MY REVIEW:

What a delightful book! I have not previously read anything by this author but will definitely be on the lookout for her books in the future. By the end of the book, all the characters were as familiar as old friends, each with a distinctive personality of his/her own.

Dolly Chandler’s boarding house is filled to the brim with people who have come from all over the country to her little corner of Alabama for work. All strangers, their lives become intermingled under the influence of Dolly and her husband as well as some of their neighbors on “the loop”. The old house has a few secrets of its own, especially the rumor of the former owner who disappeared with his wife on their wedding day never to be seen again. It was also rumored that the owner was a pirate who had stashed his treasure on the property before his apparent untimely death.

Almost Home is a story of faith, hope, and healing that is rife with the mysterious and surprises. I enjoyed the way some of the home’s history was related through some old journals. Then there was the big surprise at the end but you’ll have to discover that for yourself.

I loved this book and look forward to reading more by this talented author!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The things that tear us apart can also bring us together

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.

Read an excerpt HERE.

Purchase a copy HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the bestselling author of Missing Isaac and is an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she is currently a senior travel editor. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse has published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana’s Acadian Prairie, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana won the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama.