Review of "The Homeplace Revisited" by Julie at 'My Book Retreat'

Review of "The Homeplace Revisited"

by Julie at 'My Book Retreat'

Julie wrote:
The Homeplace Revisited is the second in a series by William Leverne Smith that began with Back to the Homeplace last year. (Click here to read my review) The series is the ongoing saga of the family of Mildred Bevins, who left her estate to her four children when she died, provided that they agree to return to the homeplace and work the land there for two years. All four children returned, and the first book in the series was all about their experience going back home and adjusting to their new lives.

In The Homeplace Revisited, ten years has passed, and the characters who were teens in the previous novel are now grown. This novel is focused on them as they build their careers and their families. Christopher has followed in his father, Carter's, footsteps and become a lawyer. Jennifer is now a veterinarian, and both are looking for love. Matt is also returning to town with his wife and their children to start a new Internet Service Provider (the novel takes place in 1996). They are also dealing with their parents' mortality. Karen's husband, Jason has died, and Carter has been given just six months to live.

While it was fun to revisit with the characters, I didn't enjoy this sequel as much as I had hoped. There just wasn't a lot of excitement. A few times it seemed like something interesting would happen, whether it be a conflict between two people or a natural disaster even, but it never really turned into anything. There are a couple love stories that progress throughout the book ~ and lots of business to be taken care of with the Bevins Trust ~ but mostly there's a lot of talking among the characters about their plans and their thoughts, and much of it seemed a bit unnatural. On the one hand it's refreshing to read about good people who are thoughtful and care about one another. On the other hand, a little conflict would have made for a more interesting book. Perhaps I've been reading too many thrillers lately!

If you've read Back to the Homeplace, you may enjoy revisiting with the characters and seeing where some of the teens have gone in their lives. There is a third book planned, and the author has some interesting things going on, including a Facebook page, blog and an interactive wiki. You can read about all of that on the author's blog.

Flora and Fauna Friday - White Oak

Flora and Fauna Friday

White Oak - Quercus alba

Quercus alba, the White Oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family. Specimens are known to have lived over 600 years. 

Although called a white oak, it is very unusual to find an individual specimen with white bark; the usual color is a light gray. In the forest it can reach a magnificent height and is the open it develops into a massive broad-topped tree with large branches striking out at wide angles.

Normally not a very tall tree, typically 65-85 feet at maturity, it nonetheless becomes quite massive and its lower branches are apt to extend far out laterally, parallel to the ground.

In the spring, the young leaves are of a delicate, silvery pink and covered with a soft, blanket-like down. The petioles are short, and the leaves which cluster close to the ends of the shoots are pale green and downy with the result that the entire tree  has a misty, frosty look. This condition continues for several day, passing through the opalescent changes of soft pink, silvery white and finally yellow green.

"The distinctive geodesic dome house became fully visible as Christopher passed the massive White Oak Tree that had long marked Peter’s chosen portion of the Bevins Trust land." 

Page 62, "The Homeplace Revisited"

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"May each of us have a Homeplace to hold onto, if only in our minds."

Bill ;-)

Giveaway Posting

For any of my readers who may have missed the latest Giveaway Posting:

http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/2011/09/treasure-chest-thursday-my-memories.html

See a Snippet...

See a snippet of "The Homeplace Revisited" at:

http://indiesnippets.blogspot.com/2011/07/from-homeplace-revisited-by-william.html

Enjoy!  ;-)

Reviews of "Back to the Homeplace"

Comments from Reviews of 'Back to the Homeplace':

" ‘Back to the Homeplace’ is a beautiful story of family. I love family sagas and stories about family secrets. Hence this book was a perfect read for me... I could easily identify with the characters. If you've ever had a big family, you would totally relate to them. Every character was so real. Their emotions, their problems were very realistically presented. Each character was so well-defined that I felt like I knew them."

Misha Mathew, "My Love Affair With Books" blog

"This family tree has some branches that do not always seem to come from the same roots. When the limbs are shaken, some surprises fall out. But despite themselves, most members persevere, grow on their new home sites, or return to their former lives to reassess themselves or make peace."

Jack L. Kennedy, Joplin Independent

"This very intimate story of one family, and how they manage to stick together through the thick and thin of every day life, is one story you won't want to miss!”

Cyndi Beane Henry "Texicanwife" - from review on Amazon.com

"The characters seem very down to earth and real, with problems that we all face, I found it interesting that a few were addicted to Diet Coke, and would make trips to Walmart to purchase it, for me it doesn't get any more real than that! The descriptions of the birds, landscape and the Homestead in general were so vivid that it is easy to visualize it, and at one point when the author describes a vee of Canadian Geese flying overhead, I could just imagine hearing them honk."

Brenda Casto - from review on Amazon.com

"This is honestly one of the best stories about a family saga that I have read in some time. I also found out that there will be a sequel, which is going straight on my wish list. It's a high-ranking recommendation from me!"

Missy W - from review on Amazon.com

"The concept, the times, the settings were all intriguing."

Laurel-Rain Snow - from review on Amazon.com

"The families are realistic with normal family dynamics, and it is easy to care about what happens to them. The reader understands how each character's personality - the temperamental one, the team players, the loner - influences their role on the property."

L. Brandau - from review on Amazon.com

"I thought this book had an amazing storyline. I started reading it and really couldn't put it down. One of my favorite things about the book was the news blurbs at the beginning of each chapter. I was only 9 in 1987 so I loved seeing what t.v. shows were on and what music was big! It brought back a lot of memories from my youth… The characters were very real in this book. The way their lives all twisted together was captivating. The trials they faced were all very real."

Book Loving Mommy - from review on Amazon.com