Introducing our book of the Month for February 2012


The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield






From Fantastic Fiction



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 Raz Ballenger, things take a turn for the worse.

Raz 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...




From Amazon


With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of one’s own family, and with the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield emerges as one of the most vital, engaging storytellers writing today. In The Homecoming of Samuel Lake she has created a memorable and lasting work of fiction.
Funny, wise, heart stopping and heart breaking, with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is a masterpiece of storytelling.

This is Jenny Wingfield’s debut novel.


• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Random House (July 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385344082
• ISBN-13: 978-0385344081



Book is now open for discussion 22nd February 2012


SPOILERS WILL APPLY


Share your thoughts


Reading Questions




• In what ways does The Homecoming of Samuel Lake remind you of other Southern Gothic style literature?
• What would you sacrifice for your family?
• How does the character Swan Lake compare to Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird?
• What role does the church play in the development of the story?
• Why does Swan wish that her father was anything but a preacher?
• Compare the characters of Willadee and Bernice. How were they different? How were they similar?
• What did you think of the relationship between Swan and Uncle Toy?
• Did Toy do the right thing?

Book is now open for discussion but beware for spoilers - if you haven't read the book then avoid the discussion.

These are alternative covers of the book, both conjour up a real image of Swan....







Here are my thoughts


Homespun America in 1950’s is beautifully described in this accomplished debut novel which interweaves the lives of the Lake and Moses family. Samuel Lake is a preacher without a congregation and without any hope of a ministry of his own he is forced to return to his wife’s family farm in Arkansas with his eccentrically named offspring. Of his three children, it is eleven year old Swan Lake who is the formidable ringleader, who is tomboy enough to run wild through the rural landscape, and yet has a heart bigger than the Arkansas sky.

Reminiscent of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird, this emotionally charged book reveals a story that is at times dark and dirty, and yet has a theme of faith, and family that transcends pure evil. There is an abundance of rich and varied characters who bring the story to life, from grandmother Calla who tends her flowers, and dispenses wholesome wisdom, through to the bravery of Uncle Toy who keeps the bar at ‘Never Closes’, and who loves the Lake children as he would his own.

I stayed up late and long in order to finish reading this story, it made me laugh, it made me cry and ultimately, it made me believe in the power of storytelling. This is storytelling at its absolute best, if I could give it more than five stars I would do so without hesitation.

I finished the book a few days ago and enjoyed it.

One thing that puzzled me a bit, though, was the title. I expected Samuel Lake to be the central character given that he is named in the title, but I felt that Swan and Toy ended up being the central characters with Samuel and others (including Blade) being in the next "tier". The Homecoming of the Lake Family might have been more accurate and descriptive. Or something else. Samuel did seem to find his place by the end, so he had some growth, but I still found the title a bit strange given the content. Did anyone else wonder about that?

Oh, and the only copy my library had was a large print copy with a different cover from any that you posted. This is the one I had:


A few random questions/comments about the story:
So, was the impressive growth of Calla's garden (and later Samuel's crops) all in a mix with different plants/flowers scattered together a metaphor for the mixing of the disparate family members in the house and their ability to grow and thrive? I think most of them did grow/thrive, with the clear exception of Bernice - and good riddance to her and her new guy. Poor Toy.

How did Blade's family manage once his father was dead? I think they were better off without him and his abuse, but was the mother (some name with a G I think) able to support her kids on her ironing work?

It seemed like Swan dealt with the abuse she endured quite well, but I'd think she'd experience some aftereffects. Maybe with the murder and trial and Toy going to prison things were pretty crazy for a while, but it seems like she'd have to work through what happened, likely with some help, at some point and I'm not sure I saw that happening (starting).

Toy may have helped Noble to become Formidable, but I think he did a very Noble thing in the end, to keep the Lake family together; and perhaps to take what he considered deserved punishment for killing that guy earlier?

Some interesting names in this book: Toy, Noble, Swan (Swan Lake no less!), Bienville, Blade, Nicey; even Willadee and Calla aren't ones I've seen often.

