A Place to Call Home

Rating:
Summary: an avid reader
Review: After reading Blue Willow and Silk & Stone, I was very excited to start reading this book, since it's one of Ms. Smith's most acclaimed novels. When I first picked this one up and read the first page and found that it was written in the 1st person, I continued reluctantly. I normally try not to read books written as such because the story telling is from only one person's point of view. I prefer reading stories where I can get a feel of how all the characters are thinking and feeling. It makes them seem more three dimensional to me. Anyway, as I was reading, I was mesmerized the first half of the book. My heart went out to Roanie and the environment he grew up in. And I loved the way Claire stood beside him and believed in him every step of the way. However, the second half was very disappointing. There was something lacking in Roan and Claire's relationship. The story seemed to drag on and go downhill from there. Their reunion wasn't as touching I was would have liked. But this is a good story, but very tragic. Those who love tearjerking stories shouldn't pass this one up, as well as those who love stories involving second chances and forgiveness.

Rating:
Summary: An absolutely wonderful novel...
Review: "A Place To Call Home" was my first Deborah Smith book. It was highly recommended to me, so I decided, being a big romance novel reader, to heed my friend's advice. I'm very glad I did. Since then, I've had to buy Ms. Smith's other novels.

Roanie and Claire had such a special bond. My heart ultimately broke at the cruelty that Roanie had to live with because of his bitter alcoholic father, and because most of the small Georgia town he and Claire lived in often put the sins of the father on to the son.

Part one, with their story told in flashback style, was delightful. Claire was precocious and pampered from both of the town's premiere ancestral families, the Maloneys and the Delaneys, where almost everyone in town seemed to be a relative by some quirk of fate, yet her heart saw the good in Roanie Sullivan from a young age, much to the confusion and exasperation of her friends and family. Roanie is tormented and teased by some of the town, yet he and Claire become friends, a true sense of opposites attracting intellectually and through innocent love. The horrible act that would end up separating them for twenty years is heartbreaking, as neither gets a chance to say goodbye.

But two decades after, Roan is a much-changed man (yet, paradoxically, not much changed, at all) who can't keep Claire out of his mind any more than she could do for Roan, and he returns to their hometown in Dunderry, Georgia just when Claire needs him the most...as much as Roan still needs her.

While part one (with their childhood) was my favorite part of the book, by far, I did still enjoy the grown up Roan and Claire in part two. Do you want a novel that you can lose yourself in?

This one is it. So sit back and enjoy. I, for one, was disappointed when it had to end.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite Deborah Smith novel
Review: A PLACE CALLED HOME is by far my favorite of Deborah Smith's books. The age old story of star-crossed lovers, this novel has all the elements of a Romeo-Juliet tale. Claire comes from a true-blue Georgia farm family, and Roan is poor white trash from the wrong side of the blanket. Another appealing element to A PLACE CALLED HOME is the love, devotion, compassion, and loyalty that builds between the two main character during their childhood and seems to be destined to die. After years apart, Roan comes home successful, handsome, and available. This book is a keeper!

Rating:
Summary: an avid reader
Review: After reading Blue Willow and Silk & Stone, I was very excited to start reading this book, since it's one of Ms. Smith's most acclaimed novels. When I first picked this one up and read the first page and found that it was written in the 1st person, I continued reluctantly. I normally try not to read books written as such because the story telling is from only one person's point of view. I prefer reading stories where I can get a feel of how all the characters are thinking and feeling. It makes them seem more three dimensional to me. Anyway, as I was reading, I was mesmerized the first half of the book. My heart went out to Roanie and the environment he grew up in. And I loved the way Claire stood beside him and believed in him every step of the way. However, the second half was very disappointing. There was something lacking in Roan and Claire's relationship. The story seemed to drag on and go downhill from there. Their reunion wasn't as touching I was would have liked. But this is a good story, but very tragic. Those who love tearjerking stories shouldn't pass this one up, as well as those who love stories involving second chances and forgiveness.

Rating:
Summary: An absolutely wonderful novel...
Review: "A Place To Call Home" was my first Deborah Smith book. It was highly recommended to me, so I decided, being a big romance novel reader, to heed my friend's advice. I'm very glad I did. Since then, I've had to buy Ms. Smith's other novels.

