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Go Away Home
Liddie Treadway grew up on a family farm in Iowa where options for her future were marriage or teaching. Encouraged by suffragette rhetoric and her maiden aunt, Liddie is determined to avoid both and pursue a career. Her goal is within her grasp when her older sister’s abrupt departure threatens to keep her on the farm forever.
Once she is able to experience the world she’s dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.
GO AWAY HOME is a captivating coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who’s confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.
Once she is able to experience the world she’s dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.
GO AWAY HOME is a captivating coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who’s confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2014
283 people are currently reading
3038 people want to read
About the author
Carol Bodensteiner
5 books80 followersCarol Bodensteiner, BA, MA, is the author of the memoir Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl (Rising Sun Press, 2008). Go Away Home, her WWI-era novel published in 2014 is the 2014 Readers' Favorite SILVER MEDAL winner in the Historical Fiction-Personage category.
She and her husband enjoy an acreage where Carol has more hostas than she can count and where the prairie patch she planted provides daily inspiration and delight.
She and her husband enjoy an acreage where Carol has more hostas than she can count and where the prairie patch she planted provides daily inspiration and delight.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
April 17, 2014
Go Away Home is a beautiful story of an Iowa farm family in the early 1900s. The family is strong and no matter what troubles or tragedies come their way, they remain strong and supportive.
Central to the story is Liddie Treadway, the youngest of the Treadway children. Liddie's character is well crafted, and the reader watches Liddie work toward her dreams and, like all young men or women, stumble and fall. However, Liddie is a strong soul and she picks herself up each time.
Woven into Liddie's story and her family's is the approach of World War I and the fears and struggles that came with war. Loss is all around in friends gone off to war and not coming home, as well as losses within the Treadway family.
Bodensteiner has provided a historical backdrop that is accurate in every detail from farm life to Liddie's boarding house to the crafts of sewing and photography, both of which play a major role in Liddie's coming of age story.
The author's writing style is authentic and comfortable. I found myself unable to be drawn away from certain scenes and times in the book. This is a "feel good" story, one that provides not only an accurate portrayal of the life and times in the early 1900s, but also a story of hope overcoming tragedy in many forms and a vision of the strength and courage of the families who worked the soil and provided most of what they needed during a difficult time in our country's history.
Central to the story is Liddie Treadway, the youngest of the Treadway children. Liddie's character is well crafted, and the reader watches Liddie work toward her dreams and, like all young men or women, stumble and fall. However, Liddie is a strong soul and she picks herself up each time.
Woven into Liddie's story and her family's is the approach of World War I and the fears and struggles that came with war. Loss is all around in friends gone off to war and not coming home, as well as losses within the Treadway family.
Bodensteiner has provided a historical backdrop that is accurate in every detail from farm life to Liddie's boarding house to the crafts of sewing and photography, both of which play a major role in Liddie's coming of age story.
The author's writing style is authentic and comfortable. I found myself unable to be drawn away from certain scenes and times in the book. This is a "feel good" story, one that provides not only an accurate portrayal of the life and times in the early 1900s, but also a story of hope overcoming tragedy in many forms and a vision of the strength and courage of the families who worked the soil and provided most of what they needed during a difficult time in our country's history.
July 6, 2014
A Travel in Time, Place and Custom
GO AWAY HOME is a fascinating novel that offers us an opportunity to travel to some older, idealized times – even if not always to ‘good ole times’ – and which takes place in an Iowa of the early twenties. Liddie, the main character, is much more than just a courageous girl; she’s a born fighter. Given the circumstances, habits and customs of her era, she’s not only daring, but occasionally downright revolutionary. For no matter how kind, self-disciplined and respectful she may be towards others, when it comes to personal ambition, she proves to be impressively bold and decisive.
Despite any number of temptations, setbacks and obstacles that appear every so often throughout her development, an extraordinary resilience eventually allows her to find happiness and fulfilment.
That said, “Man proposes; God disposes”: a series of tragic events forever after marks Liddie’s reality. Despite that fact, as you, the reader, arrive at the final pages, you’ll be persuaded that life will reward her the way it rewards all worthy and honest people.
While reading Liddie’s story, I couldn't help but recall narrations by my own grandmother. She also lived during that period of time, even if elsewhere on the planet. The similarities were impressive and that was probably the main reason the narration became highly persuasive for me.
All of the characters in GO AWAY HOME are believable and solidly structured and the entire read is both delightful and realistic.
The book left me with a sweetly optimistic feeling that had nothing to do with illusions and/or melodrama, but rather with Liddie's – and, I must assume, with the writer’s own – positive attitude towards life.
I received an advance reading copy of the book on THE LIBRARY THING in exchange for an honest review.
GO AWAY HOME is a fascinating novel that offers us an opportunity to travel to some older, idealized times – even if not always to ‘good ole times’ – and which takes place in an Iowa of the early twenties. Liddie, the main character, is much more than just a courageous girl; she’s a born fighter. Given the circumstances, habits and customs of her era, she’s not only daring, but occasionally downright revolutionary. For no matter how kind, self-disciplined and respectful she may be towards others, when it comes to personal ambition, she proves to be impressively bold and decisive.
