The Homecoming of Samuel Lake (Jenny Wingfield)

      
  This was a hunk of a good book. This was sweet southern story about life and family and maybe a little religion but not too much. Just like in my life, it's just enough. It was sad and humorous and I couldn't read it fast enough, although now I'm paying for it because, damn it that done-with-a-good-book-now-what?-void. 

This is the story of the Moses' and the Lakes.  It's title suggest it's about Samuel Lake but it's really about his wife and her family although his family is at the center of it all and the epicenter lay his three children.  Samuel is a preacher and he usually get's moved around because he's so passionate about his work. Also every year his wife's family has a reunion that he misses because that conflicts with him going to a conference or something to find out where his new church will be. ANyway this particular summer Sam finds that he is to be without a church and so they decide to stay with his wife's family seeing how during the reunion his wife, Willadee's dad (you gotta love all the names in this book) shoots himself. No spoilers it happens in the very beginning. So the family home now houses Willadee Samual and their three kids, Swan, Bienville and Noble. But the star is really Swan (Lake) and her navigating her feelings about being a preachers child and a girl and a girl with  big heart as she noticed that a little kid, Blade (who reminds me of Bobby Hill from King of the Hill) who sneaks into their house at night and is also abused by a mean old nasty man who will make your skin crawl. 
But you'll also see the finer points in the writing of Wingfield. People struggling with morals and nosy neighbors and gossip spreading like wild fire
A lot happens that makes you want to have that man dead and unfortunately something happens with Swan that will break your heart but if you like family fiction and hot Arkansas days you will love this book. I wish there was a follow up as I was not ready to close the book and say goodbye to the Lakes and the Moses'. And it's available at this library!!!