Home to Harmony

Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected Great Read
Review: I had read many good reviews about the Mitford series so I figured I would veer off of my usual reading material and start with something completely different.

Along the way Amazon recommend Philip Gulley's Home to Harmony so I read this first. I think that this book is easily in my top 10 reads ever! I was laughing out loud at many points in this book. I found that even though the book might be considered a "light" read, I thought that there are many places where deeper meanings prevail and that there was much more "under the hood" than first appears.

So, now I am reading Just Shy of Harmony and have yet to get to, what was my main objective, the Mitford series. I highly recommend Home to Harmony.

Rating:
Summary: Thank you, again, Mr. Gulley!
Review: I had the priveledge of meeting Mr. Gulley at a booksellers convention this past summer. As soon as I heard he would be at the Multnomah booth, I sprinted for a place in line. I said all of two words to him, received an autographed copy of his book, held it to my chest in anticipation, then moved forward. As a long time fan of Mr. Gulley's, I couldn't wait to jump into the pages of Home to Harmony. Not only do I love his easy-going style and humor, but I come from a town so small I actually took a photo of it. Yes, just one photo. The whole town! Though, like many who grew up in Harmony, I left for the city, I still find hometown qualities endearing. Mr. Gulley's book reminded me, once again, of so many of them. I have laughed, I have cried, and I have laughed some more! I called my mother and read portions to her over the phone and she laughed with me. I woke my husband from a sound sleep and said, "You have to hear this!" and then began to read to him, too.

I am also an author, who rarely reads while writing, but I'm so glad I just "happened" to grab this book off my bookself the other day. I'm in the middle of murder and mahem in my current work of fiction, and a little hometown humor gave me a much needed break!

If you are in the middle of a little murder and mahem (aka LIFE), READ THIS BOOK! Then buy one for everyone you know! They will love the book and love you for it!

Rating:
Summary: Nice to be Home
Review: I have read 2 of Phillip Gulley's nonfiction books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I am always looking for books in the style of Jan Karon's Mitford series and "Home to Harmony" did not disappoint me. I found myself laughing outloud one minute and deeply touched the next. Mr. Gulley has a wonderful way of imparting truth in a gentle manner. I was sorry to get to the end of the book and I hope he writes a sequel to this wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: A Link To the Past
Review: I have read all four of Phillip Gulley's books and have enjoyed each of them. Home to Harmony is his first book of fiction. I was a little concerned about changing format from the first three books, but I found I had nothing to worry about this is a wonderful book. The characters are warm. The stories take you back to a time when things were simple. My home town is not so small anymore and reading Mr. Gulley's books are my only link back to my little town, I thank him for that.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I have the audio version of Home to Harmony, and it is a delight to listen to. I tend to play the same chapter over and over right before bed, falling asleep to the comforting, but humorous voice of Philip Gulley/Sam Gardner. My favorite tape contains "Miss Rudy, Wilbur, and Friday Nights" and "Brother Norman and the Bus," my two favorite excerpts.

Gulley offers a warm welcome into his ficticious world, and as you read or listen, you settle in and decide to stay, meeting the odd, quirky people of Harmony, Indiana, and Harmony Friends Meeting. The stories are well-crafted and memorable, staying with you long after you put the book down. Who can resist laughing at Dale Henshaw (if there's a bad idea, it's almost sure to be thought of by Dale Henshaw) or Bob Myers, Sr., a gruff old man who Sam fears will fight for us "to return to the gold standard"? You almost feel sorry for Bro. Norman, "not the brightest bulb in the chandelier" but a compassionate missionary to the Choctaw Indians in Oklahoma. How about Wilbur Matthews, a courageous man with a shameful secret" who is compared to William Allman Wheeler, a man of vision? Then there's Fern Hampton, a critic of Sam's sermons; Asa and Jessie Peacock; and the list goes on.

You'll love Gulley's characters and his soothing storytelling style. I highly recommend this series!

Rating:
Summary: I laughed out loud!
Review: I love this book! I was laughing so hard I was afraid I'd wake up the kids. The chapter when he was trying to figure out what to get his wife for their 10th (aluminum) anniversary was my favorite. Philip Gulley has a great style of writing that makes me cry and laugh all within the same chapter. He has a way of tying in a moral without being preachy. This is a book I'll read over and over.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!!!
Review: I loved the characters in the book!! There seemed to be a wide variety in here. There was Frank the 70 yr old secretary, who kept his congregation in line, but showed his softer side by caring for the Chinese twins. There was level-headed Miriam and her husband, who adopted their niece from abusive parents. There was Deena the lawyer, who opened her own coffee shop. There was Dale, and his imaginative means of "evangelism", and Bob Miles, writing about everybody who walked by his office. The story has its humorous side (like the trip to donate money the some people on an Indian reservation, taking a sidetrip to a ball game, where Sam and the other people who went with him were viewed on TV by everyone in town, sipping beer). And there were the serious points, too. This book is well worth the money spent. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Rating:
Summary: A close second to Jan Karon!
Review: I loved this town. I thought all the characters were wonderful and I couldn't put it down! I need to read more books like this!

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat amusing but ultimately unfulfilling
Review: I picked up Phil Gulley's "Home to Harmony" expecting to read a decent novel. You know, a book with a beginning, an end, something resembling a plot in the middle, and memorable characters. What I got instead was a series of slightly amusing parables full of a bunch of ultimately forgettable characters. Each chapter read like a modern day episode of "Leave it to Beaver." Instead of Wally and the Beav, we have Sam Gardner and the gang performing some sort of inoffensive hijinks or helping a fellow townsperson with some problem followed by a little religious moral at the end of each chapter. Actually, forget the plot and give me some interesting characters at least. The only two besides Sam that I can even remember are Dale Hinshaw and Bob, the guy that published the newspaper. I mean I'm glad that this type of book exists as a pleasant alternative for church going folk that are fed up with the violence and cursing they are constantly subjected to from the secular world. But as an open minded reader of many different types of fiction, I can safely say that this is just not a very good book. No real plot, no character development, a few chuckles here and there. If I had known ahead of time that it was just a bunch of strung together vignettes I wouldn't have bothered reading it. Ultimately, it's the kind of thing you read and forget about ten minutes later.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I thought this book would be more like the Mitford series. It isn't. But that's not a bad thing. This book is more like Tom Bodette's essays - short vignettes that illustrate something to think about in the days ahead, told with wisdom and humor. Not as pushy as Garrison Keillor, not as pithy as some of the others, just plain folk and things that everyone can relate to. I'm considering getting this for My Dad The Pastor.