Almost Home

by T.M. McNally

Patrick, his sister, and his mother have come to Paradise Valley, Arizona, in the bitter aftermath of his father's suicide. As his mother turns to alcohol for solace and his sister finds companionship in the town's wild crowd, Patrick spends lonely days in school and works the graveyard shift at a local gas station. His isolation ends with the arrival of Elizabeth, a talented musician with family problems of her own. The depth of their feelings emerges when a drug-dealing co-worker involves Patrick in a scheme that not only tests his courage but his loyalty -- to his family, to the memory of his father, and to Elizabeth. Almost Home is an engaging exploration of the relationships between coincidence and providence, betrayal and forgiveness, love and salvation.

Genres: Fiction, Novels

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 1998

Reviews

[Samantha Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved most about this book was McNally's descriptions of Arizona, his use of setting as a character in the novel. The theme of displacement is resonant in his descriptions of the vast desert surrounding late 1970's Phoenix, the boom that pushed the limits of the city, the bizarre quality of a town made up of transplants from other places. It's not home to anyone, but the landscape is so unique that it shapes the characters' lives and their interactions.

The dust jacket bills this book as a love story, but it's really more of a story about two young people trying to navigate their highly dysfunctional family terrain on their way to adulthood. The prose is very emotionally understated, which I thought was interesting. It underscored a sense of alienation the two main characters seemed to be operating out of. The emotional understatement was definitely a good way to keep a handle on the level of drama present in the novel, as well, given that some of the subject matter is extremely intense and almost painful to read at times. It was a great read, very lyrical and contemplative.

[Pam Herrmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about parts of Arizona since I lived there for a year and visit occasionally. The story seemed disjointed and I had a hard time with the characters. There were a lot of issues and it seemed a bit overkill of the bad things that can happen to one family. If I were to take one thing away from the book it would be to realize that every decision you make has a consequence so be careful what you get wrapped up in as it might negatively affect your life. You can't go back and get another chance to try a different decision.