A Place to Call Home

By: Deborah Smith

Narrated by: Kymberly Dakin

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 and Claire belonged together...until the dark afternoon when violence and terror overtook them, and Roan disappeared from Claire's life.

Now, two decades later, Claire is adrift, and the Maloneys are still hoping the past can be buried under the rich Southern soil. But Roan Sullivan is about to walk back into their lives....

By turns tender and sexy and heartbreaking and exuberant, A Place to Call Home is an enthralling journey between two hearts - and a deliciously original novel from one of the most imaginative and appealing new voices in Southern fiction.

©1997 Deborah Smith as Leigh Bridger (P)2012 BelleBooks, Inc.

Just Oh So Good!!!!!!

I really ponder my $4.95 picks and I picked a winner! In the beginning I thought NO!!!!!! The narrator was torturous but I hung in there and I am so glad I did. The story is beautiful, thoughtful, endearing and innocent and I could have listened for hours more, I grew accustomed to the narrator and in the end she was important for this story to be told. I highly recommend!

A Surprise Book

Would you consider the audio edition of A Place to Call Home to be better than the print version?

I never read the book but listening to it was a joy.The narrator was great.

What did you like best about this story?

The best part of the story was the family.

Have you listened to any of Kymberly Dakin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not that I am aware of.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed the whole book and the emotion it portrayed.

just wow!!!

Where does A Place to Call Home rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top 10 easy

What did you like best about this story?

the whole thing

What does Kymberly Dakin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

i loved this story...good things come to those who need them most!

awesome

I've read this book about 3 or 4 times. it's one of my favorites. It was even better being read to me. I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed.

Fantabulous!!!

I absolutely adored listening to this story, moreso because it is performed brilliantly, in a way that emphasizes Deborah Smith’s intent beyond the words she wrote.

Big Rousing Family Summer Read-Enjoyable

A Place To Call Home is an involved story arc about a huge family-I was tempted at times to make a list of who went with what family, but I finally gave up and simply flowed with the tale.

I really got a kick of Smiths 'Claire' character.... as a youngster-a snotty tomboy with mean big brothers, she thought she had to be brash to make herself seen. She reminded me of myself as a 10 year old-tall, lanky and awkward with an impossible kinky home perm my grandma had to give me every summer to keep my hair 'controlled' over vacation Calire is sweetly and realistically written by Deborah Smith and very much the center of the novel. Her casually adopted local bad boy, who protected her from the mean kids was also written with both realistic frailties and boldness.Their childish love and faithfulness to each other seemed very realistic. Deborah Smith has a way of showing a lot of humanity in her characters. They came to life for me. Especially the grannies. There was an era of grannies on that generation who ruled the house. Granny Elizabeth and Granny Alice were very familiar personalities to me.

Kymberly Dakin did a wonderful job keeping all the names and southern drawls straight and well as keeping the plethora of family members alive in my mind. I'd be happy to listen to another move narrated by her anytime.

This was a super fat summer listen-coming in at 14 hours I believe, it kept me entertained by the pool during scorching hot weather. I was listening to it on my iPad without headphones and another mom came to watch her child by the pool. I was politely putting my headphones on when she asked me if I would just leave the iPod on so she could listen along with me. We both became engrossed with the storyline over several days and, though I continued to play it in the evening for an hour or so, when I came back to to the pool, my neighbor would ask if we could listen again-Deborah Smith was a new author for both of us and very much enjoyed.

Not a lot of drama-but what there is is compelling. It's a very nice family story of growing up, lives changes and finding lost loves. This isn't literature - it isn't a bodice ripper - and it isn't overly peppered with sex and profanity for those who are offended easily..there is some but it's in context and not gratuitous.

Definitely a woman's book, with a lot of scenic southern back country, family intrigue and errors of judgment, changes in opinions as happens to real families. I hope Smiths other books are so realistically told. It was worth my credit and I'm downloading another Deborah Smith right now.

Among the BEST in my library

I have this on my library for some time now and i just finished re-reading it. Claire and Roan are true characters brought to life by Deborah Smith. There were certain circumstances to the story which i can relate to. Life of people i know, not the same but the upheavals of family and townspeople drama.

Their childhood connection brought them back together despite the long and arduous years apart. Roan recreated his own family when he took a young boy into his care and brought him as his son, only...... And Claire, she stayed true to her heart. The heartbreak, the inspiration, and hope of life together with Roan was almost a never.

It's a long enjoyable and at the same time a frustrating listen because when it was over, I was lost and looking for more of their story. I enjoyed listening to the narrator too. I'm actually trying to get all Deborah Smith's audiobooks slowly.

One of my top 5 favorite books!

Would you listen to A Place to Call Home again? Why?

Yes.... GREAT story!

What about Kymberly Dakin’s performance did you like?

Great job!!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I hope they do make this a movie!

Any additional comments?

Amazing story line!! Keeps you listening!!

Amazing

I feel like I can reach out and touch the people and places in the story. So true about southern heritage

Love this Story

This is one of my favorite book. I've read it many times over the years and I finally listened to the audiobook. The narrator has a lovely Southern accent which lends color to the story but her Roan voice sometimes sounded like she was holding her nose. Not sure I could listen to this again but definitely will keep rereading the book.