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The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

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Reason for Reading:
  • I saw this in B&N back when it was first released and put it on my TBR list.

I also recommend:

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

For more reviews on The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield, please follow the book tour.

 

 

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Lydia
19 July, 2012
Coming of Age, Favorites, reviews, Social Issues, Southern
6 comments
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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

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Reason for Reading:
  • This book has been on my TBR since 2009.  I watched the movie, so I had to read the book!

I also  recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Sue Monk Kidd’s ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily’s fierce-hearted “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the town’s fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina–a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love–a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

My Review:

I get so conflicted with books like this.  Part of me feels like if I gush over it, I’ll be one of those white women who thinks that she can fully understand the issues African-American women faced back in the 60′s.. and part of me feels like if I criticize it (and thereby criticize myself for actually reading, and enjoying the story), that I’ll be fake and hypocritical.

So what do you do in that situation?

Lily’s story was, to me, like a really bad car accident in that it was hard to look away.  It wasn’t uplifting to me, or enlightening.  I thought it dealt well with the issues of guilt a girl could feel by being the cause of her mother’s death, I enjoyed reading about the sisters, the wailing wall, and the beekeeping.

However, the little quotes at the beginning of the chapter, and the feeling of self-centered-ness I got from Lily (and yes, I know she’s a child, but the book really seemed like it was unfairly tilted in her direction and the other women present were cast in the role of glorified support characters) kind of gave me a bad taste.  It felt as if the book was intended to be a sentimental story, targeting white women, in an effort to make us feel better about ourselves and how far we’ve come.

Again – that could have been me just being overly sensitive.

Anyways – I think I enjoyed reading the book about as much as I enjoyed watching the movie.  Once was enough – I think I’ll stick with a little more substance though for the next read.

Check out these reviews!

A Novel Menagerie

Books Without Any Pictures

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Lydia
30 December, 2011
Coming of Age, reviews, Social Issues, Southern
2 comments
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The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna

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Reason for Reading:
  • I believe I picked this book out when I intended to read spooky books for October – oh well, better late than never!

I also recommend:

Summary from Goodreads:

17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town – or so she says.

George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business.

When they announce their engagement, George’s controlling mother is unimpressed and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift.

Thirty years before, the same house had hosted a grisly scene: George’s uncle and cousins had all been slaughtered, his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide.

The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion but has stood empty since the tragedy. It’s intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she’s made a huge mistake …

My Review:

So, for a good ghost story I should be completely creeped out, afraid to turn off the lights when I go to bed.

Based on that criteria, this one wins, hands down.

Here’s what made this story so strong – yes, it had a ghost story, yes, it had a fantastic mystery – but most of all, it had an authentic voice.  Leeann was perfect.

Now, I’m not saying she’s perfect as in a perfect person – because she definitely has her share of faults – vanity, self-centered-ness, disloyalty being among a few of them, but her method of speaking, the dialect Kathleen McKenna uses to tell the story through Leeann’s eyes is so incredibly powerful that I couldn’t help but feel taken into the story and led through it, as if I was holding Leann’s hand through it all.

And then there’s the murders, and the mystery, and the ghosts, and the scary house given as a wedding gift, and the lavish spending, and the relationships and so much more which rounds this book out to be one of those books that you read as the goosebumps creep up your arm and you find yourself looking over your shoulder for that small noise you just heard… I’m rambling, but I think that adequately describes how this book made me feel.

In short: Fan of ghost stories? This one won’t disappoint.

Check out these review(s)!

Curled up with Books

Mandy the Bookworm

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Lydia
11 December, 2011
Horror, Mystery, reviews
0 comments
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The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove by Susan Gregg Gilmore

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Reason(s) for Reading:
  • I couldn’t resist the title.  The “Improper” Life?  Yeah – that’s a book for me to read!
  • Another case of the cover striking again, I just had to know what the story was about.
I  also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

A young woman searches for love in the most unlikely of places while fighting against the injustice of her time in this lyrical novel that is part Jeanne Ray and part Fannie Flagg.

My Review:

This is the year for me to read books revolving around the South in the 60′s – and each book is good in it’s own way, and has its own faults.

