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There are currently 46 member reviews
for Home Sweet Home
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Laurie W. (Fredonia, NY)
Needs more suspense
Home Sweet Home was an enjoyable read. The references to McCarthyism were enlightening and touched on a topic I haven't read much about. The characters were well developed and easy to like or dislike. There were a few I was not crazy about, but that is true of the people we encounter in our lives on a daily basis; so it was right on target.
The landscape of South Dakota came to life. I could imagine the dry earth and the snow; the smells from the cattle ranch and the many hardships the Kusek family endured living in a rural town.
I struggled to be swept away by the book. I enjoyed the plot, but everything moved a little too slow. There were many, many references to cattle ranching, but not about the trial or the McCarthyism of the time. I would like to have had more clues to the assault on Lance and his family through out the book. Keep the suspense building until the end. The conclusion of the Kusek families trial and Lances attack seemed rushed. Everything ended abruptly for me. It was too slow in the first three quarters of the book and too much was thrown in at the end.
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Joyce W. (Rochester, MN)
So-So
If I had picked up this book on my own, I would have stopped reading it half way through. Since I was reviewing it, I kept reading and was glad I did. I knew a little about McCarthyism but this really showed me how gullible and fearful people were (and still are). It is amazing to me how many people believe what they are told and don't question or assess the information. My book club could not discuss this book; we have strong conservatives and strong liberals. It was not unusual for idealistic young people to join the Communist party at that time. Almost all of them dropped out very quickly. I also think it was a little far fetched to kill the second generation for the "sins" of the first. This book is timely as to the 2016 election. It is sad so many people are motivated by threat of fear instead of common sense.
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Vicki M. (Boise, ID)
Home Sweet Home
I began reading the book thinking it would be enjoyable but as it went on I found it unrealistic. At times the writing seemed cheesy and uninspired. A couple moves from New York to South Dakota and become cattle people. Hum it just didn't have the ring of truth.
The ending was the hardest part to believe. It seemed to come out of no where.
Not sure who this book would appeal to. I don't think the book group I'm a member of would enjoy it.
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Marie A. (Warner, NH)
Revisiting History
April Smith is retelling the true story of John and Sally Goldmark and paralleling them through her own characters the Kusaks. The author shows how misunderstandings, interpretations, accusations, and fears during a particular period in history can affect the lives of present and future generations.
Reading this prompted me to revisit this period in our history and to further research various viewpoints regarding McCarthy, McCarthyism and the Cold War.
This is an interesting presentation that I would recommend to book clubs whose members readily engage in political discourse.
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Kathleen W. (Appleton, WI)
Home Sweet Home
I would actually rate this book at 3.5 in that it was better than average but not quite 4 stars. As I read Home Sweet Home, I felt like I was reading a screenplay rather than a novel. The writing tended to be utilitarian rather than literary and many of the characters seemed like caricatures with a specific role to play. I realize that I was reading an uncorrected proof, but was frequently tempted to pull out my red pen. Hopefully a good editor will fix my biggest annoyances.
The story itself is a good one. It felt well researched and believable. I learned a lot about South Dakota, ranching, and the Joe McCathy era. The book's strengths in my opinion are the descriptions of ranching life and the quality of the dialogue.
Perhaps reviewers who like reading screenplays will rate this book more favorably than I did. That being said, I found it a satisfying and edifying read despite not being especially enjoyable.
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Dorothy D. (Litchfield Park, AZ)
Parallel Politics?
Hmmm...Interesting overview of the McCarthy days, an
under covered subject whether fiction or non. Smith's approach seemed to bring forward a one sided appraisal of the political situation. Is it a reminder that we have always been so divided in our attitudes? At any rate, it was an average read (happy to have the ability to scan) but I wouldn't recommend it to my book club.
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Sherilyn R. (St George, UT)
Good, but slow to get started.
I had mixed feelings about this book. The author did an excellent job describing life especially ranching in a small insulated community in western South Dakota. I also enjoyed her descriptions of the community and their reliance on each other.
I found the story and plot a little off putting. It moved slowly for the first 2/3s of the book. Life in a highly conservative community and the impact of McCarthyism was perhaps overly developed. On the other hand it described a period in western history little known and understood.
Those interested in the impact of Mccarthyism on rural America would find this book very interesting.
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