Dolly and Josiah Chandler have turned their family home, set on an idyllic loop in small-town Alabama, into a boarding house. Harry and Evelyn Hastings are former college professors from Chicago — he now works at the local war plant and she substitute teaches. Joe Dolphus is a widower trying to find himself after losing his wife. And Anna and Jesse Williams from Illinois are trying to overcome the loss of their farm, and the growing divide between them.
As they group grows closer together, including war widow Daisy who lives down the loop, hometown resident Reed Ingram returns injured from the war, to stay and find healing at the boarding house. And as friendships grow, so do romances.
What follows is a delightful tale of hope, struggle, joy, sorrow, love and loss, offering a revealing look into how life was affected by World War II. The author does such a beautiful job developing these characters that you will fall in love with them, becoming invested in them — laughing when they laugh, crying when they cry.
And as the ladies learn about the mysterious and unsolved story of the marriage and disappearance of Catherine and Andre from 1844, the loop residents come together to solve a 100-year-old mystery — and how to save Dolly’s beloved home.
“Almost Home” also does reveal some deeper themes, like we must decide whether to float where life takes us, or swim against it; don’t give up on healing — physical, emotional and spiritual; and the act of survival.
Although not exactly a time-hop novel, “Almost Home” is a bit reminiscent of novels like Kate Morton, so if you’re a fan of those styles you will enjoy this novel. It’s also filled with a bit of intrigue, with a house that sometimes “talks,” revealing its intention for its residents; Catherine and Andre’s story; and a bit of a whodunnit with some present-day troublemaking.
“Almost Home” is a delightful, heartwarming read.
Five stars out of five.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.