The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

A Novel

By: Jenny Wingfield

Narrated by: Catherine Taber

Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at “the old home place,” a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. The children embrace the reunion as a welcome escape from the prying eyes of their father’s congregation; for Willadee it’s a precious opportunity to spend time with her mother and father, Calla and John. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core: John’s untimely death and, soon after, the loss of Samuel’s parish, which set the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But it is Blade Ballenger, a traumatized eight-year-old neighbor, who soon captures Swan’s undivided attention. Full of righteous anger, and innocent of the peril facing her and those she loves, Swan makes it her mission to keep the boy safe from his terrifying father.

With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of one’s own family, and with the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield emerges as one of the most vital, engaging storytellers writing today. In The Homecoming of Samuel Lake she has created a memorable and lasting work of fiction.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

"Raw, dark, and powerful. Southern Gothic at its best. Puts one in mind of Erskine Caldwell and Flannery O'Connor."
—Fannie Flagg, bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

“Jenny Wingfield’s richly detailed account of good and evil in 1950s Arkansas will captivate anyone who treasures the values of faith and honesty that are a part of America’s rural past. Wingfield’s sense of people and place is uncanny. After reading The Homecoming of Samuel Lake, you too will believe in miracles.”—Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author of Prayers for Sale and Whiter Than Snow

“Jenny Wingfield has given us a spectacular novel with The Homecoming of Samuel Lake. This ensemble of unforgettable characters will make you laugh out loud one minute, hold your breath the next, and weep when you least expect it. I didn’t just love this book, I adored it.”—Dorothea Benton Frank, New York Times bestselling author of Lowcountry Summer

“Readers will lift up their hands in praise of this layered tale of sin, grace, and redemption. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake has a supreme cast of characters including a flawed but righteous daddy, a makes-your-skin-crawl villain, and the sassiest, truest girl heroine this side of Scout Finch. Can I get an ‘Amen’?”—Susan Rebecca White, New York Times bestselling author of A Soft Place to Land and Bound South

“Wingfield writes complex, believable heroes . . . with redemption trumping tragedies in scenes ripe with tension and dread.”—Publishers Weekly

listen with caution

don't want to give a low rating because the book was obviously written by a very good author. I was quite taken back by some of the content and had to skip over some spots.

Great Read

Wow....so many emotions during this book. Story lines that I didn't see coming kept me on the edge and waiting for the next line!
The narrator was excellent at making the characters come to life.

A must read

This book captivated me from the beginning. The author has a way of weaving the story together. A definite must read!

Good read

This was a book read for a book club and at the time I did not do my due diligence and research the genre. This is classified by some as southern gothic which is reflected later in the book by the cruel and dark content towards animals and children. The book started as a great read and as someone who is from the south I was enjoying it and could actually visualize the characters as they came to life. It is well rewritten, and a book that I had a hard time putting down but it does have some disturbing content towards the end (after you have been sucked into the story). And although this is reality and does occur, it’s not something I enjoy during my time of escape. As an author with a background in film, I can see that this was written for that purpose in the future.

BLADE BALLENGER BROKE MY HEART!

I soaked up every last capturing word. This book was so well written. All the characters had many layers rich in personality. I could easily picture the whole thing. Do not pass this up.