Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book enough to go out and buy it for a friend.
Review: How often do you look for a book you can start on a long, cold weekend -- envisioning yourself in front of a crackling fire? Look no further. Here's your choice for that next occasion. Deborah Smith's tale of young love -- unfulfilled for two decades is another "Southern Tale" in the tradition of Pat Conroy's PRINCE OF TIDES. This is a story that'll keep you up to all hours -- routing for Claire and Roan -- the two lovers separated in childhood and only reunited after Claire's life resembles a derailed train. From the alluring frosted cover to the final page, you'll find yourself wondering why you might never have heard of Deborah Smith before -- and then -- how quickly can she get another title on the shelf?
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful! I can't imagine anyone not loving this book.
Review: The characters are so well-crafted you'll recognize
half of them from your own
childhood. You might even see yourself. I can't
recomend it enough. It's going to half the folks on my Christmas list
Rating: 
Summary: pleasing, but author can do better
Review: I loved the first half of A Place to Call Home and was thoroughly disappointed in the second half. Deborah Smith can do better than formula romance. The first portion of this book proved that. I hope that next time out she'll try a novel with less romance and more of those delightful, eccentric characters. Norris Wootto
Rating:
Summary: Days later, I am still thinking about these people.
Review: Being a Georgia girl, I was attracted to the locality of the book and needed a good book for vacation. For the first time ever, I cried while reading a book. That was how involved with these
people that I became. I loved them at times and could have "pinched their heads off" at other times (a good Georgia expression). The grannies
were by far the most delightful characters. I loved them. As a young girl, having fallen in love with a boy from the "wrong side of the tracks" myself, I felt the passion that Claire had for Roan. Even though my "romance" did not have a happy ending, I was certainly pulling for them. All in all a thoroughly delightful book that kept my interest and my attention.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful novel well worth the wait!
Review: Dunderry, a rural town located in the Georgia mountains, has a social
structure not any different than most small towns. There is a small group of
wealthy citizens, a relatively large working class, and somewhere in between
in number is the "white trash". Claire Maloney is the obstinate pampered
daughter of the town's leading family. For some unknown reason beyond the
ken of the townsfolk, Claire becomes close friends with Roan Sullivan, a lad
who could be the poster boy for "white trash". Both of them realizes that
they are meant for each other, however, her family want nothing to do with
Roan and his abusive drunk of a father. His father is a violent person, who
does not care whom she hurts. An incident occurs and Roan, who would die for
Claire, leaves town to keep his beloved safe from his own family.
..... Two decades have passed and Roan has returned to Dunderry to rectify the
wrongs of that brutish day that destroyed his life. He still loves Claire,
but she is not the same person he left behind twenty years ago. This time
around Roan plans to do everything in his power to regain what he and Claire
lost on that fatal day. However, the obstacles are extremely high since the
entire town, especially the Maloney family, including Claire, do not want
him to stay -let alone see her.
..... A PLACE TO CALL HOME is a fabulous regional contemporary romance due to
the strong characters and their interrelations and interactions that move the
well written story line forward. Deborah Smith has scribed a splendid
novel that penetrates deep into the soul of the modern rural south, a tale
that will be devoured by fans of such authors as Anne River Siddons and
Erskine Caldwell. This is a great novel by a great story teller.
Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: My All Time Favorite Book
Review: Alas, I also am not gifted at describing the plot of this book or even why I liked it. It made me laugh and cry out loud. I, who never read a book more than once, have read it every year since I found it. I will buy it for friends but never loan it.
Its a classic story but the author has a hilarious way with her descriptions of Claire, her family, etc., its just a fun fun read. It is, truly, my all time favorite book, and I read it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite Deborah Smith novel
Review: A PLACE CALLED HOME is by far my favorite of Deborah Smith's books. The age old story of star-crossed lovers, this novel has all the elements of a Romeo-Juliet tale. Claire comes from a true-blue Georgia farm family, and Roan is poor white trash from the wrong side of the blanket. Another appealing element to A PLACE CALLED HOME is the love, devotion, compassion, and loyalty that builds between the two main character during their childhood and seems to be destined to die. After years apart, Roan comes home successful, handsome, and available. This book is a keeper!
Rating: 
Summary: Struggled through Part 2
Review: This book really struck a cord in me. The love between Roan and Claire, love surmounting all odds, was beautiful and refreshing. Claire's innocent and unconditional love and support helped transform and severely neglected, horrifically abused boy into a successful, devoted man. Soul mates form the time they were children, Roan and Claire had to overcome incredible odds just to be together. Violence and misunderstandings from the adults in their lives, tore them apart when they were just 10 and 15, but neither could forget the other. Twenty years would pass before they would finally reunite, hoping they could make up the past to each other. Claire still doesn't trust her family after their betrayal and the role they played in tearing Roan away from Claire. Roan is hiding a secret that could rip the family apart. When the two star-crossed soul mates finally reunite, no one can deny the passion, but the secrets and pain of the past may be too much for them to overcome. I highly recommend this book for all of you romantics out there. I can't count the number of times I've reread this book since I first picked it up several years ago.
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Smith has a wonderful way of telling a story.
Review: Despite this book remaining on my 'to read' stack for a couple years, I was wonderfully surprised by this rich story of regret and love. I classify this book as a must read.
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