Book review – The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

It’s 1956 and Samuel Lake, a handsome preacher, is voted out of his ministry by yet another congregation, disappointed by his relentless pleas for them to live more charitable lives. Out of options and out of pocket, Samuel and his family are forced to move in with their Arkansas in-laws, the rambunctious Moses clan.

At first they thrive in the unruly sea of relatives – Willa, Samuel’s wife, runs the bar for Grandma Calla, while the boys, Noble and Bienville, run riot through the surrounding countryside. But when Swan, their formidable but loveable 11-year-old tomboy, crosses the path of neighbour Ras Ballenger, things take a turn for the worse.

Ras Ballenger, horse trainer, is a man who rules both his family and his animals through terror. Used to instant obedience, he is insulted when Swan leaps to his son’s defence, an act that sets a whole chain of unexpected and terrible events into motion…

I read the hardback of The Homecoming of Samuel Lake in August last year just before my little boy was born and it was one of my books of the year for 2011. I’ve been meaning to find time to review it ever since so with the paperback version (with this lovely cover) being released today, I thought it the perfect moment to tell you more about this wonderful book.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is a captivating story of family, love, faith and hope which I found shockingly heartbreaking and upliftingly heartwarming at the same time, with events and particularly characters that have stayed with me long after I reached the final page. Beautifully written, The Homecoming of Samuel Lake tells the story of the Lake and Moses families set in Arkansas in 1956. As Samuel becomes a preacher without a pulpit he and his family return to his wife’s family home to live with Calla Moses and the rest of the clan and the novel follows them as they all try to adjust to their new lives.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake has some of the best character names I’ve ever encountered; with protagonists including Swan Lake, Blade Ballinger and Toy Moses (Swan’s 6ft 4 army hero uncle) the characters were bound to stick in my mind but it is the depth and feeling that Jenny Wingfield has captured in all of her characters that makes them absolutely believable and unforgettable. I thought Swan was amazing; despite only being eleven years old, she is a force to be reckoned with and as her thoughts and actions spill onto the page I couldn’t help but love her. Swan is often the ringleader; a fearless and adventurous tomboy but also compassionate and loving so when she finds a young boy hiding out in the middle of the night who follows her home she cannot help but take him under her wing.

There are many threads to the story; Samuel’s struggle to find fulfillment as a preacher and to come to terms with his new role in life being a key plot line but for me it was the story of Swan and Blade’s developing friendship and the repercussions of that friendship that made the novel outstanding. Blade’s father, Ras’s actions throughout the novel make for hard reading and there are some truly shocking episodes at his hands but despite the sickening nature of his behaviour throughout the book, I found The Homecoming of Samuel Lake a very uplifting read with a strong message about hope and standing strong in the face of adversity.

Jenny Wingfield has a wonderful way with words and I loved the way the story was written. The novel gave me a very strong sense of time and place and I could clearly visualise the Deep South rural 1950′s setting with the family shop run on trust and ‘Never Closes’ bar. The story builds to a shocking series of events which tie all of the characters and strands together and concludes by looking at the aftermath for all involved. A truly memorable read and I can’t wait to see what Jenny Wingfield produces next.

5/5

I’d like to thank the publisher, Harper Collins, for sending me a review copy of this book.