In the sweet Arkansas summer of 1956, preacher Samuel Lake brings his family to his wife Willadee’s ancestral home for an annual get-together.

Samuel is a man of principle, and that principle has cost him his job. Samuel was not to be swayed. He had a way of looking at the world that worked for him, and he was convinced that it would work for all mankind. At his church’s annual conference, he is assigned no new parish.

Add to his sudden umemployment, the untimely death of Willadee’s father, and eleven-year-old Swan’s (yes, that’s right: Swan Lake) friendship with a traumatized eight-year-old neighbor boy and you have the foundation of this story.

There are several sub-plots: Willadee’s sister-in-law’s pursuit of Samuel; the emotional emergence of Willadee’s eldest brother, Toy; the horror brewing in the neighbors’ house; and the childhood games of Swan & her brothers.
“Mama”, (Willadee) said, “It doesn’t matter what Bernice does. It’s what Samuel does that counts. And he’s too good a man to let go of his principles.”

These story lines all weave together, and then into the main plot, seamlessly.

But the over-arching theme of The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is the battle between good and evil. This appears in the main plot as well as the sub-plots. In the end, good does prevail but not before tragedy strikes, as is often the case in real life.

Jenny Wingfield has told a beautiful story about one man’s faith in humankind. She intersperses her story with common sense wisdom such as:

“We always ask for what we get, boy. One way or another, we ask for it. And one way or another, we get it.”

“There’s a lot in my life that’s not the way I’d like, but every bit of it is just what I’ve signed up for. You decide what you want, you get what goes with it.”

She has provided an immensely readable novel that will restore your faith in the concept of a “good man”. Swan Lake and her daddy will capture your heart.

Recommended for lovers of women’s fiction, and those who believe in the fundamental good in people.

This books is the first I’ve read for The Southern Literature Reading Challenge. I’m also counting it as the North American selection for The Global Reading Challenge as I don’t recall ever reading anything before that was set in Arkansas. It was also a book win that arrived prior to December 31st, so it qualifies for the Books Won Challenge while at the same time keeping me within the rules for the TBR Double Dare.

For Canadian readers:
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake
Swan Lake