Roanie and Claire had such a special bond. My heart ultimately broke at the cruelty that Roanie had to live with because of his bitter alcoholic father, and because most of the small Georgia town he and Claire lived in often put the sins of the father on to the son.

Part one, with their story told in flashback style, was delightful. Claire was precocious and pampered from both of the town's premiere ancestral families, the Maloneys and the Delaneys, where almost everyone in town seemed to be a relative by some quirk of fate, yet her heart saw the good in Roanie Sullivan from a young age, much to the confusion and exasperation of her friends and family. Roanie is tormented and teased by some of the town, yet he and Claire become friends, a true sense of opposites attracting intellectually and through innocent love. The horrible act that would end up separating them for twenty years is heartbreaking, as neither gets a chance to say goodbye.

But two decades after, Roan is a much-changed man (yet, paradoxically, not much changed, at all) who can't keep Claire out of his mind any more than she could do for Roan, and he returns to their hometown in Dunderry, Georgia just when Claire needs him the most...as much as Roan still needs her.

While part one (with their childhood) was my favorite part of the book, by far, I did still enjoy the grown up Roan and Claire in part two. Do you want a novel that you can lose yourself in?

This one is it. So sit back and enjoy. I, for one, was disappointed when it had to end.

Rating:
Summary: Even I was Impressed
Review: I picked this up on a recommendation for a decent, contemporary first person point of view, fiction piece to study from.

I found A Place To Call Home much more than just a good study, it was a good read! It had twists, turns and conflicts I never predicted. It was a romance, it seems, but not in the Harlequin Blaze kind of way.

The only thing I was lost in was the huge family and all of its people. Sometimes the pages blurred and I couldn't remember who this Aunt or Grandma this was supposed to be and what was said about their history earlier in the book. Sometimes I felt the HUGE family was a little much - but then again, I am not from a large Southern family, and have less understanding of this. However confusing it was, it was easily overlooked.

The love scenes didn't advance the plot much, but they didn't need to. It took so long to get to the first one, it could have been any kind and the reader would be happy. It was done perfectly.

They were sweet and quickly mentioned, not raunchy and overwhelming. And they didn't end the book or the plot with a, "We've found each other, slept together, and lived happily ever after". There was SO much more left to go through in the book. I'll be looking for her other books today.

Rating:
Summary: A book to call keeper
Review: If I were a better reviewer I would gave you a nice plot summary with dozens of the reasons why I LOVE this book so much and how deeply it made me feel for those charactors.

But because I'm not that good so all I can say is that this book is absolutely a MUST READ. There're a lot of touching moments and some vivid scenes that made me laught and cried. I sighed with happiness when it came to the end but also felt a little bit sad because I wanted more. What a wonderful book and what a great author!!

Though I agree with some reviewers that the second half of the book isn't as good as the first part, it only means that this book deserves more than 5 stars with additional stars for the first half.

Rating:
Summary: Struggled through Part 2
Review: The beginning, of the book I found very interesting, and it seemed like a promising book. I enjoyed the "Southerness" of the story, but, oh boy, after the two main characters grew up the storyline drug on and on and on and on.. you get the point. Sorry, but I give it 3 stars.

Rating:
Summary: MAGNIFICENT STORYTELLING!!!
Review: I can't say enough good things about this book! It drew me in from the first and kept me until the last page, when I regretfully put it down. Deborah Smith is the master of her craft. I buy her books on name only, for I know she won't disappoint. Kudos, Ms Smith!

Rating:
Summary: A true masterpeice!
Review: This book really struck a cord in me. The love between Roan and Claire, love surmounting all odds, was beautiful and refreshing. Claire's innocent and unconditional love and support helped transform and severely neglected, horrifically abused boy into a successful, devoted man. Soul mates form the time they were children, Roan and Claire had to overcome incredible odds just to be together. Violence and misunderstandings from the adults in their lives, tore them apart when they were just 10 and 15, but neither could forget the other.

Twenty years would pass before they would finally reunite, hoping they could make up the past to each other. Claire still doesn't trust her family after their betrayal and the role they played in tearing Roan away from Claire. Roan is hiding a secret that could rip the family apart. When the two star-crossed soul mates finally reunite, no one can deny the passion, but the secrets and pain of the past may be too much for them to overcome.

I highly recommend this book for all of you romantics out there. I can't count the number of times I've reread this book since I first picked it up several years ago.