The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

Review of The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

By Jenny Wingfield

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake is an outstanding debut which swept me away to 1950s Arkansas. At times gut wrenching and heart rending it is an ultimately uplifting tale of faith and hope. Wingfield introduces a cast of such memorable characters that they will live in your head long after the last page.

The writing is pitch perfect, capturing the voices, thoughts and dreams of young Swan as clearly as those of her extended clan and the blackened heart of the villain Ras Ballenger. This story will enchant you but it will also make you angry as it builds to a terrifying climax. Jenny Wingfield is a powerful storyteller and I find it hard to compare this book with anything other than “To Kill a Mockingbird”. I only hope that Jenny Wingfield unlike Harper Lee will follow this debut with another book that breaks my heart once again. This is a book not to be missed.

By Lisa Doyle-Redmond