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151st out of 1,732 books
—
4,156 voters
A Place to Call Home
by
Deborah Smith (Goodreads Author)
Twenty years ago, Claire Maloney was the willful, pampered, tomboyish daughter of the town's most respected family, but that didn't stop her from befriending Roan Sullivan, a fierce, motherless boy who lived in a rusted-out trailer amid junked cars. No one in Dunderry, Georgia--least of all Claire's family--could understand the bond between these two mavericks. But Roan an...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
May 4th 1998
by Bantam
(first published 1997)
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4.5 stars
This is one of those wonderful stories about love, redemption, acceptance, secrets, and family. It is a love story, but it is much more than that too. Claire is from a huge family and I can relate, although I’m an only child I have 14 first cousins and a whole lotta seconds and thirds. Claire couldn’t do anything in her small southern Georgia town without a relative knowing about it – she even had three lively grandmothers living in her house. I loved the multigenerational feel of the b...more
This is one of those wonderful stories about love, redemption, acceptance, secrets, and family. It is a love story, but it is much more than that too. Claire is from a huge family and I can relate, although I’m an only child I have 14 first cousins and a whole lotta seconds and thirds. Claire couldn’t do anything in her small southern Georgia town without a relative knowing about it – she even had three lively grandmothers living in her house. I loved the multigenerational feel of the b...more
This book has to be the most sweetest & intense love story between a H&h I've ever read. Their love for one another started as children. Then they are ripped apart from one another in youth. Oh boy, do you feel their gut-wrenching lose:
CLAIRE: I figured his situation this way: I came into the world to take care of him for his mama. No one else wanted to. . . .
CLAIRE: "Don't send him away! We're his family. You can't send him away! It's not fair!"
ROANIE: "I'll take care of Claire, " Roa...more
CLAIRE: I figured his situation this way: I came into the world to take care of him for his mama. No one else wanted to. . . .
CLAIRE: "Don't send him away! We're his family. You can't send him away! It's not fair!"
ROANIE: "I'll take care of Claire, " Roa...more
Jul 30, 2012
Aarati
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
abuse,
classdivide,
contemporary-romance,
hero-ragstoriches,
letters,
secondchances,
romance
I read this because I heard about the similarities to Sweet Gum Tree and wanted to compare the two stories for myself. Even though the premise was extremely similar, the characters were distinct and the direction the stories took after the childhood-sweethearts-stage was different.
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the first section of this story (I love the Southern small town setting!), the book dragged for me when Roan and Claire reunited as adults. I wasn't especially interested in the hundreds...more
Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the first section of this story (I love the Southern small town setting!), the book dragged for me when Roan and Claire reunited as adults. I wasn't especially interested in the hundreds...more
Another rare creature: a romance novel that's genuinely good. Oddly, it's the lead-up, not the actual romance between the adult characters in the somewhat hasty and strange last quarter of the book, that caught me. I've always felt when you buy a romance novel, you should get a romance novel; I loathe romances that focus so much on the dramatic setting or murder mystery you hardly notice the romance. But in this novel, I felt the reverse.
The story is at its best at the start, when the plucky 5-y...more
The story is at its best at the start, when the plucky 5-y...more
I found it difficult to rate this book and I'm not even sure why. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I can't even describe how I feel about this book, or maybe, it's because it left me hallow in some ways. I don't know, the only thing I can say is that this book was just... it just was.
Overall, I have to give it a two star rating because of two things. Was this worth a read? And, would I recommend this book to someone else? The answer is no on both counts. There was nothing magical and spell...more
Overall, I have to give it a two star rating because of two things. Was this worth a read? And, would I recommend this book to someone else? The answer is no on both counts. There was nothing magical and spell...more
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30yo journalist gets injured on the job in FL & goes back to her family home in GA after 12 yrs. Since her close-knit family drove away her best friend & only love when she was 10 b/c of a traumatic event involving his dad & her, heroine has continually felt betrayed & angry with her family & has not stopped searching for Hero’s whereabouts. Her return to her family home coincides with Hero’s return. Their reunion churns the past, with its mistakes, hurts, & questions, fo...more
The first half of this book is incredible. I devoured it in less than a day. Claire, the main character, was truly charming and likeable as a child and her relationship with Roan was great to discover. My only complaint was a theme that ended up occurring throughout the book: there were so many side characters. She has so many Aunt So-and-So and Grandma This-and-That that you can't possibly keep track of who is who. The second half, while still well written, caused me to absolutely loathe Claire...more
I randomly picked up this book at the library and I loved it. I was so drawn to both Claire and Roan's character from the very beginning as I saw their relationship throughout their childhood to adulthood.
The first part of the book was so captivating and emotional. I couldn't put it down. Claire is so determined to help save Roanie Sullivan, despite his unfortunate luck of being born into the wrong family. The two of them are young children and share the kind of love that is unique between the...more
The first part of the book was so captivating and emotional. I couldn't put it down. Claire is so determined to help save Roanie Sullivan, despite his unfortunate luck of being born into the wrong family. The two of them are young children and share the kind of love that is unique between the...more
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Wonderful book. A novel set in the south. Happy, sad, it runs the gamet of emotions. Story of an Irish-Southern family, growing up in a small town and all that entails. The suthor uses humor well, the tone is enhanced by the interesting Georgia setting. It is the story of Claire, who grows up surrounded by love & family, and Roanie whose childhood is filled with poverty and violence. I look forward to reading more by this author.
A Place to Call Home is my second novel I've read from Deborah Smith. It's a wonderful story about a young girl and the boy on the wrong side of the tracks. A horrible ordeal arises and they are separated from each other and after 20 long years, they reunite. There was an innocence about Roanie and Claire's relationship when they were young, very touching and one that you could truly believe. They were the definition of soulmates...so connected, no doubt they loved and understood one another mor...more
I loved the first half of this book when they were kids, but the second half went down the drain very fast. Also, i couldn't understand why claire kept wanting roan to stay in that shitty town where there was nothing but bad memories for him. Claire's family got annoying too, when they kept saying that Roan was a part of that family. Like we're giving you our blessing now so you should be overjoyed, forget about the way we treated you in the past. Are you freakin kidding me?! have you thought ab...more
1 like · like · see review
QUIT COMPARING THIS TO _SWEET GUM TREE._
I swear. So many reviewers are holding this book in disdainful comparison to Allred's novel, yet no one seems to note that Smith's version came out almost a decade before _Sweet Gum Tree_. I won't say that Allred ripped Smith off, but I'll say that I'm pretty miffed at everyone acting like Smith's book is the carbon copy of Allred's. I think she's an amazing storyteller (no, I don't know her personally) but I have yet to meet any novelist who is able to pl...more
I swear. So many reviewers are holding this book in disdainful comparison to Allred's novel, yet no one seems to note that Smith's version came out almost a decade before _Sweet Gum Tree_. I won't say that Allred ripped Smith off, but I'll say that I'm pretty miffed at everyone acting like Smith's book is the carbon copy of Allred's. I think she's an amazing storyteller (no, I don't know her personally) but I have yet to meet any novelist who is able to pl...more
This book really fell apart in the second half. The characters (as adults) seemed to suddenly be filled with mysterious silences for no very good reason and were prone to acting like complete idiots just to keep the thin plot going. It's a shame, because the first half showed some promise. Also, the contrast between 10 year old Claire's voice and her 10 year old niece's tortuous dialogue was painful. Did the author suddenly forget how to write about children? If anything, it seemed like the auth...more
Can a girl of 5 make a connection to an older boy that will last all her life? That relationship is
the bases for this story. The family and extended family of Claire Maloney and Roan Sullivan , son of
the town drunk have lots to say about that relationship. This all takes place in a small Southern
town founded by Claire's Irish great-great grandparents. The warmth of a family trying to help a poor
child and the mistakes made after violence appears result in a painful 20 years for all. When even...more
the bases for this story. The family and extended family of Claire Maloney and Roan Sullivan , son of
the town drunk have lots to say about that relationship. This all takes place in a small Southern
town founded by Claire's Irish great-great grandparents. The warmth of a family trying to help a poor
child and the mistakes made after violence appears result in a painful 20 years for all. When even...more
Meh. I'll give it two stars as I didn't abandon it right away, however I abandoned this one after about 220 pages. Despite the nobility of her actions, I just found the main character to be too waspish and too often, selfish. I also kept wondering, "Do these two people actually like each other or just think they should be together?"--destiny vs affection? It seems like destiny was winning in this one, I would have appreciated more affection from a love story, I think.
