Going Home: finding home when you least expect it

Going Home by Judith Keim is the first book in the Chandler Hill Inn series. In 1970 as 18 year old Violet “Lettie” Hawkins finally escapes her life in Dayton, Ohio. She makes her way to the west coast and finds herself in San Francisco, with little money, no place to live and very few options. One day, when a kind, young man, Kenton Chandler, offers her a sandwich and a job at his father’s inn and vineyard in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. With nothing to lose, she takes the offer. When she gets there, she immediately feels a connection with the land. In a whirlwind romance, she marries Kenton. Their happiness is short-lived when his father dies from a stroke. And on the day she learns she is expecting their first child, Kenton is killed in a car accident. Heartbroken, she is left in charge of the Chandler Inn and Vineyard. Her job is to make them the success that Kenton and his father had envisioned. As she struggles to raise a child alone and grow the business, she wonders if she can make it on her own. 

Going Home is my second book by Judith Keim and sadly, I was bored. It began great but once Lettie arrives at Chandler Hill, it began a series of unbelievable events. The timeline for the book goes from event to event with only the indication of the time passed with “Several years have passed…” from one paragraph to the next. It would have been better if the years passing could have been between chapters. There was so much potential for this book but I found myself skimming and not really caring about the characters, especially Lettie. I also feel the book’s synopsis gives too much away that the reader doesn’t get the same emotional impact as Lettie when she learns of each tragedy. Although Ms Keim does capture the struggles of a former child of the foster care system in terms of relationships, especially Lettie’s relationship with her own child. The care of the grapes and process of wine making was interesting. Overall, the story was boring. I’m not sure if I will continue this series. If you are a fan of Judith Keim, you may enjoy Going Home. 

Going Home is available in paperback, eBook, and Audiobook.