Back to the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith

Title:  Back to the Homeplace
Author:  William Leverne Smith
Publisher:  Vision to Action

After the matriarch of the family dies, the extended family must return to the Homeplace as per the will.  The farm, located in the Ozarks, has been in the family for 150 years.  The story takes place in 1987, during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.  The family members come together and long kept family secrets are exposed and threaten to ruin many lives. 

My Review:

I thought this book had an amazing storyline.  I started reading it and really couldn't put it down.  One of my favorite things about the book was the news blurbs at the beginning of each chapter.  I was only 9 in 1987 so I loved seeing what t.v. shows were on and what music was big!  It brought back a lot of memories from my youth.

The characaters were very real in this book.  The way their lives all twisted together was captivating.  The trials they faced were all very real.  I had a small issue with how everything bad happened all at once to various families.  I also thought the author could have used a less formal speech for the characters.  I sometimes thought the way they spoke was a little unrealistic but nothing that really bothered me. 

All in all, it was a wonderful book with realistic situations and issues.  The characters were well developed and it was an easy read.  I really enjoyed this book.

Disclaimer:  The author sent this book to me free of charge in exchange for a fair and honest review.