Despite any number of temptations, setbacks and obstacles that appear every so often throughout her development, an extraordinary resilience eventually allows her to find happiness and fulfilment.
That said, “Man proposes; God disposes”: a series of tragic events forever after marks Liddie’s reality. Despite that fact, as you, the reader, arrive at the final pages, you’ll be persuaded that life will reward her the way it rewards all worthy and honest people.
While reading Liddie’s story, I couldn't help but recall narrations by my own grandmother. She also lived during that period of time, even if elsewhere on the planet. The similarities were impressive and that was probably the main reason the narration became highly persuasive for me.
All of the characters in GO AWAY HOME are believable and solidly structured and the entire read is both delightful and realistic.
The book left me with a sweetly optimistic feeling that had nothing to do with illusions and/or melodrama, but rather with Liddie's – and, I must assume, with the writer’s own – positive attitude towards life.
I received an advance reading copy of the book on THE LIBRARY THING in exchange for an honest review.
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July 9, 2015I'm pleased to share this review from the Historical Novel Society:
"Skillfully blends the events of the wider world into the talk and gossip of small-town Iowa. The secondary characters are well fleshed-out, especially the other female characters who are smoothly used to illustrate many aspects of women's lives in the first half of the 20th century. The result is a memorable and warmly small-focus novel that repays re-reading. - Steve Donoghue, Historical Novel Society
GO AWAY HOME was inspired by my maternal grandparents. My grandfather died of the Spanish Flu in 1918. Throughout my life, I’ve been intrigued by my connection to this major world event. Of course I never knew my grandfather and even though my grandmother lived until I was well into my 20s, I never asked her a single question about him or their lives together. And she was not the type to share.
So, this story is fiction based on a few facts. It creates a life for the man I never knew and for the grandmother I only knew as a stern old woman.
"Skillfully blends the events of the wider world into the talk and gossip of small-town Iowa. The secondary characters are well fleshed-out, especially the other female characters who are smoothly used to illustrate many aspects of women's lives in the first half of the 20th century. The result is a memorable and warmly small-focus novel that repays re-reading. - Steve Donoghue, Historical Novel Society
GO AWAY HOME was inspired by my maternal grandparents. My grandfather died of the Spanish Flu in 1918. Throughout my life, I’ve been intrigued by my connection to this major world event. Of course I never knew my grandfather and even though my grandmother lived until I was well into my 20s, I never asked her a single question about him or their lives together. And she was not the type to share.
So, this story is fiction based on a few facts. It creates a life for the man I never knew and for the grandmother I only knew as a stern old woman.
May 1, 2014
I read this book through two lenses. First, as an admirer of Carol's memoir, Growing Up Country, and second, as an American Studies scholar interested in historical fiction. I am also fascinated by the author's journey from memoir to fiction, which is a subject that I will invite Carol to answer on my blog June 2.
Both the cover and the title of the book suggest more than they say. Go Away Home could mean many things. "Scat, your home is elsewhere." "Stop haunting me, home." "Leave where you are, home." The geraniums on the wide window sill and the wooden frame suggest a farmstead; the scene outside the window looks like a field with a woods at the end of the row. The linen-like curtain partially embraces the homey scene. Yet it also suggests stage curtains. We suspect that a dramatic story is about to begin.
And what a story it turns out to be. Contemporary women readers will be drawn to the main character Liddie Treadwell, a farm girl who craves a different life, one in which she could take her interest in designing and making dresses into the city. She dreams of becoming a dressmaker, one of the few options for a career available to women at the dawn of WWI. Liddie's Aunt Kate, an early feminist, widens Liddie's world and helps her connect to a dressmaker, who offers her a job in the city.
Her sister Amelia's pregnancy and then elopement with the man who made her pregnant create the first obstacle to Liddie's leaving the farm. Eventually, however, she goes to a boarding house, meets another young woman who becomes a close friend, finds outlets for her creative energies, not only through making beautiful dresses for affluent clients but also by working for a photographer who initiates her into the mysteries of the elaborate glass plate and dark room methods of the time.
Each member of the Treadwell family is a complex character who engages with other memorable actors in this drama. The author carefully adds details such as what it took for a woman to start and drive a car. The reader feels present in a different age without being lectured to. That's what good historical fiction does.
In the process of caring about the characters and their fates the reader also learns about women's suffrage, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, the fierce anti-German persecution, the influenza epidemic, and the class structure of small-town mid-America.
The book is also a love story -- with a twist. The author skillfully braids clues to Liddy's choices through repetition of scenes and images that give a final sense of completion when the reader closes the book.
Go Away Home will pull the reader down deep into roots under the land. But never fear. The light of freedom is not extinguished there. One can follow dreams and still choose home. That theme is not limited to the era of WWI but lives in every human heart.