This book included so many vices -- suicide, alcoholism, adultery, rape, child abuse, wife beating and murder (I think that includes everything. Even so, I enjoyed it more than I expected. Some characters were hard to swallow, but most of them were quite likeable, the first one being Swan. She is quite admirable and mature for an eleven year old who tries to find a soul mate. She turns to Uncle Toy, but he is not ready to open up right away, and eventually comes upon Blade, an abused eight year old boy who is completely smitten with her. She is his guardian angel. It pained me so at how much she suffered at the hands of Raz. The "swords of justice" that his wife Geraldine had hoped for arrived at the end, if a bit late and at the hands of the least expected person -- Samuel.

The chain of events is triggered by the death of the patriarch, John Moses, followed by the loss of Samuel's congregation, which prompts the Lake family to settle on the Moses farm. Swan is thrilled to have her father home as he struggles to find himself. God keeps sending him signs, but he seems to be missing them. When the tornado strikes, Sam prays to God for it to go around the house, which it does. Willadee believe that because Sam is a good man, God is good to him, but Sam understands that it is God who is good. All throughout his ordeal, Sam never loses faith.

Meanwhile, Toy is beginning to bond with the four chidren -- Swan, Noble, Bienville and Blade, who he comes to love as a son. The childrens's acts of kindness towards Uncle Toy are so touching. They shine his shoes, give him flowers and make him feel loved. Calla is moved by their thoughtfulness. "When was the last time anyone did anything special for Toy? That's the thought that took her breath away. When was the last time anyone did something desperate and beautiful to please him? She has no idea that Swan was also doing something special for Toy, or that Toy's life was changing in ways he could never have anticipated. All she knew was tha this little boy [Blade] was doing a kindness for her own little boy -- the man who had been her little boy -- and her gratitude knew no bounds." It seems that everyone needs some saving in this story.

Luckily for Toy, he was accidently shot by Scotty. Otherwise, Raz would have gotten to him. With Toy out of the way, he can plan his sick plot, which began the first day he spotted Swan at the gas station. While Toy is recovering, Sam has an epiphany and decides to open his own spiritual revival event, adjacent to the Never Closes bar. How convenient. Bernice has a chance to get closer to Samuel, but it is no use for he is completely in love with Willadee, who is as caring and honest as Bernice is selfish and vindictive. Sending Bootsie, the local drunk, to check on Bernice was hysterical.

The final scenes were very intense. The reader was led to believe Toy would find Swan first, but it was her father, who was screaming out to God for help. And he received it. Somehow, the phantom mice cut through Swan's ropes and freed her to ring the miracle cow bell and sound the duck call. Sam was able to fly and reach Raz before he could escape. At that moment, if Sam had not overcome him, he would have been killed. It was a fight between good and evil, and goodness prevailed.

In the end, Sam comes to terms with the message God is trying to send him. He could still fulfill acts of kindness to those who needed assistance while caring for his family. Sam now has the time to be with his family, growing his crops, opening Ever After with Willadee, performing for their customers, and teaching the kids to swim. He had previously been too busy with the Lord's business. "Watching them laugh and grow, he began to suspect that what he was doing now was the Lord's business. The way he saw it, God had worked out the outcome just fine." I couldn't agree more.

After all is said and done, there is so much love given in the Homecoming of Samuel Lake, that it warms the heart. Uncle Toy makes the ultimate sacrifice by taking the blame for the murder and giving his niece and nephews the family they desperately need. He did it all for them.

Swan gets her wish and bonds "soul deep" with Uncle Toy. She has his heart and has to hold onto it until he returns. "I sure reckon you wouldn't ever throw away a heart that loves you."

Calla's bitterness towards the way her relationship ended with her husband, John, helps her advise her daughter to mend fences with Sam. Willadee asks for forgiveness from Sam and receives it. Rather than letting the misunderstandings turn into hatred as it had with Calla and John, she reaches out to Sam and admits she had been wrong, leaving her pride behind, where it belongs.

