devastated inner city and finding new voices.
I liked everything but the end. If you are going to resolve some of the threads of the story, all should be done.
A great look at 2 woman building a life in Detroit against many odds and an ode to the farm to table movement.if you love food and great characters this is must read.
I couldn’t get into it, read approx. 100 pages and wasn’t interested in more.
This was a great story about two cousins of Polish decent who opened up a diner in one of Detroit’s run down neighborhoods, with the hope that they can experience change in a city that they love.
Hiring help that become like family and who also want to see the success of this diner, Addie and Samantha name it the Welcome Home Diner, and hope that their new neighbors will come in for bite to eat. That is no necessarily the case, their closest neighbor Angus is strongly opposed to his neighborhood’s gentrification and they fear others might feel the same way.
The story delves into some issues you might find coming along with a city that has had so many problems, and as we follow the issues they encounter, one becomes aware of what they are up against.
This book has wonderful character development and one becomes invested in each and every persons story.
It is also a story about food and the joys of using fresh ingredients in their recipes, and also meant to honor their grandmother by cooking some of what were her favorite recipes. (some recipes included).
I really enjoyed following and finding out what these characters were all about.
I will definitely read more by this author.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book.