Both the cover and the title of the book suggest more than they say. Go Away Home could mean many things. "Scat, your home is elsewhere." "Stop haunting me, home." "Leave where you are, home." The geraniums on the wide window sill and the wooden frame suggest a farmstead; the scene outside the window looks like a field with a woods at the end of the row. The linen-like curtain partially embraces the homey scene. Yet it also suggests stage curtains. We suspect that a dramatic story is about to begin.
And what a story it turns out to be. Contemporary women readers will be drawn to the main character Liddie Treadwell, a farm girl who craves a different life, one in which she could take her interest in designing and making dresses into the city. She dreams of becoming a dressmaker, one of the few options for a career available to women at the dawn of WWI. Liddie's Aunt Kate, an early feminist, widens Liddie's world and helps her connect to a dressmaker, who offers her a job in the city.
Her sister Amelia's pregnancy and then elopement with the man who made her pregnant create the first obstacle to Liddie's leaving the farm. Eventually, however, she goes to a boarding house, meets another young woman who becomes a close friend, finds outlets for her creative energies, not only through making beautiful dresses for affluent clients but also by working for a photographer who initiates her into the mysteries of the elaborate glass plate and dark room methods of the time.
Each member of the Treadwell family is a complex character who engages with other memorable actors in this drama. The author carefully adds details such as what it took for a woman to start and drive a car. The reader feels present in a different age without being lectured to. That's what good historical fiction does.
In the process of caring about the characters and their fates the reader also learns about women's suffrage, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, the fierce anti-German persecution, the influenza epidemic, and the class structure of small-town mid-America.
The book is also a love story -- with a twist. The author skillfully braids clues to Liddy's choices through repetition of scenes and images that give a final sense of completion when the reader closes the book.
Go Away Home will pull the reader down deep into roots under the land. But never fear. The light of freedom is not extinguished there. One can follow dreams and still choose home. That theme is not limited to the era of WWI but lives in every human heart.
August 18, 2016
Go Away Home” by Carol Bodensteiner is a beautiful book about a family in Iowa in 1913. Despite drama and tragedy they remain strong and supportive of each other. Young Liddie, the main character wants to move to the nearby town to train as a seamstress. Her character is like one of Jane Austin’s best (Liddie in one scene of the book actually does read Austin): naïve, innocent but also ambitious and good hearted. Her sister Amelia falls pregnant out of wedlock and her father gets seriously injured in an accident and suffers from concussion, leaving the family with a few problems to resolve.
Her brother Vern initially has issues with Joe, a German boy the family take in but the rivalry settles. The members of the family then seem to be going their own ways, particularly Liddie who starts to train as seamstress and starts to make a name for herself in town.
Bodensteiner has created excellent characters, likeable, detailed and full of life. They serve well to illustrate the spirit of the times, whether that be the morals of unwanted pregnancies, ideas about the vote for women or courting manners.
The descriptive details and historical accuracy of the writing is impeccable, in particularly the portrayal of farm life and of the boarding house that Liddie
stays in is very impressive and with a talent like this Bodensteiner makes it easy for her readers to feel as if they are in the place themselves.
There is a very authentic feel of the writing, it reminded me of the world of possibilities that America was in those days, not just for immigrants. Some characters move around the castness of the country to seek new opportunities. Liddie is young and she too has to make some decisions about her life and take chances.
The book is full of interesting side characters, be that an excitable friend at the boarding house or Liddie’s employer.
War threatens to bring the world upside down, the German sensitivities, the draft and evens ome opportunities force more decisions on the cast.
And then there is the matter of Liddie’s love life, her opportunities, her choices and her coming of age.
This is a wonderful family saga that with its love and attention to historical detail is nothing short of a magical step back in time. It shows us the happy and the sad aspects of life, many themes of the times and it does so with hope and a strong and positive message of optimism. A real feel good book.
Her brother Vern initially has issues with Joe, a German boy the family take in but the rivalry settles. The members of the family then seem to be going their own ways, particularly Liddie who starts to train as seamstress and starts to make a name for herself in town.
Bodensteiner has created excellent characters, likeable, detailed and full of life. They serve well to illustrate the spirit of the times, whether that be the morals of unwanted pregnancies, ideas about the vote for women or courting manners.
The descriptive details and historical accuracy of the writing is impeccable, in particularly the portrayal of farm life and of the boarding house that Liddie
stays in is very impressive and with a talent like this Bodensteiner makes it easy for her readers to feel as if they are in the place themselves.
There is a very authentic feel of the writing, it reminded me of the world of possibilities that America was in those days, not just for immigrants. Some characters move around the castness of the country to seek new opportunities. Liddie is young and she too has to make some decisions about her life and take chances.
The book is full of interesting side characters, be that an excitable friend at the boarding house or Liddie’s employer.
War threatens to bring the world upside down, the German sensitivities, the draft and evens ome opportunities force more decisions on the cast.
And then there is the matter of Liddie’s love life, her opportunities, her choices and her coming of age.