The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove was an interesting enough book – the  main character, Bezellia, was likeable enough, her mom was horrible enough, her dad was neglectful enough and her sister crazy enough.. but still I was left with an unfulfilled sense when I finished the book.  Only after thinking about it for a while did I finally pin-point the source.  There was really no triumph, no resolution, no closure.  And when you have a story that, at its roots, is tragic (dealing with class and race issues, alcoholism, neglect) there needs to be some kind of hope or closure for the story to feel complete.

So while Bezellia carried much potential, I felt she was cheated in the end.  I never felt that resolution happen.  Now, that could be a symptom of “happily-ever-after-itis”, but I don’t think it is, to be honest.  I’ve read tragic books that end without hope, but those I like always give me some sort of closing moment, a moment when I put the book down, wipe my tears and grieve for the characters or with the characters.

I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading about Bezellia Grove, and I think there is plenty in the book to satisfy anyone who picks it up … just enough.  I put it down though still feeling hungry for the story and wanting to have something more.  I do think this would make a fantastic book club pick – for the very reasons I’ve expressed in this review.  There is quite a bit left undone, so discussion would be very lively, I would imagine.

Check out these review(s):

Booking Mama

Jenn’s Bookshelves

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Lydia
19 December, 2010
Coming of Age, reviews, Southern
0 comments
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Salting Roses by Lorelle Marinello

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Reason(s) for Reading:
  • After several really good Southern fiction books, I jumped at the chance to read this one when I saw it listed on TLC Tours!
I  also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

A young woman abandoned as an infant on an Alabama porch is horrified to discover that she is the missing heiress to a vast Connecticut fortune—a birthright she is desperate to reject in favor of her Peachtree Lane roots.

Gracie Lynne Calloway—once left in a coal bucket on a front porch in a small Alabama town—discovers on her twenty-fifth birthday that she is the kidnapped daughter of a late New England financier and heiress to a fortune. When the tabloid press and her unwanted greedy relatives descend on her, she has to admit the quiet secure life she’s known and loved is gone for good. As Gracie struggles to stabilize her world and come to terms with her new identity, she learns that belonging is not about where you came from but who you are.

My Review:

I’ve only recently (as in this year) become a fan of “Southern” fiction, books set in the south and ranging from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind to Kathryn Stockett’s The Help to more modern stories such as Beth Hoffman’s Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.  I’ve been incredibly lucky to have read some fantastic titles, but also have read some.. not so fantastic ones.

So when I saw the description for Salting Roses I jumped at the opportunity to read it.  A sort of “Cinderella/Coming-of-Age” story? Yes please! I was so excited and dove right in.. and I was hooked, until things went even a little too overboard for me.

There is a lot of potential story in this book, and perhaps others will not have as much difficulty as I had, but there are so many “secondary” characters that I felt the story sort of.. got lost.  And then Gracie Lynn kind of got lost in it, and then I was confused as to what exactly the story was supposed to be.

I loved the start of the book, loved it.  I was a little perturbed by how outlandish the sum of money was that Gracie inherited, but I accepted that that’s a pet peeve of mine and got over it quickly.  I loved Ben and Artie and Alice, I loved the foundation being set for who Gracie Lynn was.  But then.. things drifted.

I think the problem with this book is that Ms. Marinello tried to get too much put into the story in too little pages.  I don’t think the book should have been longer though, just.. less conflict, less romance, less.. .something. Just one of those ingredients left out and I think it would have been better.  But instead, she seemed to go to extremes, starting with that pet peeve of mine – the huge amount of money.  Then instead of one mean person, there’s two.  Instead of one uncle, there’s an uncle and aunt… I could go on with a few more, but I think you understand what I’m talking about here.

The lesson in all of this is moderation.  With just a little bit less of everything, I think the story would have fit together more easily and been less confusing and more enjoyable. I don’t think the book was bad, I was just disappointed at how quickly everything had to move and everyone had to change to get to the ending.

About the Author

Lorelle Marinello has won numerous awards for her writing, including the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart for Best Single Title Romance in 2005.

Lorelle received her BA in Fine Arts from San Diego State University. She lives in Southern California with her huband and three children. In her free time she enjoys landscape gardening and researching her family’s Southern genealogy. Her first novel,Waltzing with Alligators, inspired by her Southern roots, will debut in 2008.

Visit Lorelle Marinello at her website here.

For more reviews on Salting Roses by Lorelle Marinello, please follow the book tour.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Lydia
9 December, 2010
reviews, Romance, Southern
1 comment
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