About Your Favorite Book:
I had a little internal debate with myself as I tried to decide which book is my favorite. I finally narrowed down my all-time favorite author to Rosamunde Pilcher. Then I debated which book of hers I could call my favorite book because I truly love them all. I finally settled on COMING HOME. I’m a sucker for a World War Two love story.
So, here’s a brief plot
summary of COMING HOME:
In 1935, fourteen-year-old Judith Dunbar is left behind at a British boarding school when her mother and baby sister leave join their father in Singapore. At St. Ursula’s, Judith becomes friends with Loveday Carey-Lewis (love that name—could it be more British?) and the lonely teenager is taken in by Loveday’s family at Nancherrow, their Cornish estate. At Nancherrow, Judith learns about British aristocracy, family, values, and wealth.
When
war breaks out in 1939, the young men of Nancherrow go to war, including
Loveday’s brother Edward and her fiancé Gus, and Jeremy Wells, a friend of
Edward’s who’s been in love with Judith for years. Both friends will learn the
meaning of sacrifice, loss and pain. Nothing will ever be the same again.
I first read COMING HOME in
the 1990s. The book first came out in 1995 so it was a new read when I picked
it up at the library. Like I said, I’m a Rosamunde Pilcher fan and have been ever
since my mother-in-law picked up a bunch of her books at a garage sale in the
eighties and gave them to me. I was excited Ms. Pilcher had a new release.
I mostly remember bawling my
eyes out as I read this book. This is a sweeping story of coming of age against
a backdrop of war. Judith learns some hard lessons about the true meaning of
love and responsibility when her parents are lost and her younger sister Jess
comes into her care. The book takes us across the world, from the English
countryside in Cornwall, to Ceylon and Australia, and many points in-between. The
characters are wonderful and memorable, especially Judith.
At 826 pages, COMING HOME is
a long book. But it didn’t feel long. As one Goodreads reader said, when you
finish those 826 pages, you wish you had another 826 pages to read because you
want to stay in that world with those characters. I understand the audiobook is
40 hours long! It sounds daunting but I am definitely going to have to give the
audiobook version a listen and revisit that world.
When I finished COMING HOME,
I felt like I’d been through a war, and had fallen in love, along with the
characters. Even after all these years, the characters, and especially the
emotions the book evoked, have stayed with me, and I believe that is the
hallmark of great writing.
About Your Book:
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Love can make you stronger, if you let it.
Charlotte Saunders has a full life—a rewarding career as a nurse,
meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she
adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event
that’s haunted her for ten years.
A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who
have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in
Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.
As they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected
dogs needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the
trauma from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront
their painful histories—or die trying.
About the Author: Jana Richards
Answer these questions:
Red,
White or Blue? Since I’m Canadian, I
have to say red and white.
Spring,
Summer, Fall, Winter? I love the
shoulder seasons, spring and fall.
Cake
or Pie? Do I really have to choose?
Coffee,
Tea, or Champagne? Yes, please!
Country
music or Michael Buble? Michael Buble.
Pencil or Pen? Pen, definitely.
Find out more at:
Find Coming Home at: Amazon
Find Jana Richards at: Website
7 comments:
Good Morning, Jana! I have read all of Rosamund Pilcher's books and loved them. Sharing your favorite made me want to read it again. Thanks for sharing!!
I have one of her older books on my bookshelf called "Another View". I think it's set in the sixties. I re-read it again recently and I could tell it was written in another era because all the characters smoked. But despite the nicotine addictions, I love the story! Thanks for having me on your blog, Vicki!
I thought I recognized that name - I've only read one of hers, The Shell Seekers, but I totally fell in love with it. If the rest are up to that level (sounds like they might be), I'm in!
Adriana, I was torn between The Shell Seekers and Coming Home. I cried through The Shell Seekers, too! Bamakim, it's really hard to pick a favorite, definitely. Often my favorite is the book I'm currently reading! But I went with Coming Home because the story and the emotion it evoked has stayed with me for many years.
I loved every book she wrote, but haven't reread any of them in a long time, so I'm not positive what stories go with what titles. :-( I do remember loving The Shell Seekers--not only the book but the movies made from it as well. I liked Summer Solstice a lot, too.
Yikes, it was Winter Solstice! It's definitely been too long since I re-read!
So wonderful to see Rosamund Pilcher fans today.
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