This is a wonderful family saga that with its love and attention to historical detail is nothing short of a magical step back in time. It shows us the happy and the sad aspects of life, many themes of the times and it does so with hope and a strong and positive message of optimism. A real feel good book.
May 10, 2014
Even though this is not my preferred genre, I am so glad I was given an opportunity to read it.
Few books lead me in to the story being conveyed in such a way that, when I'm finished with the book, I don't want to read another for quite some time. I want to take time to remember the characters, cherish the lives they've lived, and absorb the memories they've created as if I had known them personally and have been made a better person for it. I am afraid to overwrite the characters in my mind, their memories, the feelings they've elicited, the spirit they've occupied within the pages. This is one of those books.
I've lived within this story, even as it kept me up way past my bedtime just to be with the characters. Only one time did something written take me half out of the story to ponder a word choice, but I was back in within seconds.
Carol Bodensteiner, thank you so much for sharing this story in the way that you did.
Few books lead me in to the story being conveyed in such a way that, when I'm finished with the book, I don't want to read another for quite some time. I want to take time to remember the characters, cherish the lives they've lived, and absorb the memories they've created as if I had known them personally and have been made a better person for it. I am afraid to overwrite the characters in my mind, their memories, the feelings they've elicited, the spirit they've occupied within the pages. This is one of those books.
I've lived within this story, even as it kept me up way past my bedtime just to be with the characters. Only one time did something written take me half out of the story to ponder a word choice, but I was back in within seconds.
Carol Bodensteiner, thank you so much for sharing this story in the way that you did.
June 22, 2014
Received ARC from GoodRead's First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this: I grew up in Wisconsin; my grandparents grew up on farms; I love pre-WWI history. But no, I just...didn't, and I'm sorry I didn't.
I hoped for more character development (sometimes they seemed shallow or two-dimensional and then they'd make a declaration of love or something and I'd be like...huh?). I hoped for gorgeous scenes; I don't feel like setting was used effectively when there was so much potential there (Iowa is "Bridges of Madison County" land).
I felt like it being a "pre-WWI" novel wasn't what I thought (and perhaps that's because we think pre-WWI we think the first season of "Downtown Abbey"). But there wasn't much mentioned in way of the war once it began--and yes, America didn't enter until 1917--but there was just the curious "Buy American" tossed in a few times to cover this time period. Because Joe is German, this could have been explored to add depth to his character and conflict but it just seemed like another superficial layer to his character (and kind of a Germanophobia dropped plot line).
There was no antagonist. Who the author uses as that character was a jerk, but without an antagonist (and this could have been a person or something environmental), the driving action fell flat for me. In fact, there wasn't much of a story arc. There was no big conflict the MC needed to overcome (the story leads off with a family drama and then tragedy so these are indirectly the problem). There wasn't much rising action, a climax, or a resolution.
Oh, the characters. Liddie's Aunt Kate, who preaches women making their own way, she just disappears, and she's the one who helped Liddie explore the suffragette movement (dropped plot line) which is what gets Liddie away from the farm to pursue her dreams of being a dressmaker (dropped plot line)...and then she really, truly, does nothing with it. I felt like that was the "heart" of the novel--that Liddie must return home--but the author needed her to return to the farm to make the story work. Not because the character needed to, but the plot needed her to.
I just felt like there wasn't enough "meat" to the book or with the writing. I felt like everything needed to be fleshed out more and opening ideas needed to be resolved or contended with. And there were a few typeset errors you'll notice, which makes me feel terrible when I see obvious mistakes.
I really wanted to like this: I grew up in Wisconsin; my grandparents grew up on farms; I love pre-WWI history. But no, I just...didn't, and I'm sorry I didn't.
I hoped for more character development (sometimes they seemed shallow or two-dimensional and then they'd make a declaration of love or something and I'd be like...huh?). I hoped for gorgeous scenes; I don't feel like setting was used effectively when there was so much potential there (Iowa is "Bridges of Madison County" land).
I felt like it being a "pre-WWI" novel wasn't what I thought (and perhaps that's because we think pre-WWI we think the first season of "Downtown Abbey"). But there wasn't much mentioned in way of the war once it began--and yes, America didn't enter until 1917--but there was just the curious "Buy American" tossed in a few times to cover this time period. Because Joe is German, this could have been explored to add depth to his character and conflict but it just seemed like another superficial layer to his character (and kind of a Germanophobia dropped plot line).
There was no antagonist. Who the author uses as that character was a jerk, but without an antagonist (and this could have been a person or something environmental), the driving action fell flat for me. In fact, there wasn't much of a story arc. There was no big conflict the MC needed to overcome (the story leads off with a family drama and then tragedy so these are indirectly the problem). There wasn't much rising action, a climax, or a resolution.
Oh, the characters. Liddie's Aunt Kate, who preaches women making their own way, she just disappears, and she's the one who helped Liddie explore the suffragette movement (dropped plot line) which is what gets Liddie away from the farm to pursue her dreams of being a dressmaker (dropped plot line)...and then she really, truly, does nothing with it. I felt like that was the "heart" of the novel--that Liddie must return home--but the author needed her to return to the farm to make the story work. Not because the character needed to, but the plot needed her to.
