Reminders of Home

Brannans Family Saga #5

by Dominic Luke

A captivating WWI saga of unwavering strength.

My cousin has been killed in action. We grew up together. He was like a brother to me. His poor mother, my aunt Eloise, will need me now more than ever.

July 1916, Clifton Park.

Soft-hearted Dorothea Kaufmann returns to her family home for the memorial service of her beloved cousin, Roderick, following his untimely death in France.
She yearns to be reunited with her husband Johann, who she has not seen since the war began.

Dorothea must stay strong for Roderick’s heavily pregnant widow, Rosa, whose unborn baby will never know its father. She fears her dear Aunt Eloise will never recover from the death of her son.

Soon, tensions mount as a dark secret arises. Rosa flees Clifton, leaving Dorothea to care for her two young children.

The only thing keeping Dorothea together is the thought of once again being by her darling Johann’s side.

But then a letter arrives. And Dorothea’s life will never be the same.

How much more will be taken from her? Dorothea has always worn her heart on her sleeve, but one tragedy too many may just harden that heart beyond repair.

Genres: Historical

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2023

About the author

Dominic Luke was born in London and lives in Northamptonshire. He has written five published novels: Aunt Letitia, a story ranging from the 1880s to the Second World War; the contemporary Snake in the Grass; and three interlinking novels set in the first decades of the twentieth century, Autumn Softly Fell, Nothing Undone Remains and Dreams That Veil.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

July 1916, Clifton Park. Soft-hearted Dorothea Kaufmann returns to her family home for the memorial service of her beloved cousin, Roderick, following his untimely death in France. She yearns to be reunited with her husband, Johann, who she has not seen since the war began. Dorothea must stay strong for Rodrick's heavily pregnant widow, Rosa, whose unborn baby will never know it's father. She fears her dear aunt Eloise will never recover from the death of her son. Soon tensions mount as a dark secret arises. Rosa flees Clifton, leaving Dorothea to care for her two children.

I did not know that this was the fifth book in the series when I requested it. Although I did enjoy the book, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read all the books in this series. I feel I have missed out on a lot of the background stories. There's lots going on in this well written story. Life is not easy for the family members left behind as their loved ones are away fighting in the war. The characters seem to be well developed, but there doesn't seem to be and descriptions of the surrounding areas. I did enjoy this book, just not as much as I thought I would.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #DominicLuke for my ARC of #RemindersOfHome in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Bruner · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Reminders of Home" is the fifth installment in a captivating series that delves into the lives of a unique family during the tumultuous times of war. While I enjoyed this book, I couldn't help but wish I had read the previous four books to fully appreciate the intricate backgrounds of the characters.

Set in July 191, in Clifton Park, the story revolves around Dorothea Kauffman, who returns to her family home for the memorial service of her beloved cousin, Roderick, who tragically lost his life in France. Her heart aches for her husband, Johann, whom she hasn't seen since the war's commencement. Dorothea must be a pillar of strength for Roderick's pregnant widow, Rosa, who faces the challenge of raising her unborn child without its father. The sorrow runs deep, particularly for Aunt Eloise, who is unable to recover from the loss of her son. As tensions simmer, a dark secret emerges, causing Rosa to flee Clifton and leaving Dorothea to care for her two children.

Although I was unaware that this was the fifth book in the series when I started reading, I did find the book enjoyable. However, I believe my enjoyment would have been enhanced had I read the preceding books in the series, as I felt like I missed crucial background information and character development.

The story skillfully portrays the hardships faced by the family members left behind during a time of war. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles are palpable, but there could have been more detailed descriptions of the surrounding areas to immerse the reader further into the narrative.

I'd like to express my gratitude to #NetGalley, #JoffeBooks, and the author #DominicLuke for providing me with an ARC of "Reminders of Home" in exchange for my honest review.

[Barbara Deeprose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Read

Dorothea was brought up by her aunt after her father abandoned her at her aunts home, so when she heard her cousin Roderick had been killed in battle in WW1, she left her job in a London hospital to be with the family and attend a memorial service as there was to be no funeral. Before the war Dorothea had met and married a young German but now of course they were living miles apart and she was viewed with suspicion by some of the villagers she had known since she had come to live at Clifton House. In the meanwhile she busies herself with the family and helping those villagers who will let her. Then her own personal tragedy strikes. It took me a while to get into this book, probably as this is book 5 and I haven’t read the first books, but after a while I was hooked, and look forward to the next in the series.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to JOFFE Books for allowing me an advance reader copy prior to publication for a voluntary review. This is a family saga with a dense plot and various troubles experienced during the war by families left behind. Life in the countryside is not easy either for the well off and provided for or the struggling farmers living in poverty. Because this is part of a sequence and familiarity with the characters is assumed, descriptions of them and locations were scarce. The book was full of bad news and sorrows. I can’t say I enjoyed it unfortunately.

[Ruth Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusually thought provoking

I kept expecting at least one of the men killed at war, to be found alive. Which would have been a typical story. But this author had another plan. To teach me (us) the reader a great lesson in self confidence, empathy, compassion, true love for others and faith. Thank you Mr. Luke for not being typical.

[Lois Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed this series very much but I was very disappointed in how this book ended.
I looked for the next book in the series that the family saga might hopefully have a neatly wrapped up ending that could include the end of the war as well as what happened with Eliza and her baby. But sadly, there wasn’t another book to tie up the loose ends for me.

[Dianne Kwiatkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

If you like war time books, you will like this book. It isn't about the war, just the time frame of WW1 in London area. Would highly recommend.