"Almost Home"

Book Blurb from the publisher:

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.
My Review:
"Almost Home" is a story that is beautifully shared and will have the reader longing for a circle of people to live life with such as the characters in the book.  Blackberry Springs is a place that is changing so much due to World War II and Dolly finds her home changing and her life both after she opens her open to be a boardinghouse.  As Dolly connects with newcomers to town and neighbors, she realizes she needs them all just as much as they all need her home and each other.  Tragedy and changes can create a wedge between people, but it can also build a tie just as strong and result in hope.  Reading this book painted such vivid pictures for me, as the author's style of writing is so descriptive and flowy, it felt as if I was a part of the story.  I loved getting to know the characters, they all became so real to me and I loved learning their stories and seeing the bonds that they all built with each other.  As the intrigue and backstory of the house draws them even more together, I loved seeing this play out and this aspect of the story as it added an additional element to it.  I am looking forward to reading what Valerie will write next!

*Thanks to the Revell Reads Blogger Program for the complimentary copy of this book.*