Almost Home

     BOOK REVIEW: With America's entrance into World War II, 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.
     A struggling young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, and a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war are 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.

     MY REVIEW:   I picked up this book because of the author, Valerie Fraser Luesse. I've read her first book, Missing Isaac, and really liked her style. This book did not disappoint. It has a cozy Southern feel to it, and the characters are genuine and believable.
     The book is divided into three main sections. The first focuses on the young couple, Jesse and Anna, who are going through hard times and falling away from each other. Through their new friends and the woodland trails they are able to forgive and reconnect with each other.
     The second chapter is where the young war veteran comes in, Reed. He was hit in the knee which made walking stiff and difficult, and plagued by nightmares from the war. He befriends the lady across the road, Daisy, who has a few demons of her own, and together they begin to heal.
     The last section comes after a devastating act of revenge, and the two couples mentioned above get serious about finding a rumored river pirate treasure so they can save Dolly's house. The rumor of treasure and the story behind it are laced throughout the entire book, and maybe my favorite part about the book. If Valerie were to write a whole book about that story, I would grab it instantly. :)
     This book is light and interesting, but doesn't leave you with that I-just-wasted-valuable-hours-on-this feeling. Valuable lessons can be learned, especially in the first section. I really enjoyed the love and friendship that was displayed, by Dolly and each of her boarders. They really were more family than anything.

 I received a copy of this book from REVELL and was not required to write a positive review.