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Face the Winter Naked

by Bonnie Turner (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 410 ratings · 90 reviews

Daniel Tomelin, a shell-shocked veteran haunted by the carnage of the First World War, abandons his family in the Great Depression and goes on the road in search of relief from his nightmares. The life of a freight-hopping, banjo-strumming hobo appeals to him more than he wants to admit. But he insists he's not a bum - he's a family man looking for work; a down-and-out vic...more

Kindle Edition, 283 pages

Published February 26th 2010 by Lulu.com (first published February 21st 2010)

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Mar 04, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I was happy to receive this book as part of a first-reads giveaway.

Face the Winter Naked is a thoughtful, moving novel that takes place during the Great Depression. From the first pages to the last I enjoyed reading about the main characters' strength of spirit as they faced many difficulties and hardships. Daniel Tomelin leaves his wife and family and travels around the country searching for work. Along the way, he meets many people, all of whom are also effected by the Depression. Some are wi...more I was happy to receive this book as part of a first-reads giveaway.

Face the Winter Naked is a thoughtful, moving novel that takes place during the Great Depression. From the first pages to the last I enjoyed reading about the main characters' strength of spirit as they faced many difficulties and hardships. Daniel Tomelin leaves his wife and family and travels around the country searching for work. Along the way, he meets many people, all of whom are also effected by the Depression. Some are willing to help him by offering a meal or giving him work, others are travelling and in even worse shape than himself. Daniel's wife LaDaisy faces her own challenges and hardships as she raises her kids back home and wonders what has become of Daniel.
The author, Bonnie Turner, does an excellent job at portraying the complexity of it all. The characters in this novel have many sides to them as they make hard choices that are effected by the times in which they live. Throughout the novel, we learn just how much Daniel's choice to leave hurt his family back home, yet we are also struck by his innate goodness and strength as he is kind to those he meets on the way and struggles to do the right thing. Those he meets are just as complex. Some of them help him, but they are also trying to survive themselves and make their choices based on that.
While reading this novel, I also enjoyed learning about the history of the Great Depression. Daniel is a veteran and has nightmares from the war. Also, I had not previously heard of the Bonus Army's march on Washington in 1932 which Daniel takes part in. He helps build shelters for the participants and is there when the shanty town is burned and the marchers are confronted by the authorities.
I enjoyed the author's style of writing in this novel. It's all the detailed descriptions of Daniel's day to day survival from the cardboard inserts in his worn out shoes, to his battered banjo with broken strings that really bring this novel to life.
This novel definitely has the ability to transport the reader to another time and place, and to give the reader a unique, emotional, and thought-provoking experience. I would highly recommend it.

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Nov 19, 2012 Marilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Face The Winter Naked, by Bonnie Turner, brings to light the struggles of a man named Daniel Tomelin, after WW1, during the Great Depression. Daniel is confused by the constant nightmares, which take him back to the battlfield,in Flanders. As a result, he makes some decisions which he regrets and has no clue how to make amends for having done.Despite all his poor decisions, he does warm the heart, by following through with promises made to dying friends on the battlefield. His quest to find work...more Face The Winter Naked, by Bonnie Turner, brings to light the struggles of a man named Daniel Tomelin, after WW1, during the Great Depression. Daniel is confused by the constant nightmares, which take him back to the battlfield,in Flanders. As a result, he makes some decisions which he regrets and has no clue how to make amends for having done.Despite all his poor decisions, he does warm the heart, by following through with promises made to dying friends on the battlefield. His quest to find work, so that he will have money for his family, becomes heart wrenching. Those experiences of Daniel's, were exactly what really happened during the Great Depression.

This book brought back so many memories of stories my parents, and grandparents would share with my generation. My parents grew up during the Great Depression, one set of grandparents got by, but just barely. My grandparents on the other side, lost everything during that time frame. Although we did not have any male family members abandon their wife and children, there was one Uncle who was always on the move.

I suppose what stood out most for me, was the link in the story about the hobos going to houses, asking for food. Some offered to trade work for money, others did not. Many of the hobos in my home town lived under the railroad tracks, very close to my grandparents house.My mom remembers hobos coming to their house begging, some wanted to work for food some did not. My grandmother would give them food. One day however, a dangerous convict showed up, and became violent. In that time frame, very few people had phones in their home. Grandpa had to drive into town to get help, grandma locked the doors, and prayed.

I have not mentioned anything yet, about the strongest character in this book...Daniel's wife, LaDaisy. She had to take on as many odd jobs as possible, while Daniel was away. She even became a wet nurse for a baby who had well to do parents. Each time she was knocked down, she would pull herself up, dust herself off, and go about proving for her family in Daniel's absence. He left without saying goodbye, so she had no clue where he was ,or if she would ever see him again. She not only took care of 4 small children, she also made certain that Daniel's dad had food to eat, and she saw to it that he was okay. She endured horrific attacks by her brother-in- law, that would mentally test any woman. Her hardships, and her brave spirit made this book a reality of life during the Depression. I would imagine there were many women who endured what the character LaDaisy did.

Being " Shell Shocked " or having as it is known today PTSD, is a serious disorder. If you have it, the only thing that will help, is counseling from a professional in that field. There seems to be a misconception that this is something that can be dealt with alone. This is not true. The point Bonnie Turner was making, with her character Daniel leaving his wife and children the way he did, was that people with this disorder do make bad choices somtimes. There is a wide spectrum and degrees of PTSD. Most military families understand well what PTSD is, and how it affects those diagnosed with it, and how it affects their families. I hope that those who read this book will keep that in mind.

It is hard for most of us to fully comprehend the magnitude of loosing everything you own. We are used to our cars, cell phones, computers, and basically a cushy lifestyle. I don't think most of us can wrap our heads around food and gasoline rationing. We are so used to heading to the grocery store, or Supercenter, and buying what we need, and then some. I hope we as a nation never have to go through such hardships, as those who lived during the Great Depression did. This book certainly makes me thankful for what we have, and exactly how fortunate I am.

I hope you will elect to read this book, about a serviceman named Daniel Tomelin, his family, and his experiences while battling with PTSD during the Great Depression. You will meet many characters in this book. The wonderful thing about the way Bonnie Turner developed her characters is, that you will feel as though you know them. Hopefully, you will come to understand them. Some of them you will grow quite fond of, and some of them, you will have a strong dislike for.....just like you would, if you knew them personally.(less)

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Sep 08, 2011 Joan Sherwood rated it 3 of 5 stars

I actually read this book by mistake. I had downloaded some books to my Kindle and clicked on one and began reading. After a few paragraphs I realized I wasn't reading the book that I had thought I was. However, once I start a book, I have to finish--so on I went. I'm glad I did.

This is a book about a family who is struggling through the Great Depression. Daniel is plagued by nightmares after returning from war. He is unemployed with three children to feed and leaves home with the intention of...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Lorrea(Threein3) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-kindle-reads

It took me about a month to finish this book which is rare for me. But I commit myself to finish once I start. So Daniel wakes up one morning and leaves his family during the Great Depression to go and find work and handle some unfinished business. The only problem is his family has no idea. His wife is left with three kids and a newborn her husband doen't know about. While he travels the country looking for work to take care of his family and deals with the nughtmares of the war, his wife has h...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Dierdra Byrd rated it 2 of 5 stars

Took me longer to finish this then it should have but I kept finding my mind wandering and I would put it down in favor of doing something else. The first half of the book was so slow moving! I never got to the point where I liked Daniel at all! He was so selfish it was irritating.
When I read, I feel like I am there in the book wherever it is set and I never once got that with this book. I seen several reviews that said glad I stuck with it but I am not. There were a few times that I started to...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Ixris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kara Lennox recently wrote a guest post at "Writers in the Storm". The one sentence that stuck out most sorely in regards to this book was a simple one:

"Conflict is not a disagreement that could easily be resolved with a five-minute conversation."

There is no conflict in this book. Daniel leaves his family on account of the Depression, his PTSD he's not man enough to own to his wife, and other nebulous feelings of angst. His wife, LaDaisy (I kind of wanted to smack her parents) spends her time wa...more Kara Lennox recently wrote a guest post at "Writers in the Storm". The one sentence that stuck out most sorely in regards to this book was a simple one:

"Conflict is not a disagreement that could easily be resolved with a five-minute conversation."

There is no conflict in this book. Daniel leaves his family on account of the Depression, his PTSD he's not man enough to own to his wife, and other nebulous feelings of angst. His wife, LaDaisy (I kind of wanted to smack her parents) spends her time wangsting about how she just wants her man around, and vaguely mentioning maybe she's raising their four children.

There's a lot of -wrong- with this book. Daniel (imo) carries this plot. He's out there doing things, seeing things, he changes (even if it's just because Bonnie Turner forced him to). His wife hangs around whining that she can't hardly stand up to her mother (trust me, lady, my mother puts LaDaisy's to shame), and after she gets raped (multiple times), just isn't sure what to do about it, who would -ever BELIEEEEVE her!?-

The chapters (attempting to be "cute" ) flip-flop between Daniel's and LaDaisy's POV, but leave utter confusion when LaDaisy's chapter ends in May, Daniel's jumps ahead two months, and LaDaisy's NEXT chapter is .... in May. Someone needed to restructure the hell out of this thing.

The research was kind of decently done (and then I laughed outright at other things), but we never got more than the "AAAAAAANNNNGGGST" vibe from either of the main characters, and after a while, it just got old. Especially when I found out the story only lasted a year of their time? "Oh no, LaDaisy! Your husband left you - he's been gone three months. He is dead. Dead is your husband." It gets ridiculous.

Around 50%, the writing falls apart drastically. It starts reading like fanfic. And not like, delightful fanfic. Like awful fanfic. I had to read several chapters outloud ala "Eye of Argon" just to get through them. What is this I don't even.

Long story short, this is a long story that needed to be trimmed of ... about half the plot. And given a newer, shinier, better one in its stead. Don't bother.(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Brett M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mp2

Brett Mulitz March 21, 2012
Book review Face the Winter Naked
Face the Winter Naked is a book about Daniel Tomelin, a World War One veteran who suffers from post- traumatic stress disorder. That, combined with the harsh realities of the Great Depression serves to be more than Daniel Tomelin can handle. Instead of facing his responsibilities, he leaves his family in search of “work.” The reality is, he is running from all the trauma in his life.
There is a second theme that emerges in this story. A...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Carrie Kellenberger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Another terrific FREE Kindle title from Amazon! Face the Winter Naked is set during the 1930s during the Great Depression and tells the story of Daniel, a war veteran who takes to the road in an attempt to rid himself of the constant night terrors that he has endured since his return. Leaving his young family behind, Daniel wanders the United States, living amongst hobos and tramps and searching for a way to earn money for his family. Meanwhile, his wife LaDaisy tries to make ends meet at home f...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think I got this book as a free deal. It was a much better book than I expected.

This book is set during The Great Depression. Daniel is a man who is suffering from PTSD from WWI and has left his family in search of work or at least some perspective on his situation. LaDaisy is the wife he left behind. She has three children to take care of and is torn between wanting Daniel to be home and furious at him for leaving. The book goes back and forth between Daniel's story and LaDaisy's story. I re...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Jane McBride rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure I could get into this subject matter when I first started, but am glad I stuck with it. I was also glad for the constant POV changes, because if this had been told strictly from LaDaisy's perspective, I would have spent the whole book hating Daniel. Instead, I saw what he was going through and got the reasons for why he left and why he stayed away. People in modern times may not realize that a lot of men really did leave their families during the Depression, and it wasn't because t...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Kimmie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lasting-impression, kindle-books-i-own

I got this book on Kindle for free I am not sure if I would have read it otherwise. But I am so glad I did it was such a good book! It was similar to Water for Elephants probably because they were both based around the same time period of the great depression. It tells the story of Daniel Tomlin who feels worthless because he can't find a job to help support his family beacuse of the depression so he leaves his family to fend for themselves, thinking they would get along better without him. He t...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book for .99 on my Kindle. I did not really have any high expectations for this book going into it. This non-fiction book is set in the depression era and has TONS of twists and turns that kept me guessing the entire time. I found myself hating certain characters (Clay in particular) and loving others. This is a sign of a great book! I felt completely drawn into the characters' lives and felt their pain and struggle. The only reason why I rated it four stars and not five is because...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Beaz added it

A sad, amazingly realistic entwining of fiction and fact during the last year of Hoover presidency when families were hungry and the Bonus Soldiers marched on Washington for the "bonus" Hoover had promised them, and congress denied them. Raw suffering and many similarities to what families are facing today, and how much worse it could have gotten. I had never heard of the "Bonus" soldiers, where MacArthur, Patton and even Eisenhower were among the military force Hoover sent to disperse the soldi...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Terri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books-read

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I finished it within five days. The beginning of the novel seemed slow, but once I got used to the pacing and the characters I was drawn into their world page by page.

There were a few places in the story that jolted me out of the book because they were, imho, implausible. Stupid little things that caught my eye--such as: At the beginning when Daniel goes to visit a war buddy's family, the mother invites him into her kitchen to cook him a meal. She no soone...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Saija rated it 4 of 5 stars

First book about the great depression. Fascinating characters (some I hated, some I really liked). I learned some things, like the bonus march in Washington and how President Hoover handled it (poorly) along with getting a much better understanding of what people went through during the great depression. With that said, there were some editing that would have helped the book along....I had to flip between pages to make sure I didn't skip a page by accident as the story didn't seem to make sense....more

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Mar 01, 2013 Noel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, historical-fiction, kindle

1933, right in the middle of the Great Depression Daniel decides that he must leave his wife and 3 kids to walk the country in search of work. LaDaisy, his wife, has no idea where he is or why he just disappeared. She is left to fend for herself with no money for food or rent and a vile landlord who wants his rent paid, while Daniel traipses around the country walking or riding the rails, getting paid pennies for back breaking work when he can find it.

This was a free kindle book and it kept my...more

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Bookguide Of course, it still happens today, with male immigrants heading off to work in more prosperous countries, sending money home. Immigration laws being w...more
Mar 05, 2013 01:35am

Noel I don't so much consider family abandonment medieval as I do unacceptable at any time in history. I have always scratched my head at the ability of me...more
Mar 05, 2013 04:27am

Oct 11, 2012 AmyLyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book raised a lot of moral dilemmas that were at once heart-breaking and interesting. I loved how there were no clear answers but just the hard realities of life and the question of whether love can overcome it all.

The Great Depression is such a hard time and I thought this book did a pretty good job of describing it and dealing with the hard realities of it.

Content disclaimer: There was some harsh language and some really terrible events portrayed. Still, I think the author could have do...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Marti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-books-2013, free-book, own, pop-fiction, kindle

Face the Winter Naked was about a man who couldn't stop facing the horrors of WWI. So he runs away and for the next year or so wanders around the country on the rails. He stops at places to work - to eat, but he keeps on moving. Meanwhile at home, his wife LaDaisy tries to keep the home going with little to no money. The story shows the devastation that can happen to soldiers in wars and the devastation that can happen to a family. Bonnie Turner has written a deep and thoughtful book about the t...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Vindivin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is a very good read! I highly recommend this book. It's well researched, and delivers ONE big story, comprised of two MAIN characters and those in their storylines - some they have in common, others not. It follows them both, unraveling answers as it goes. The ending could have several possibilities, but you don't find out which way it goes until the very end. I found this book to be very enjoyable, one I didn't want to stop reading. Very well written, truly a GOOD read!!!!!!!!

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Apr 07, 2012 Tabitha rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was truly impressed with this book. Not one I would normally pick up to read, but I am so glad I did. There were very few things I didn't like about the book, they aren't really even worth mentioning. I loved the main characters and could relate to the struggles they faced on so many levels. I was disappointed the story had to come to an end, but it ended in a satisfying manner. It didn't leave me disappointed, wanting more yes, but definitely not disappointed.

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Nov 19, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-literature

This is a Depression era story of a WWI vet who leaves his family to roam the country in search of work and to conquer his demons from the war, although he doesn't realize that until the end. Running parallel to his story is that of his wife and a frightening tragedy that befalls her while he is gone. A wonderfully descriptive novel of life in the early years of the Depression. The characters really came alive.

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Jul 30, 2011 Ann Schaffer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the general idea of this book, but parts of it moved too slowly. In the midst of the Great Depression, a veteran plagued by war nightmares suddenly leaves his young wife and children. The chapters rotate between the story of LaDaisy and her wayward husband, Daniel. LaDaisy's story held my interest pretty well, but Daniel's story got a little redundant. I was irritated that it took him so long to go home.

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Feb 07, 2013 Stacey Wright Aumock rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013

I enjoyed this book, but it left me wanting more. I kept waiting to see if Daniel would return home. It took the entire book for the resolution - and I found the conclusion lacking. I would have preferred more detail at the end of the book. I loved the history in this book! It was also neat reading about Independence MO since I live in a KC suburb. Bottom line: enjoyable read but it could have been longer/more detailed.

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Feb 02, 2013 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heartbreaking tale of a WWI vet in the Depression years, facing PTSD and trying to outrun his nightmares, and the family he leaves behind to fend for themselves for a year. At the same time as you see how awful people can be to each other--even to family members--it was heartwarming to see other people helping complete strangers with what little they had. I lived how Daniel's life was, in a sense, saved by music.

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Dec 30, 2011 Jean rated it 3 of 5 stars

A WWI veteran, haunted by nightmares, and returning to his home in Independence, Missouri, Daniel Tomelin, deserts his family during the Great Depression. His journey for a year throughout the country leads him to face some very soul-shaking realizations about himself. It is a story that brings forth love and faith in an era filled with cruelty, poverty, inequity, and political injustices.

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Oct 19, 2011 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this as a Kindle Freebie, and probably would not have thought to read it otherwise. This is historical fiction, set in the Great Depression. It was a gripping story of hardship. The hero was tragically flawed, and very sympathetic. This book was a real window into a period I know nothing about. But, thanks to this story, I think I understand it better. Well done, and highly recommended.

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Mar 05, 2013 Suzette rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book free..so I didn't expect too much but I quickly became enthralled in the characters lives and stayed there thru all the hardships they suffered. I usually know if a book if worth reading when you come to hate/love the charaters.(I would love to slap some sense in LaDaisy's parents)Thru all the bad and good times this story end just like its suppose to.

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Jul 10, 2011 Kristian Alva rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't expecting much from this book (not many authors can pull off depression-era novels), but so far I've been really impressed. The characters are wonderful, and the book is genuinely hard to put down. I've never read anything by this author before, and I bought it on a whim from the Kindle store. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.

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Jul 25, 2011 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 07, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This is a free book from the Goodreads First Reads giveaways!
This historical fiction book takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930's. The story is told in alternating chapters exploring the lives of Daniel Tomelin (who suffers from PTSD following WWI and left his home) and his wife, LaDaisy (left in Missouri to cope with the children). At times I was reminded of "Cold Mountain", but this was definitely written better with characters that you could understand.

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About Bonnie Turner

Bonnie Turner was born on Halloween in Independence, Missouri, at the height of the Great Depression, and currently resides in Wisconsin. She is a grandmother and great-grandmother. Her interests are many and varied, and include astronomy, geography, yoga and metaphysics. She is a jack-of-all-trades, a Mensa *almost*, a classical music & jazz aficionado.

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