I also felt the author delve...more
I also felt the author delve...more
Quem é que não gosta de uma história de amor reencontrado? Daquele tipo de amor que é para toda a vida? Eu não gosto… eu adoro! Especialmente se for bem trabalhado, de forma a que seja uma história sólida e consistente.
Claire e Roan conheceram-se em crianças. Pertenciam famílias de classes sociais diametralmente opostas. Mas isso não os impede de se tornarem amigos e gostarem verdadeiramente um do outro. Por mais que tente colocar por palavras a relação deles, mesmo em crianças, acabo sempre por...more
Claire e Roan conheceram-se em crianças. Pertenciam famílias de classes sociais diametralmente opostas. Mas isso não os impede de se tornarem amigos e gostarem verdadeiramente um do outro. Por mais que tente colocar por palavras a relação deles, mesmo em crianças, acabo sempre por...more
7 likes · like · see review
Sem sombra de dúvida este livro arrebata-me até ao mais íntimo do meu ser. Devo ser uma romântica incurável (coisa que pensei nunca vir a admitir).
Deborah Smith escreve e cativa-me instantaneamente. Para mim, dentro deste género e com o que vou conhecendo, Deborah ganha aos pontos os restantes escritores. Escreve sobre a família duma maneira que nunca li, escreve sobre sentimentos da maneira mais sincera e profunda, escreve sobre determinação, objectivos alcançados e outros desfeitos, escreve so...more
Deborah Smith escreve e cativa-me instantaneamente. Para mim, dentro deste género e com o que vou conhecendo, Deborah ganha aos pontos os restantes escritores. Escreve sobre a família duma maneira que nunca li, escreve sobre sentimentos da maneira mais sincera e profunda, escreve sobre determinação, objectivos alcançados e outros desfeitos, escreve so...more
8 likes · like · see review
very similar to Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred.. shockingly so. the emphasis on the irish culture was probably the only novel thing. both took place in southern towns, and embraced the signatures of southern culture- large tight-knit families, pride, protectiveness of your family members and honor. both had heroines who were part of a influential, large, and accepted family, who saw accepted the son of the town drunk regardless of all the rumors and taboos that surrounded him. this son is ev...more
É quando ainda são crianças, embora de duas famílias completamente diferentes, que os destinos de Claire Maloney e Roan Sullivan cruzam-se. Habituado a ser rejeitado e maltratado pelos outros, muito por causa do comportamento violento do pai, Ron, que vive à margem de tudo e refugia-se na rebeldia, estranha o interesse e a preocupação da menina Claire e rejeita-a no primeiro contacto. Ela não desiste e defende o menino sempre que pode. À medida que os dois convivem, nasce entre eles uma grande a...more
Tendo gostado imenso do primeiro livro a Deborah Smith publicado em Portugal,
A Doçura da Chuva
, foi com agrado que soube que a Porto Editora ia continuar a apostar nesta autora. Segredos do Passado é um livro escrito 10 anos antes de A Doçura da Chuva, mas o estilo da autora mantém-se dentro do mesmo registo.
Esta história, contada na primeira pessoa por Claire Maloney, gira à volta de duas crianças, a própria Claire e Roanie. Claire é uma menina oriunda de uma família numerosa de raízes irland...more
Esta história, contada na primeira pessoa por Claire Maloney, gira à volta de duas crianças, a própria Claire e Roanie. Claire é uma menina oriunda de uma família numerosa de raízes irland...more
This book was a lovely, complex read. It is hard for me to find romance stories that I can actually get past the first couple of pages; for every one I pick up, I've put down ten others. Nevertheless, I really enjoy the good ones so I keep looking for those jewels among the dross. Deborah Smith's novel "A Place To Call Home" was everything I look for in this type of book: a rich, intelligently developed plot peopled with characters who are not only interesting but don't do ridiculous things mere...more
The first half of this story completely captivated me. It had me hook, line and sinker. I laughed, I swooned, my heart dropped and twisted, and I was completely lost. In the best way possible.