Lastly, Blade finds love with the Lake and Moses family, especially with Swan, who he wants to marry. How cute. He feels responsible for what happened to Swan for he is from his Daddy. Swan is smart and strong enough to see beyond that connection. "He may be who you're from, but he's not who you are. I love who you are, Blade."

It has been suggested that the title merely refers to Samuel's loss of congregation and the need to stay with the Moses family. However I like to think that the title refers more to the way Samuel had to rethink his priorities in light of what happened to Swan... and he found his own homecoming in the crops he planted and in the new sign above the shop door "Ever After"..

In many ways Swan reminded me of Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird - they shared that "soul deep" ability to connect with people and a strength of character that went beyond what would be expected of a child their age...

The author, Jenny Wingfield , has said that she based some of the characters on members of her family - her maternal grandmother ran a similar sort of store....


I loved the book - it is one of the few books I intend to keep to re read again and again.

My cover is completely different from all 3 of the above. It has a lone farmhouse with an old pickup out front.

ABL wrote:


If you hadn't said this first, I would have said the same exact thing. Sassenach does a good job of providing some explanation here and Jayne, nice job in summing up the book and bringing up so many of the points that I remembered.

I have to say that I agree that Swan reminded me also of Scout from TKAM. I was disturbed on so many levels by what happened to her and when we learn that Raz has been planning this from the first time he saw her, a lot of things fell into place that I had attributed to his wanting to get Blade back. There were so many honest emotions here and when Blade tells her that he wants to marry her some day and she tells him that he'll only always be a brother for her, it rings true.

Truth is an underlying theme of this story. Moses truth and Plain Honest truth and as Sass said, in the end it was about Samuel learning it for himself. He reminded me of Job a little in that his faith was being challenged on so many fronts. First, by the church that he loved and wanted to serve, then by his family while he was preoccupied with his own needs, then by Bernice who he wanted to believe was finally seeing the light. It was interesting that after taking the high road all along, he learned that there are times that the Plain Honest truth was best left silent.

As ABL said, I thought that this story was as much about Toy or Swan than Samuel. And, actually thought that in the end, something bad would happen to Raz at Toy's hand and Toy would end up with Geraldine and her children, but that would have been too Hallmark. As much as Samuel is challenged by God, so also is Toy. He loses a leg in the war, comes home to find his wife in bed with another man, commits murder, and loses all faith in God. In the end, he is the one who listens at the door, checks out Raz's farm and goes to the police to save this family and perhaps salvage his own honor and atone for past sins.

I was choked up through many of the final chapters but felt that this family would be all right and that Blade would be the one to take care of his own. Last night, I was at a country music concert and all of those songs about farms and small time life only made me think of this book and these characters again.

Wonderful book selection, Sassenach. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

So glad you all enjoyed it, I reviewed it for the UK publishers last year and thought it was a very special book. I'm just glad to bring it to a wider audience.

Sassenach, I really loved your summary of this novel. I checked it out from the library after seeing it mentioned here on the board, and I'm so glad to have read it! What a wonderful story.

Mary_Mac thank you so much for your kind words. I'm really lucky as I get to review some great books - most of which are reviewed on my Book blog - come and see us - visitors are always welcome !!

Sassenach, do you know if there will be a sequel to HoSL? It would be interesting to meet everyone again in 15 or 20 years.

That's exactly what I was thinking! It's hard to let those characters go.

And Sassenach, yes, I've visited your book blog a time or two. It's a nice place to spend time. I love to read about books; I'm on goodreads at least once a day. It's getting kind of ridiculous. I could probably get a good chunk of my "to reads" done with all the time I spend reading about books! Still though, I'm not complaining.

I haven't as yet heard of any sequel but agree that it would be wonderful to catch up with everyone.
If I hear of anything I will let you know - I can't find an author website so am struggling to find out more about her...!!

Hi all,

I asked the author, and she has plans to write a sequel but it won't be her next book. She said maybe the one after that.

Thanks for the info Mary_Mac.