I just felt like there wasn't enough "meat" to the book or with the writing. I felt like everything needed to be fleshed out more and opening ideas needed to be resolved or contended with. And there were a few typeset errors you'll notice, which makes me feel terrible when I see obvious mistakes.
July 15, 2014
Book Description:
“Liddie Treadway grew up on a family farm where options for her future were marriage or teaching. Encouraged by suffragette rhetoric and her maiden aunt, Liddie is determined to avoid both and pursue a career. Her goal is within her grasp when her older sister’s abrupt departure threatens to keep her on the farm forever.
Once she is able to experience the world she’s dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.
GO AWAY HOME is a captivating coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who’s confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.”
In her debut historical fiction novel, born storyteller Bodensteiner pens a poignant view of early 20th century family life on a Midwest farm. With a bold female main character during a time when women were expected to stay on the farm and become farm wives and mothers, Liddie yearns to be a modern woman of independent means. Her quest to make something of herself, the expectations of family and society, and the power of love give the reader a glimpse of what life could have been like during the early part of the last century.
Inspirational yet tragic, depicting the struggles of family life during changing times of suffrage, uncertainty and tensions leading up to the first World War. Solid writing with well defined characters, the story is emotionally moving and deeply touching. Roles of women (domestic vs. working), believing in one’s self, following your heart and pursuing ones passion, Bodensteiner pulls you into her characters world and keep you cheering for them until the very last page is turned.
“Liddie Treadway grew up on a family farm where options for her future were marriage or teaching. Encouraged by suffragette rhetoric and her maiden aunt, Liddie is determined to avoid both and pursue a career. Her goal is within her grasp when her older sister’s abrupt departure threatens to keep her on the farm forever.
Once she is able to experience the world she’s dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.
GO AWAY HOME is a captivating coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who’s confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.”
In her debut historical fiction novel, born storyteller Bodensteiner pens a poignant view of early 20th century family life on a Midwest farm. With a bold female main character during a time when women were expected to stay on the farm and become farm wives and mothers, Liddie yearns to be a modern woman of independent means. Her quest to make something of herself, the expectations of family and society, and the power of love give the reader a glimpse of what life could have been like during the early part of the last century.
Inspirational yet tragic, depicting the struggles of family life during changing times of suffrage, uncertainty and tensions leading up to the first World War. Solid writing with well defined characters, the story is emotionally moving and deeply touching. Roles of women (domestic vs. working), believing in one’s self, following your heart and pursuing ones passion, Bodensteiner pulls you into her characters world and keep you cheering for them until the very last page is turned.
March 29, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed book. Well-written. I found it interesting to read what life was like for people, especially women during the World War I period. Life was not easy. I liked the characters and felt their pain, sorrow and joy. I would recommend it.
September 7, 2016
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Thank you so much! =)
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A story of going back home.
July 21, 2014
Go Away Home is a story that takes the reader back to just before, during and at the very end of World War II in the American Midwest. Liddie Treadwell is a young girl at the beginning of the story and has dreams to leave the farm she lives on with her parents and sister Amelia. She just may be able to get away and move to a close town to apprentice with a seamstress. Her parents of course want her to settle down, marry and have children, which she does want someday but not for awhile. She is growing up in a time of the suffragette and with the help of her spinster aunt, they convince Liddie's parents to let her go and do the apprenticeship. In an unforseen tragedy in the Treadwell household, Liddie's father dies as a result of an accident on the farm. Liddie sees her dreams go out the window because she knows she will be needed at home on the farm.
Liddie's mother does eventually relent and Liddie is off to her apprenticeship. She learns a lot about making clothes and loves what she is doing until she meets a young man, Thomas Littman, who is a photographer. Liddie finds a passion she never knew she had and when Thomas proposes marriage to her she says yes and is eager to go to Paris to live with Thomas. There had been a young man, Joe, who had lived with the Treadwell's for most of his life and helped out on the farm and became one of the family. Joe decides to move to Canada and take up farming on his own. Liddie keeps up a relationship with Joe by letters over a period of years. Joe comes home for a visit and Liddie is forced to rethink what she really wants out of life.
This is a story that will grab at your heartstrings, through tragedy and loss comes love and hopes for the future. Heartbreak for her and her family seem to break the family but ultimately in the end Liddie realizes that what she most wanted to do when a young girl is not what she wants in her heart. Come Away Home is written abut the daily struggles within a family during a tough time in our American history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am not sure if there is to be a sequel, but I think it would be interesting to see what happens to Liddie in the future. I highly recommend this book!
Liddie's mother does eventually relent and Liddie is off to her apprenticeship. She learns a lot about making clothes and loves what she is doing until she meets a young man, Thomas Littman, who is a photographer. Liddie finds a passion she never knew she had and when Thomas proposes marriage to her she says yes and is eager to go to Paris to live with Thomas. There had been a young man, Joe, who had lived with the Treadwell's for most of his life and helped out on the farm and became one of the family. Joe decides to move to Canada and take up farming on his own. Liddie keeps up a relationship with Joe by letters over a period of years. Joe comes home for a visit and Liddie is forced to rethink what she really wants out of life.