And God, I wish I could say the same about the second half! I read it and enjoyed it because I was already SO invested in Claire and Roan. Even typing their names gives me little flutters. That's how much I loved them. Claire is the spunky southern girl fighting for her reluctant, protective hero in Roan. A...more
And God, I wish I could say the same about the second half! I read it and enjoyed it because I was already SO invested in Claire and Roan. Even typing their names gives me little flutters. That's how much I loved them. Claire is the spunky southern girl fighting for her reluctant, protective hero in Roan. A...more
A beautiful epic book. A wonderful family tale and love story, just the way I love it, the kind of book you can lose yourself in. So sweet and beautifully told.
Claire and Roanie (oh, Roan!) are wonderful lead characters. And the world they live in, the people who surround them, are all so... rich, colouful, vibrant. Yes, there are a lot of different characers in the beginning, but I had no trouble telling them apart - they just all worked really well and were quite easy to distinguish.
As many o...more
Claire and Roanie (oh, Roan!) are wonderful lead characters. And the world they live in, the people who surround them, are all so... rich, colouful, vibrant. Yes, there are a lot of different characers in the beginning, but I had no trouble telling them apart - they just all worked really well and were quite easy to distinguish.
As many o...more
Despite a few romantic cliches, this falls more into the fiction category than romance. (I am dropping the term "Women's Fiction," because it's annoying. There's no "Men's Fiction," they just get to write "Fiction." Feh.) It concentrates far more on the primary relationship between the main characters as children than it does on them than adults, and I felt a bit of a lack in the second half of the book for that reason. Still, it was a powerful and poignant story, with situation and characters t...more
I love Deborah Smith's voice. I have to say, the first half is better than the second half. In Part I, the chapter's are written almost like stand-alone short stories, but as soon as you get to Par II, the style changes. Part I is flashback. Part II is contemporary, but with the second half, most of the conflict dissolves. (Can't divulge more without including spoilers.) It is well worth the read! Any Deborah Smith for that matter. Enjoy!
I read this book before I read a very similar book, The Sweet Gum Tree. Plots are strangely similar, but I found this book lacking. It didn't have the emotional angst as the other and the character conflict was not enough to hold up the plot. This book seemed to stray from the main characters too often and focus too much on ancillary characters and the setting. This book dragged for me and I lost interest in the main characters after the halfway point. I finished it, but now having read both, th...more
I tend to gravitate toward romantic comedy which often requires a bit more suspension of disbelief. This book is more "real world" but it's a romance nonetheless.
I loved the first half of the book, most of which takes place when Claire is nine. Her viewpoint is so consistent with a child her age that it's awesome, but part of what makes it so good, I think, is knowing that the story will finish with the characters as adults. I love the message of the book as well that one person can change the l...more
I loved the first half of the book, most of which takes place when Claire is nine. Her viewpoint is so consistent with a child her age that it's awesome, but part of what makes it so good, I think, is knowing that the story will finish with the characters as adults. I love the message of the book as well that one person can change the l...more
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This book is a must-read for those of us in the romantic community! I first read this book when I was twelve years old, then I did not realize the significance nor the moral of the story. As I became older I re-read the book and my heart slowly began to break.. This book is touching, heart-felt, and true beyond words.. Deborah Smith, you are the chocolate to hopless romantics' souls.
Each time I read a book by Deborah Smith she raises the bar for the next one. I have read four of her books and extremely grateful that she has a lot more to read. What a find.
I'm a 54 year old male construction worker and this book had me in tears more than I wasn't. If you want to find a good author who paints landscapes and life, read Deborah Smith. This is a book I want to savor for a day or two before i pick up another.
I'm a 54 year old male construction worker and this book had me in tears more than I wasn't. If you want to find a good author who paints landscapes and life, read Deborah Smith. This is a book I want to savor for a day or two before i pick up another.
at first, i was bored because so much character in this story and like every person have to be described even though they just unessential character. but i keep reading and ending up i can not put off untill the story was finished. this story was very heartbreaking. i cry over and over. "a place to call home" was amazing love story
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Deborah Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of A Place to Call Home, Sweet Hush, The Crossroads Cafe, A Gentle Rain and other acclaimed romantic novels portraying life and love in the modern Appalachian South. A native Georgian, Deborah is a former newspaper editor who turned to novel-writing with great success.
With more than 35 romance, women's fiction and fantasy novels to her credit,...more
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“At the center, on the lawn of the courthouse, sat a log manger with a life-size nativity scene cut out of plywood. If an civil libertarian had complained about the nativity being on public property, he would have been hunted down like Santa's reindeer during bow season.”
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