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Summary: Thomas Devlin Where Are You?
Review: After a disapointing introduction to the novels of Ms. Rice with"Blue Moon" (characters so uninspiring I did not read past the third chapter), I was magically transported to the world of "Home Fires" within it's first pages. Ms. Rice's writing conveyed the exquisite agony of a mother's loss of her child. Thomas Devlin, the physically and emotionally wounded male protagonist is so fully realized I believed I could feel his scars. Characters who despite their traumas, prevail and inspire.
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Summary: Rebuilding
Review: Anne, a successful jet-setting artist, returns to her family home after the tragic death of her young daughter and the demise of her marriage. There she meets Thomas, a local fire fighter, who has also been scarred by the death of a wife that he loved. Together they explore their grief and loss, sharing their wounds. The local community have their opinions on their attachment to each other, Anne's sister Gabrielle and her husband have their own problems with their marriage and their rebellious daughter. Finally Anne realises she has more to offer than her loss and rebuilds her strong ties to her sister, her niece and when her husband realises that he wants her back, Anne begins to see the world and her place in it in a different light.
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Summary: Heartwarming story of love and hope
Review: Home Fires is the first Luanne Rice book I have read and I know that after finishing this wonderful book, I will now be seeking to devour all of her other books!! Ms. Rice writes from the heart concerning what matters most in a family - love, tenderness and caring. She writes of tragedy and loss that will have you weeping but by the end of this book, you are smiling with joy at the realization of love and hope in this family in the midst of all of the tragedy. I absolutely loved the tenderness, understanding, and compassion in the character of Thomas Devlin - (yes, Thomas, where are you? :-)). I admired the strength and courage in Anne Davis after the recent loss of her four-year-old daughter. She draws the reader completely into the depth of each character, from young to old, and you feel like you know them intimately and can relate to them all. You experience their pain, grief, and uncertainty and mourn their losses. Rice's ability to magically draw on the emotions and real life scenarios of family life is really amazing. This book's message is indeed one of hope, trust and love. Luanne Rice lets you know that amidst the chaos of tragedy, love can find roots, grow sprouts, and blossom gloriously again - one just has to trust and let love in. I love to see this book made into a movie! I highly recommend this wonderful book and eagerly look forward to reading more of her books!
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Summary: LuAnne Rice Delivers in this story about family and loss.
Review: Homefires is probably the best book I have read about the dynamics of family and death. The reader is able to feel the devestation of Anne Davis and examine the life of lonely Thomas Devlin. Rice draws these two, very complicated characters together in a rather unique relationship. It is at this point that Homefires delivers certain reality...Devlin's son, Ned, must deal with his feelings about Anne. Anne's sister must work through the issues of her own family...and the envy of her sister. Added to this mix of mourning, jealousy, pride, and anger is Anne's troubled niece Maggie. Only in reality would one see a story of this magnitude played out. LuAnne Rice does a lovely job showing how each character takes on his or her own personal demons. I recommend Homefires to any reader.
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Summary: A Well-Written Book of A Mom's Grief
Review: In this book, Anne Davis, the main character went back to the New England Island hoping to find some peace and solace in her life. She lost her daughter Karen, when she took a bad fall from a window and couldn't recover. Anne's marriage fell apart as well when she found out her husband Matt was involved with another woman. When she wakes up one morning, to discover a fire blazing in her old island home, she escapes. But in the next instant, turns around to recover something precious; and in doing so is rescued by a fireman on the scene. This entire event will create a miracle for Anne in the end, though of course I am not going to say what. It was a very worthwhile read.
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Summary: Loved this book!
Review: Luanne Rice has clearly and touchingly depicted two scarred people, Dev, literally and Anne, figuratively. Their coming together was fiercely romantic and satisfying. The ending (I don't want to give it away) is finely wrought and you feel for all of the protagonists. Better than 4 stars - I would give it nearly 5 if that option were available!
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Summary: Entertaining contemporary story of grief and recovery
Review: My first book by Luanne Rice and it was a pleasure to read it although it was somewhat sweet and lacked as much depth as both the characters and subject deserved. Others have summed up the story well so I won't do that here. I would like to say that I fell in love with her hero, Thomas X Devlin, and enjoyed the peripheral characters of Anne Davis's family, eg her niece Maggie and her sister Gabrielle and brother in law Steve and even the society on the unnamed island on which they all lived. However, there were, in my view, some weaknesses here. In particular, her ex-husband was very one dimensional and Maggie's circle of friends were rather over-drawn. The grisly accident scene at the end of the book was very well done but the way in which Matt, the two-timing ex-husband, appears to undergo some divine revelation leading to his reformation into a saddened and chastened husband was too much to bear. His grief was examined but not developed. Thank goodness Anne had already seen through him! This novelist was at her very best in describing grief and loss and also in showing the path to recovery.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining contemporary story of grief and recovery
Review: My first book by Luanne Rice and it was a pleasure to read it although it was somewhat sweet and lacked as much depth as both the characters and subject deserved. Others have summed up the story well so I won't do that here. I would like to say that I fell in love with her hero, Thomas X Devlin, and enjoyed the peripheral characters of Anne Davis's family, eg her niece Maggie and her sister Gabrielle and brother in law Steve and even the society on the unnamed island on which they all lived. However, there were, in my view, some weaknesses here. In particular, her ex-husband was very one dimensional and Maggie's circle of friends were rather over-drawn. The grisly accident scene at the end of the book was very well done but the way in which Matt, the two-timing ex-husband, appears to undergo some divine revelation leading to his reformation into a saddened and chastened husband was too much to bear. His grief was examined but not developed. Thank goodness Anne had already seen through him! This novelist was at her very best in describing grief and loss and also in showing the path to recovery.
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Summary: A stunning tale of love re-born . . .
Review: Not for nothing is fire frequently referred to as cleansing; through the centuries it has frequently been used to cauterize wounds and prevent infection. Of course, it can also destroy. Fire is the catalyst that brings together Anne Davis, a young woman who is mourning the death of her four year old daughter, and Thomas Devlin, the firefighter whose wife died in the fire that has left horrible scars on his face and body. Anne has returned to the home on an island off the coast of Connecticut in which she and her sister Gabrielle were born and raised. Anne left the island, married well, and became a famous jet-setting artist and mother. Gabrielle, resentful of Anne's success, stayed on the island, married not-so-well, began a catering business and also became a mother. Gabrielle's daughter, Maggie, now a teenager, is drawn into a group of rebellious kids, doing things she doesn't want to do with people she doesn't even like very much. Anne's husband Mark, who had begun an affair shortly before the death of their daughter, has come to realize that he wants Anne back again. She however, has learned to love the damaged Thomas. Gabrielle, who has been jealous of Anne all their lives, is brought up sharply by a hard fact; the more you have, the more you have to lose. HOME FIRES is a sweeping story of love and loss, of life and acceptance of the hand we're dealt. The characters area convincing and believable, and the plot could easily be today's headlines or tomorrow's movie-of-the week.
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Summary: Page turner
Review: This is a page turner. My third Luanne Rice book...I can't get enough of her! She is a gem! After I've read all of Danielle Steel, and Oprah's books...she's a breath of fresh air.
So much fun to read. And as much as I enjoy Ms. Steel, her books are slowly declining in content.
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