This is a story that will grab at your heartstrings, through tragedy and loss comes love and hopes for the future. Heartbreak for her and her family seem to break the family but ultimately in the end Liddie realizes that what she most wanted to do when a young girl is not what she wants in her heart. Come Away Home is written abut the daily struggles within a family during a tough time in our American history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am not sure if there is to be a sequel, but I think it would be interesting to see what happens to Liddie in the future. I highly recommend this book!
July 16, 2014
Go Away Home is an invitation to step back in time to the early 1900’s and experience life through the eyes of a young Iowan farm girl whose dreams of finding a career and moving away from the family farm are lost and found.
The story swept me in in the first chapter with Liddie Treadwell contemplating life away from the farm as she kneads bread in her kitchen. We are introduced to her Aunt Kate who represents an independent woman of her time. She serves as a role model for Liddie. When Liddie’s older sister, Amelia moves away, Liddie feels doomed to farm life and never seeing her dreams of a career come true.
Much like she did with her memoir, Growing Up Country, Bodensteiner brings her characters alive in a believable, balanced way as she shows us the love and resiliency of her family in their day-to-day lives. Her family is able to support Liddie in achieving her dream of living on her own in a big city as a seamstress and eventually a photographer. She meets a young man who teaches her about photography and asks her to marry him and travel to Paris to help him set up a studio. She ultimately finds her dreams have changed and makes a decision based upon what she wants.
This is a poignant and heartwarming novel set against the historical backdrop of the beginning of World War I, the suffragette movement and the Spanish Influenza. We experience how loss affected families during these times as well as how it affected the Treadwell family. It is evident that Bodensteiner took great care to do thorough research. As a reader, I trusted the historical accuracy of these details.
The author’s writing style is engaging and concise. I found myself totally immersed in the lives of the characters and in the story. In the end, I felt the satisfaction of knowing that Liddie’s ability to overcome both internal and external obstacles was a tribute to her strength as a woman as well as a tribute to her family. I also felt enlightened about what daily life both on and off the farm was like in 1900’s Iowa.
A captivating coming-of-age story of a young Iowan woman from the early 1900’s.
The story swept me in in the first chapter with Liddie Treadwell contemplating life away from the farm as she kneads bread in her kitchen. We are introduced to her Aunt Kate who represents an independent woman of her time. She serves as a role model for Liddie. When Liddie’s older sister, Amelia moves away, Liddie feels doomed to farm life and never seeing her dreams of a career come true.
Much like she did with her memoir, Growing Up Country, Bodensteiner brings her characters alive in a believable, balanced way as she shows us the love and resiliency of her family in their day-to-day lives. Her family is able to support Liddie in achieving her dream of living on her own in a big city as a seamstress and eventually a photographer. She meets a young man who teaches her about photography and asks her to marry him and travel to Paris to help him set up a studio. She ultimately finds her dreams have changed and makes a decision based upon what she wants.
This is a poignant and heartwarming novel set against the historical backdrop of the beginning of World War I, the suffragette movement and the Spanish Influenza. We experience how loss affected families during these times as well as how it affected the Treadwell family. It is evident that Bodensteiner took great care to do thorough research. As a reader, I trusted the historical accuracy of these details.
The author’s writing style is engaging and concise. I found myself totally immersed in the lives of the characters and in the story. In the end, I felt the satisfaction of knowing that Liddie’s ability to overcome both internal and external obstacles was a tribute to her strength as a woman as well as a tribute to her family. I also felt enlightened about what daily life both on and off the farm was like in 1900’s Iowa.
A captivating coming-of-age story of a young Iowan woman from the early 1900’s.
May 23, 2014
Go Away Home
By Carol Bodensteiner
Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner is an endearing historical fiction novel set in the early 1900's in Iowa. We are quickly caught up in the life of a young farm girl, Liddie, as she is coming of age filled with dreams of leaving the farm and becoming a dress designer. Liddie matures from a naive young woman to a mature, wise woman who takes chances on making her dreams a reality but continues being torn to take on the pressing needs of the farm when family tragedy strikes.
To say I was surprised by this book knowing this was Bodensteiner's first novel is an understatement. This reads with the fluidity and grace of a seasoned author. Her writing style is contagious as it flows from page to page with no opportunity to bookmark and come back later. One just naturally reads further. This story take place over several.years of the Treadway family's lives giving us such a rich bounty of material. Bodensteiner's characters are strongly developed. Her panaramic development of Liddie's character gives us a ringside seat as she reveals the very heart of this young woman. She does not stop with development of our main character. We get to know the Treadway family in such a way we could sit down for Sunday dinner and fit right into conversation with any of them. She also does not shy away from real life issues such as infertility, sickness, orphans, grief, heartbreak, and scandal. She probes family relationships, friendship and community life with tenacity.
