2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Special First Novel!, May 8, 2006
This review is from: When Charlotte Comes Home: A Novel (Hardcover)
WHEN CHARLOTTE COMES HOME is a beautifully written story. Fred was a sensitive young man growing up in a Catholic family in Omaha when the death of his spunky younger sister caused a deep and far-reaching affect on his entire family and broader community. With the bleak backdrop of the 60's and 70's, Fred looks back on his early, formative years and his own sexual awakening and coming of age as a young gay man. Beautifully written, evocative of a definitive time and place, this story of one family's loss will resonate for anyone who has ever lost someone they love. And young people deciding who and how to love will find solace here too.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A true gem, January 26, 2007
This review is from: When Charlotte Comes Home: A Novel (Hardcover)
This is the story of Fred Holly, growing up in Omaha in the 1960s and 1970s; and the Holly family--Fred, Sarah, Laurence, who has Down's syndrome, and Charlotte, the youngest.
The Holly family gets to know neighbor James Day well, as he takes dance lessons at the same studio along with Sarah. Their parents, Morgan and Eileen and Serena and Ronald, become close friends. The children grow up in an almost idyllic world--with performances for the parents and friends in the attic that is their space, and art and dance classes, and a special school for Laurence.
Fred early on realizes he longs to live in the ivory tower that is the Joslyn Museum. He he takes classes there, volunteers, and dreams of being a museum director and leaving Omaha. As he gets older, he and his best friend James are exposed to the world of rock and roll, and first loves. Fred loves from afar, and helps his beloved though a rocky relationship with another boy. He is also angered by James' attraction to his debate coach, Neil; and does not quite understand his anger.
As they near age 18, the Vietnam War is raging. Suddenly Charlotte is ill--the annoying 11-year-old little sister who wanted to always hang out with the teenagers, who borrowed records and stole change--and their lives change forever.
This is Maureen Millea Smith's first novel, and it is a true gem. Intriguing and well-defined characters, a talent for depicting an era and a place, and a wonderful story combine to make this book nearly perfect.
Armchair Interviews: This would make a great book for a book club.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When Charlotte Comes Home, May 13, 2006
This review is from: When Charlotte Comes Home: A Novel (Hardcover)
This book takes the reader deliciously back to the decades of the 60s and 70s. I laughed out loud when reading the author's description of the children's view of their parent's adult nights out. TheRolling Stones, Kent State, the Ed Sullivan Show, the draft and Vietnam are all captured delicately and beautifully, within the pages of Smith's book. I hurt and laughed and cried right along with the Holly family. This is a sensitive, funny and heartwarming book. Definitely destined to be a classic!
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