The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

Summary from GoodReads:

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core and setting the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

With the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield has created an enduring work of fiction.

My Review:

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is a story not just about a homecoming for a man named Samuel Lake – it’s about what exactly that homecoming means. Confused? Let me explain.

When I opened Jenny Wingfield’s story I expected it to be about a man. I knew to expect secondary characters – but what I was given was a plate filled with people that each had their own personality, wit, and charm. I grew to love them, to hurt when their flaws were exposed, to cheer when they overcame hurdles placed before them, to weep when those hurdles beat them down. I laughed, cried, sighed, and prayed – and I did it so often you’d think I was watching a movie and not reading text on a page.

In this book, Samuel Lake is a pastor, and his type of pastor-ing reminded me very much of my own dad back in the day. He opened his arms to those people who weren’t dressed fancy, who didn’t come to church clean and shiny because he knew God loved them too. And it didn’t go well in the church – the ones that paid his salary. So of course, in this book – Samuel Lake has to find a way to take care of that.

Then there’s his wife, Winnifree – a strong, independent, fantastic woman. His daughter, Swan (lake) – yes.. that’s her name. She’s a firecracker and the blurb on the book is right – she reminded me a lot of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. This story is not all about Samuel Lake – it’s about his wife, his daughter, his sons, his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, his sister-in-law, the neighbors, the police, the abused, the hungry, and the sick.

I figured this was a story I would enjoy from reading the summary, but what I wasn’t expecting was to be completely blown away. I was engrossed from beginning to end and upset when I had to say goodbye – but I feel as if the book has taught me enough to accept that goodbye with grace and I cannot wait to give the gift of this story to those around me.

About the Author

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