Home to Cedar Branch: A Quaker Café Novel by Brenda Bevan Remmes

300 Pages
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: January 19, 2016

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction, Domestic Violence

Three boys hoping to see naked women, climb a magnolia tree outside of the doctor’s office. They got more than they bargained for when the branch broke, and they fell through the skylight. The doctor is found naked with a woman, Katy, and their affair is uncovered. Now Katy’s husband, Hank, is on the war path. The doctor’s wife, Laura, immediately begins making plans for her future. While she and the doctor are talking at home, there is a knock at the door. She opens it and a man with a gun opens fire killing the doctor.

The Quaker community plays an important role in the story. The book has a steady pace that kept my attention until I finished it late into the night. The characters were developed, and it was written in the third person point of view. There are excellent discussion questions. If you like general fiction dramas, you may enjoy this book.

This was an interesting story that involved domestic abuse. I really liked all of the characters in the small town and thought they brought flavor to the feature.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I did not read the first part but it seems it was not necessary because the main thing that happened was repeated often (maybe even too often) enough. The story never really took me by the hand and captured me. Sometimes I even thought it was a bit boring and a bit unbelieveable even. I did not understand the behaviour of the Quakers unfortunately. One thing I will keep in mind is that i won't be reading any other parts of the series. I finished it because I promised Netgalley a review and in order to be able to do that I have to read the whole story. Only the last few pages were touching and the best part of the book. Sorry.