As one who loves historical fiction, I was glad to see the Bodensteiner effectively presents the lifestyles, values and family structure of this time period. Included in this were the devastion caused by the spanish influenza breakout, the time period leading up to and the beginning of World War 1 and the birth of women's rights.
The only negative I could say about this book was the amount of time spent during Liddie's work at photography shop (trying to avoid spoiler). This became a bit repetitive.
I loved this book and look forward to seeing more work from this author.
Note: I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest book review.
By Carol Bodensteiner
Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner is an endearing historical fiction novel set in the early 1900's in Iowa. We are quickly caught up in the life of a young farm girl, Liddie, as she is coming of age filled with dreams of leaving the farm and becoming a dress designer. Liddie matures from a naive young woman to a mature, wise woman who takes chances on making her dreams a reality but continues being torn to take on the pressing needs of the farm when family tragedy strikes.
To say I was surprised by this book knowing this was Bodensteiner's first novel is an understatement. This reads with the fluidity and grace of a seasoned author. Her writing style is contagious as it flows from page to page with no opportunity to bookmark and come back later. One just naturally reads further. This story take place over several.years of the Treadway family's lives giving us such a rich bounty of material. Bodensteiner's characters are strongly developed. Her panaramic development of Liddie's character gives us a ringside seat as she reveals the very heart of this young woman. She does not stop with development of our main character. We get to know the Treadway family in such a way we could sit down for Sunday dinner and fit right into conversation with any of them. She also does not shy away from real life issues such as infertility, sickness, orphans, grief, heartbreak, and scandal. She probes family relationships, friendship and community life with tenacity.
As one who loves historical fiction, I was glad to see the Bodensteiner effectively presents the lifestyles, values and family structure of this time period. Included in this were the devastion caused by the spanish influenza breakout, the time period leading up to and the beginning of World War 1 and the birth of women's rights.
The only negative I could say about this book was the amount of time spent during Liddie's work at photography shop (trying to avoid spoiler). This became a bit repetitive.
I loved this book and look forward to seeing more work from this author.
Note: I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest book review.
July 23, 2014
I didn't know what to expect from this book apart from a the basic description I read. I knew it had a lovely cover but I apart from that I wasn't prepared to be so thoroughly swept away by the beauty of this book.
Liddie Treadwell had hopes and dreams bigger than baking bread on her parents' farm in Iowa but when her sister brings trouble to the family, it sets her back and when a life-changing tragedy befalls the family her freedom seems further away than ever but when she persuades her mother to let her take up an apprenticeship with Mrs Tinker in Maquoketa, the nearby town, her dreams are firmly back on track.
Words can't really describe how much I loved this book. It was a delight from beginning to end and I never wanted to finish it.
When there is an outbreak of the deadly influenza in the latter stages of the book, it claims the life of a dearly loved character that saddened me to the point of tears and I had to actually re-read it twice to make sure it was real. the outcome forces Liddie to make tough decisions but as we have followed her from a young girl as she blossomed into a beautiful woman and loving mother we somehow know deep down that she will cope.
When I am able, I want to buy a paperback copy of this book and I already know that if I have a daughter of my own I will give it to her to read when she is maybe 12 or 13 and I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
It is a modern literary treasure harking back to a golden age in America where life was slower and people valued the simple pleasure's of a freshly baked loaf of bread or a well made shirt and the satisfaction that can come with the lifestyle portrayed.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Similar in style to the classic 'What Katy Did' stories, it was a beautiful trip back in time to a sadly distant place that all of a sudden seemed clear as day as if I was really there. Carol Bodensteiner breathed life into the people and places of WW1 era America.
Liddie Treadwell had hopes and dreams bigger than baking bread on her parents' farm in Iowa but when her sister brings trouble to the family, it sets her back and when a life-changing tragedy befalls the family her freedom seems further away than ever but when she persuades her mother to let her take up an apprenticeship with Mrs Tinker in Maquoketa, the nearby town, her dreams are firmly back on track.
Words can't really describe how much I loved this book. It was a delight from beginning to end and I never wanted to finish it.
When there is an outbreak of the deadly influenza in the latter stages of the book, it claims the life of a dearly loved character that saddened me to the point of tears and I had to actually re-read it twice to make sure it was real. the outcome forces Liddie to make tough decisions but as we have followed her from a young girl as she blossomed into a beautiful woman and loving mother we somehow know deep down that she will cope.
When I am able, I want to buy a paperback copy of this book and I already know that if I have a daughter of my own I will give it to her to read when she is maybe 12 or 13 and I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
It is a modern literary treasure harking back to a golden age in America where life was slower and people valued the simple pleasure's of a freshly baked loaf of bread or a well made shirt and the satisfaction that can come with the lifestyle portrayed.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Similar in style to the classic 'What Katy Did' stories, it was a beautiful trip back in time to a sadly distant place that all of a sudden seemed clear as day as if I was really there. Carol Bodensteiner breathed life into the people and places of WW1 era America.
