Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Almost Home on March 5, 2019
Genres: Fiction/Romance/WorldWar2
Goodreads

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.

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. This is not a romance per se, but it has several romances in the story. 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. “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 wonderful book with a great cast of characters. I am looking forward to reading more by Luesse in the future.