For readers who enjoy the writing of Maeve Binchy, then think of 'Almost Home' as a Binchy-type tale but with a southern USA setting. At first I was afraid that 'Almost Home' might have an overload of good-hearted Southerners spouting 'bless-your-soul' sweet phrases as they served their region's traditional food, but I was proved wrong. There are several characters who experience growth, belief in themselves, and learn a few things about maintaining relationships. In addition, there is a hyppocritical Reverend who loved the power of his position far more than any beliefs in the power of doing good. Then too, any reader will enjoy the self-help reminder that appears in a page 54 conversation when one character tries to help another by saying "what-ifs are big sticks with which we smite ourselves." This book has characters who need to work to make their marriage succeed in light of the depressed American economy, a man who grapples with the guilt of not being drafted when he meets a vet with severe war wounds, and hypocrites who try to cash in on vulnerable war veterans suffering from PTSD (before that label was created.)
The characters who struggle to overcome financial debts and heath issues really shine a light on people who see their glass as half empty instead of half full and complain about things such as not being seated at a table with a view for a resort's dinner service. (In the meantime, another guest kills himself.) The book has a touching ending that wraps up the slight hint of mystery in the story. My only criticism is that I wish the character of Si had not helped end the book with his desire to start a circus. That goal did not add anything to the story, and since circuses are a notorious life of torturous training for wild animals, why add even a hint of support for that type of business. While I realize that this book is set in the first half of the 1900's, the circus reference does not strengthen the setting or plot.
The characters who struggle to overcome financial debts and heath issues really shine a light on people who see their glass as half empty instead of half full and complain about things such as not being seated at a table with a view for a resort's dinner service. (In the meantime, another guest kills himself.) The book has a touching ending that wraps up the slight hint of mystery in the story. My only criticism is that I wish the character of Si had not helped end the book with his desire to start a circus. That goal did not add anything to the story, and since circuses are a notorious life of torturous training for wild animals, why add even a hint of support for that type of business. While I realize that this book is set in the first half of the 1900's, the circus reference does not strengthen the setting or plot.