I’m excited to share my review of this Southern WWII story with you today! I hadn’t read anything by Valerie Fraser Luesse before, but her newest book, Almost Home, was a great introduction to her writing.
The Basics
Title: Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
From the Back Cover
With America’s entrance into the Second World War, 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.
An estranged young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war–they’re 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 Thoughts
This beautiful Southern story, set in Alabama during WWII, is a story of loss, hope, belonging, friendship, and healing. It’s a different take on WWII fiction, told from the perspective of people fighting for their families and their country at home. The variety of charming characters added a beautiful richness and depth to the story. The mystery of a couple who lived in the same house 100 years earlier was an intriguing subplot, and turned out to be very important to the story in several ways. I loved the way it was told both through memories of women in the community, and through the journals of the young bride.
If you enjoy Southern or historical fiction, Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse is worth a read! You might also be interested in my review of another Southern story with a little bit of history here.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Revell!