The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield - Apr 2011 LTER
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1TooBusyReading
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
I really loved this book, and am posting a copy of my review below.
John Moses couldn't have planned a worse day, or a worse way to die, if he'd planned it for a lifetime. Which was possible. He was contrary as a mule.
These first lines grabbed me, but I wasn't sure I would be able to read this book. After I requested a galley, I read a review that said there was a lot of animal abuse in the story, and I have a really hard time reading about that, even in fiction. There was, and I loved this book anyway. There was also child abuse, domestic violence, and general mayhem of the sort that you can't help but believe is real. All of it was integral to this family's story.
This saga about the Moses/Lake clans is set in 1956 Arkansas, where Samuel Lake, a preacher no one wants, ends up staying with his wife's family while he waits for a new church to be assigned to him. God will tell him the way. He teaches his children that miracles happen, and perhaps they depend on those miracles a little too literally. In the meantime, his wife, Willadee, does what she needs to to keep the family running smoothly, and while the members of the Moses family never lies, they sometimes don't exactly tell the truth, either.
Ras is a truly evil person and the Moses's neighbor. His child, Blade, is as beat down and hopeless as the horses that Ras trains. That is until Swan Lake, Samuel and Wiladee's 11-year old daughter, accidentally comes into his life. Swan reminds me of Scout Finch, has that same wonderful spirit. I fell in love with the characters in this book – well, those that I didn't fall in hate with, anyway. This is one of those novels that once I jumped into, I didn't want to climb out.
Author Jenny Wingfield is a screenwriter, but this is her first novel. I'm really hoping it won't be her last. I was given an advance reader's edition of this book by the publisher, for which I am very grateful. Because the copy I read was an ARE, the quote may have changed in the published edition. But I hope not. The publication date is slated for July 12, 2011.
I really loved this book, and am posting a copy of my review below.
John Moses couldn't have planned a worse day, or a worse way to die, if he'd planned it for a lifetime. Which was possible. He was contrary as a mule.
These first lines grabbed me, but I wasn't sure I would be able to read this book. After I requested a galley, I read a review that said there was a lot of animal abuse in the story, and I have a really hard time reading about that, even in fiction. There was, and I loved this book anyway. There was also child abuse, domestic violence, and general mayhem of the sort that you can't help but believe is real. All of it was integral to this family's story.
This saga about the Moses/Lake clans is set in 1956 Arkansas, where Samuel Lake, a preacher no one wants, ends up staying with his wife's family while he waits for a new church to be assigned to him. God will tell him the way. He teaches his children that miracles happen, and perhaps they depend on those miracles a little too literally. In the meantime, his wife, Willadee, does what she needs to to keep the family running smoothly, and while the members of the Moses family never lies, they sometimes don't exactly tell the truth, either.
Ras is a truly evil person and the Moses's neighbor. His child, Blade, is as beat down and hopeless as the horses that Ras trains. That is until Swan Lake, Samuel and Wiladee's 11-year old daughter, accidentally comes into his life. Swan reminds me of Scout Finch, has that same wonderful spirit. I fell in love with the characters in this book – well, those that I didn't fall in hate with, anyway. This is one of those novels that once I jumped into, I didn't want to climb out.
Author Jenny Wingfield is a screenwriter, but this is her first novel. I'm really hoping it won't be her last. I was given an advance reader's edition of this book by the publisher, for which I am very grateful. Because the copy I read was an ARE, the quote may have changed in the published edition. But I hope not. The publication date is slated for July 12, 2011.
2brnoze
I listened to the audio book of The Homecoming of Samuel Lake and absolutely fell in love with Swan. I am not sure if I would have enjoyed reading the book as much as hearing it because the author changed the point of view often. The voice of the story is easier to follow as the reader changes her voice, but following the changes in text would make it more difficult. Did anyone else find this to be true? I laughed and cried with the characters. The southern tone and wording were delightful. The villian is evil, the goodness is comforting. A bit of To Kill a Mockingbird and Huck Finn, too. I really liked it.
3TooBusyReading
I usually do better with reading a book than I do with listening to one, but I can see how this one, with the right reader, could be very effective. I didn't find the changes of "voice" in the text to be hard to follow, but that is probably because the book, in my opinion, was very well written.
I generally hate it when books are compare to TKAM, and I am usually disappointed by those books. But even before I knew this one was being compared to TKAM, one of my all-time favorite books, I was reminded of it, especially in the character of Swan Lake, I adored her, too. I hadn't thought of the comparison to HF, but you're right, there are similarities.
I generally hate it when books are compare to TKAM, and I am usually disappointed by those books. But even before I knew this one was being compared to TKAM, one of my all-time favorite books, I was reminded of it, especially in the character of Swan Lake, I adored her, too. I hadn't thought of the comparison to HF, but you're right, there are similarities.
