A Montclair Homecoming (Brides of Montclair, Book 15) [Paperback]

Jane Peart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

When Joy Montrose received her commission to paint a mural depicting the healing miracles of Jesus at Good Samaritan Hospital, she never anticipated forming a close friendship with Evan Marshall. But the bond between the talented young artist and the gifted surgeon has grown, even though their lives are worlds apart. Now, with the family estate falling suddenly and unexpectedly into Joy's hands, she finds herself sifting not only through the memorabilia of generations but through her own heart and aspirations. Is it truly love that she feels for Evan? If so, can she at all reconcile it with the wounded healer's lack of faith in God or with her personal need for freedom to pursue her calling as a painter? In this final book in Jane Peart's beloved Brides of Montclair series, the faith and lives of an American dynasty wind to a poignant, present-day culmination as a young woman struggles with choices of love and obedience that will shapes the years to come.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Jane Peart is a best-selling novelist. With nearly 650,000 books sold, her popular Brides of Montclair series is one of the longest-running continuous series on the market. Her other series include Westward Dreams, American Quilt, and the Orphan Train Trilogy

From the Back Cover

When Joy Montrose received her commission to paint a mural depicting the healing miracles of Jesus at Good Samaritan Hospital, she never anticipated forming a close friendship with Evan Marshall. But the bond between the talented young artist and the gifted surgeon has grown, even though their lives are worlds apart. Now, with the family estate falling suddenly and unexpectedly into Joy's hands, she finds herself sifting not only through the memorabilia of generations but through her own heart and aspirations. Is it truly love that she feels for Evan? If so, can she at all reconcile it with the wounded healer's lack of faith in God or with her personal need for freedom to pursue her calling as a painter? In this final book in Jane Peart's beloved Brides of Montclair series, the faith and lives of an American dynasty wind to a poignant, present-day culmination as a young woman struggles with choices of love and obedience that will shapes the years to come.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310671612
• ISBN-13: 978-0310671619
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good. . .but not quite what I expected. . ., January 12, 2004

By 

Jody Mosier (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Montclair Homecoming (Brides of Montclair, Book 15) (Paperback)

Having read the entire series of the Montclair Brides (all of which I thought were wonderful books) I was really looking forward to reading the last one. I have to say that I have rather mixed feelings about Montclair Homecoming. In some ways, it's an enjoyable story, even though you don't get into Joy's Montclair connection until quite a ways into the book. Joy's growing relationships with Evan, Gayle and the others in the hospital are told in a warm, sensitive way. But as a conclusion to the Brides of Montclair series, it is somewhat dissappointing.

For one thing, alot of the things about the Montrose/Cameron family tree seem out of proportion. Jane Peart is usually very careful about the families' relationships in her previous books, but in this one, she made some obvious errors. For example, Joy says that Jeff Montrose is her great-grandfather, but she is actually Johnathan's descendent. I also have a hard time believing that after only thirty-five years after Courageous Bride left off, EVERYONE in the previous few books are dead, or seem to be, since they are all only mere mentions in Montclair Homecoming. Joy never contacts, or is contacted, by any of them. Even people who wouldn't seem to be that old, like Gareth's daughter, Hope, and Cara-Lyn, Lynette's daughter, have simply seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. No mention is even made whether or not these people have been contacted about inheriting Montclair. Perhaps if the book's date -- 1980 --had been moved up about 20 or 30 years, it might have been just a little bit more realistic. 35 years just seems a little bit too short a time period for everyone to have died off. It would have been nice for Joy to know that she wasn't all alone in the world as far as blood relatives went.

The decision to give Montclair to the Historical Society was a good way to end the series, however; otherwise, the Brides of Montclair might have gone on forever. This book is best looked at as an individual story (which I believe the plot would have been best suited for). This is an OK book, but I think the series should have left off with Courageous Bride, which somehow seemed a more fitting conclusion than Montclair Homecoming.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Somewhat Dull Conclusion, April 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Montclair Homecoming (Brides of Montclair, Book 15) (Paperback)

I have read the entire series and have been looking forward to this book. It was O.K. but not Peart's best work. I was confused by what happened after 1945. There is a lot of revisiting of the old brides but I couldn't keep the family tree straight. I don't understand how Johnathan Montrose could be Joy's great-grandfather and Jeffrey her great-great grandfather when they were stepbrothers. I really didn't like Joy to much, either. She seemed a bit immature and flighty. Evan was too old for her, and I didn't care if they got together. The ending was abrupt and didn't mention the past like I wish it would have. Did any of the books ever mention Kip and Cara's hidden note about getting married! I thought they would this time, but they blew over it. Anyway, it was a conclusion.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars too many gaps between 14 and 15, January 14, 2001

By 

Beverly "bevreader" (Mississippi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Montclair Homecoming (Brides of Montclair, Book 15) (Paperback)

I have to agree with the other reviewers that some of the dates and Joy's ancestors just don't fit. Peart did put a family tree in the back of this book, as I have been asking, but it is very slender and not comprehensive at all. However, when I finally quit reading to see if everything "fit" with the previous fourteen in the series, I really enjoyed the story. The characters of Joy, Gayle, and Dr. Wallace were thoughtfully rendered, and the initial concept, Joy's mural, does become a sort of ministry for her. Joy's journey to Montclair and her discovery of Rose's journal was riveting, and Gayle's acceptance of her slave ancestors was touching and thought-provoking. If the book is read singly, you will find it a heart-warming and enjoyable story. However, as a conclusion to such a wonderful series, I was left empty and disappointed that Montclair is now out of the family and that there are almost no Montrose/Cameron ancestors left.