A Place To Call Home: A Novel

by Gabriele Wills

Set in the turbulent, formative years of Ontario, this compelling saga spans five decades and two generations.Barely surviving a disastrous journey on a cholera-ridden immigrant ship, Rowena O'Shaughnessy and her family settle in the primitive backwoods of Upper Canada in 1832. Her complex relationship with the wealthy and powerful Launston family leads to tragedy, and eventually to redemption. Their lives are played out against a rich tapestry of events - devastating plagues, doomed rebellions, mob uprisings, religious conflict, and political unrest.This is a tale of passionate people and stormy relationships, of unrequited and illicit love, of betrayals and revenge. It is a story of courage, and the undaunted human spirit that manages to survive and surmount appalling conditions and tragedies. It is a celebration of the achievements of the remarkable pioneers who carved thriving communities out of an inhospitable wilderness.A Place to Call Home is a novel about Canada, and its less civilized pioneer past.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada

518 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Ideally I would be sitting on a dock by the lake with a cat on my lap, a glass of wine in one hand, and a good book in the other. (Don’t ask how I’d turn the pages or get the cat near the water.) Failing that, I love to recreate an era in which I can immerse myself (and readers), by weaving compelling stories around meticulously researched facts. My characters are best friends, whom others are now calling “cherished friends”. If you want a glimpse of my world, visit my book trailer on YouTube.
I've been thrilled with the response from fans, who have made comments such as "You have created a masterpiece. I loved every moment..." and "I haven't been that emotionally invested in a story in many years." More comments can be seen on my website, where signed books can also be ordered online at https://www.mindshadows.com .

Reviews

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so glad to find this book back in print and it didn't disappoint. It bears the trademark "extensive research" of Gabriele's books. The amount of detail is wonderful, which only adds to the story of this Irish immigrant family and makes you feel a part of the scene. The fact that the story takes place in the Lindsay area (actually in Lindsay, although the name of the town in the book is, of course, Launston Mills) is of particular interest to those living in this area. It was interesting to note that my ancestors were already living in Fenelon Falls, very close to Lindsay, while this story was taking place, which added to the fun of reading the book. The main characters are multi dimensional people who are neither "all bad" nor "all good", which makes them just that much more interesting. I also enjoyed picking up some of the history of Toronto, which I had not known previously. I am now looking forward to the third book of the Muskoka Trilogy with much anticipation.

[Gisela Kretzschmar]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its vivid characters and impressive setting. It was exciting to accompany Rowena and her family through half a century of living, loving and struggling to find and establish a place to call home in Canada. There are lots of books about people leaving Europe to find better opportunities in the new world, but rather few featuring the adventurous lives of Canadian pioneers. This one tells a gripping story, which was hard to put down once I'd started reading, because I simply fell in love with some of the characters. A wonderful read and a great tribute to Canada's past!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A place to call home turns out to be Launston Mills in Canada. An Irish immigrant family lives through deaths at sea and comes to work in the lumber mills that are helping Canada grow in the early 1830's. The story of their lives is told richly and lovingly. Rowena falls in love with the youngest son of the Launston family and her love is returned. Their social status is so far apart but they find a way to wed. This never comes into being as tragedy strikes and is the bane of the rest of their lives. The second generation of the families are included in this novel. I wish there was more.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Place to Call Home by Gabriele Wills is a wonderful historical fiction that is set in Upper Canada in the 1800’s. It’s a story that spans 5 decades and 2 generations.

It was exciting to read a historical fiction that was based in Canada. This book held my attention from beginning till end. I love Gabriele’s writing, and how the story came together. Rowena is my favourite character.

This is my first read by this author and I will be reading more. Another favourite read of 2020.

I recommend this book to others who enjoy historical fiction in general and Canadian historical fiction.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great bit of Canadian historical fiction placed in the Kawarthas.

[Nancy Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book, gives great in depth information of what life was like for my husbands ancestors who came to Victoria County, Ops Township from Ireland.

[Joy M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Excellent read. I got into it right away, and was engrossed throughout. Every character was believable. You understood exactly why everyone did what they did - even the "bad" ones. What struggles! What triumphs! My husband's family are Irish Catholics from Lindsay/Toronto so reading this book was reading my children's ancestral history. Thank you Ms. Wills for this wonderful book. I loved it.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story of the settling of Lindsay

[Madolin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read in book Club October 19 at Nancy's. "Very interesting when reading about the Toronto Exhibition. It must be very interesting to those who grew up in Toronto to read about what the city was like so many years ago.. I did feel I was reading a gloried Harlequin Romance. Once got the essence of what was to happen between people. It as almost as if I knew the whole story before hand.
It was a fair read for me.

[Sam Spiteri · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda of boring, nothing overly catching about the story but HF isn't my genre in general