Home Fires: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Luanne Rice (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2011

Anne Davis has returned to the house where she grew up, trading her glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for a harsh winter on a wind-whipped New England island. Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant shelter, security, family and love. When she awakens one snowy night to a fire that roars through the old house, Anne escapes--but runs back into the blaze to save something so precious that it's worth risking her life for. It is that reckless act of blind desperation that sets a miracle in motion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rice's Crazy in Love and other novels were about women with privileged lives who had problems resolving family relationships or facilitating marital communication, who needed more independence or artistic fulfillment. Here she sacrifices subtlety and wit for a more conventional romantic tale whose protagonist is a young mother cast in emotional limbo after the death of her four-year-old daughter and the loss of her husband to another woman. The narrative opens with a blaze in the childhood home of heroine Anne Davis. Anne, who has returned to this New England sanctuary to try to deal with her grief, escapes from the flames?but then runs back in to retrieve her child's possessions. She's rescued by firefighter Thomas Devlin, a man horribly scarred in a fire that claimed his wife's life more than a decade earlier. As might be expected, Anne rekindles a long-dormant spark in Thomas's heart ("Something about the woman... made him know he'd found a kindred soul. Just looking into her eyes was like living a lifetime"); in turn, she disregards his scarred features, as if to prove she's not superficial. Yet their romance seems ill-starred. Anne is snubbed by her hometown's down-at-the-heel residents, including her own sister, for being being both beautiful and wealthy?especially when her husband desperately wants her back. Indeed, it is hard to warm up to Anne, who's as precious as the tiny collages that she constructs from postage stamps. She gains sympathy because of her lost daughter, but she doesn't redeem herself to the reader until the conclusion, when she performs an act of selflessness. This formulaic romantic novel about a second chance at love lacks the spirited voice Rice's fans have grown to expect.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

After witnessing the death of her four-year-old daughter, Karen, in a tragic accident, Anne Davis returns to the New England island where she grew up. When a fire threatens to consume the family home, Anne reenters the house in search of her dead daughter's most treasured possessions. Overcome by smoke, she is rescued by Thomas Devlin, a grotesquely scarred firefighter who recognizes in Anne a fellow survivor. The two kindred souls start a tenuous relationship, but Thomas' jealous son and Anne's cold ex-husband attempt to derail their romance. This 1990s version of the Beauty and the Beast story has many fine touches--the way Karen's winsome crayon drawing becomes her mother's talisman; Anne's sister's barely suppressed envy of Anne's glamorous life; troubled teen Maggie's start-and-stop efforts to straighten out her life. But Rice blows a good deal of credibility by loading down her plot with one tragic event after another. This fairy tale would have you believe that you can find love in a dangerous world, but you'd better have plenty of fire and auto insurance Joanne Wilkinson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553588273
• ISBN-13: 978-0553588279
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LUANNE RICE is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, most recently The Silver Boat. Her books, including Cloud Nine and Dream Country, often center on love, family, nature and the sea, and have been translated into twenty-four languages. A number of Rice's novels have been adapted for television, including Crazy in Love for TNT, Blue Moon for CBS, the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations of Follow the Stars Home and Silver Bells, and Beach Girls as a summer drama series for Lifetime Television. She has contributed a theatrical piece to the new off Broadway play Motherhood Out Loud. Rice loves nature and frequently writes about it. Born in New Britain, Connecticut, Rice divides her time between New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut, in the house where she spent all her childhood summers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming story of love and hope, November 3, 2000

By 

Judith E. Pavluvcik (Dreaming of the beach in Hawaii, but living in the reality of the desert in Arizona!!) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Home Fires (Paperback)

Home Fires is the first Luanne Rice book I have read and I know that after finishing this wonderful book, I will now be seeking to devour all of her other books!!

Ms. Rice writes from the heart concerning what matters most in a family - love, tenderness and caring. She writes of tragedy and loss that will have you weeping but by the end of this book, you are smiling with joy at the realization of love and hope in this family in the midst of all of the tragedy.

I absolutely loved the tenderness, understanding, and compassion in the character of Thomas Devlin - (yes, Thomas, where are you? :-)). I admired the strength and courage in Anne Davis after the recent loss of her four-year-old daughter. She draws the reader completely into the depth of each character, from young to old, and you feel like you know them intimately and can relate to them all. You experience their pain, grief, and uncertainty and mourn their losses. Rice's ability to magically draw on the emotions and real life scenarios of family life is really amazing.

This book's message is indeed one of hope, trust and love. Luanne Rice lets you know that amidst the chaos of tragedy, love can find roots, grow sprouts, and blossom gloriously again - one just has to trust and let love in.

I love to see this book made into a movie! I highly recommend this wonderful book and eagerly look forward to reading more of her books!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT AN EMOTIONAL READ!!, December 18, 2004

By 

Beachreader "BeachReader" (Port Townsend, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Home Fires (Paperback)

This must have been the beginning of the realization of the talent of Luanne Rice. Written 10 years ago, this book is a tiny bit dated already in that there are no use of cell phones, but overall the book is an emotional read that is hard to put down.

Anne Davis is still reeling from the death of her four-year-old daughter and the abandonment by her husband when she returns to the island home where she was raised. She hasn't been there very long when a fire breaks out. Anne escapes to safety but rushes back into the house to retrieve something. What is it that she would risk her life to save? Fireman Thomas Devlin risks his own life to save Anne who is uninjured. Somewhat of a recluse, Thomas has been living on the island after having been unable to safe his own wife in a fire in which he was terribly scarred.

Despite accusing looks from those who think she was responsible for her daughter's death, Anne settles into island life where she is close to her sister Gabrielle and her niece, Maggie, a teenager who is on her own downward spiral.

Soon both the woman who is scarred on the inside and the man who is scarred on the outside find themselves attracted to one another.

This is a short (312-page) book so it is hard to write more without including spoilers. But suffice to say, things do not always go smoothly for Thomas and Anne. In addition, Anne is mentoring her niece Maggie, who is constantly being tempted to continue a life that will take her right into the hands of danger.

Thomas is one of the most gentle, sweetest men ever. His love and consideration and respect for Anne is almost palpable. Anne's pain over losing her daughter is equally as palpable. One begins to wonder though if they will ever be able to find a future together, especially with Anne's contrite husband back in the picture.

Luanne Rice has written an unforgettable novel set on the New England coast which is sure to make my top 10 of the year; I can't believe I didn't read it earlier.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, April 2, 1999

By 

K. Weber - See all my reviews

This review is from: Home Fires (Paperback)

I have read "Blue Moon" and "Stone Heart" by Luanne Rice and found "Home Fires" just as interesting. I loved following the relationship between Tom & Anne. I love how Luanne Rice writes about romance but also about family. Her books are interesting and hard to put down. I am currently reading "Cloud Nine" and look forward to finding some of her out-of-print titles. If you are looking for a good read on a cool night, on the beach or a rainy day I suggest "Home Fires" or any other Luanne Rice book.