October 10, 2014
I wanted to read this book because I read Growing Up Country several years ago and absolutely loved it. The story of Liddie Treadway really drew me in, and I was surprised at how much I ended up relating to her as I read about her life and its twists and turns.
I enjoy reading historical fiction and memoirs of rural farm life, and greatly appreciated the care that obviously went into the details regarding life in Iowa in the 1910s. (And the author consulted interpreters from Living History Farms in Urbandale, one of my all time favorite places, for historical reference/accuracy!) As I finished the book I wished that there had been more information about a couple of the characters. They had a certain mysterious air to them and I thought their hazy back stories would become more revealed as the story came to a close. Despite this, it was a beautifully written book and I found myself rooting for Liddie during every step of her journey from Iowa farm girl to independent career woman.
On a personal note, I grew up only about 30 miles from where this story took place, so reading all the references to places from my childhood definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. At first I scoffed at the notion that Maquoketa, IA, could be considered a "big city" (according to Wikipedia, the current population of Maquoketa is about 6000, but when this book took place it would have only been about 3500). However, as I thought about growing up in rural Iowa in the 1980s and 1990s, I realized how much my family relied on towns like Maquoketa and nearby DeWitt for shopping, business, and entertainment. Though these towns cannot compete with the size and amenities of larger Iowa cities such as Davenport or Cedar Rapids, they do hold a certain vital importance for Iowa families - especially those who live in remote small towns or on farms. That is, I'm sure, still true today as it was for my family during my childhood and for the Treadways 100 years ago.
I enjoy reading historical fiction and memoirs of rural farm life, and greatly appreciated the care that obviously went into the details regarding life in Iowa in the 1910s. (And the author consulted interpreters from Living History Farms in Urbandale, one of my all time favorite places, for historical reference/accuracy!) As I finished the book I wished that there had been more information about a couple of the characters. They had a certain mysterious air to them and I thought their hazy back stories would become more revealed as the story came to a close. Despite this, it was a beautifully written book and I found myself rooting for Liddie during every step of her journey from Iowa farm girl to independent career woman.
On a personal note, I grew up only about 30 miles from where this story took place, so reading all the references to places from my childhood definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. At first I scoffed at the notion that Maquoketa, IA, could be considered a "big city" (according to Wikipedia, the current population of Maquoketa is about 6000, but when this book took place it would have only been about 3500). However, as I thought about growing up in rural Iowa in the 1980s and 1990s, I realized how much my family relied on towns like Maquoketa and nearby DeWitt for shopping, business, and entertainment. Though these towns cannot compete with the size and amenities of larger Iowa cities such as Davenport or Cedar Rapids, they do hold a certain vital importance for Iowa families - especially those who live in remote small towns or on farms. That is, I'm sure, still true today as it was for my family during my childhood and for the Treadways 100 years ago.
June 9, 2014
From the very first chapter of Go Away Home, Carol Bodensteiner draws us into the central conflicts of her debut novel: old ways versus new, farm versus city, youth versus maturity, man versus woman. Raised on an Iowa farm by her tradition bound parents, Liddie Treadway hopes for a different life, one of adventure, independence, and a career in fashion. Despite two heart-breaking family events that interfere with Liddie’s dreams, in the fall of 1913 she is hired by a well-known dress maker and moves to the city.
Go Away Home is full of interesting, well-drawn characters who add complexity as well as unexpected twists and turns: Mrs. Tinker the dress maker who acts as Liddie’s city mother; Thomas Littman, the man who teaches Liddie photography; Minnie Holter, Liddie’s first city friend; Margretta, Liddie’s mother. Historical facts are offered sparingly and yet with enough detail for readers to gain a clear picture of early twentieth century American life. The story flows with excellent dialogue and compelling descriptions, and each chapter ends with a hook that drives the plot forward.
The advice Liddie receives as her life unfolds seems equally valid for today’s world: “Every choice we make becomes part of who we are. That’s why you must take care.” “The goal is not a career. The goal ought to be a good life. Experiences may be wonderful, but only if they help you to be a better person.” Will Liddie make the right choices? Will her experiences make her a better person?
Go Away Home is a very engaging coming-of-age story, set at a time of incredible change and turmoil. Highly recommended.
Go Away Home is full of interesting, well-drawn characters who add complexity as well as unexpected twists and turns: Mrs. Tinker the dress maker who acts as Liddie’s city mother; Thomas Littman, the man who teaches Liddie photography; Minnie Holter, Liddie’s first city friend; Margretta, Liddie’s mother. Historical facts are offered sparingly and yet with enough detail for readers to gain a clear picture of early twentieth century American life. The story flows with excellent dialogue and compelling descriptions, and each chapter ends with a hook that drives the plot forward.
The advice Liddie receives as her life unfolds seems equally valid for today’s world: “Every choice we make becomes part of who we are. That’s why you must take care.” “The goal is not a career. The goal ought to be a good life. Experiences may be wonderful, but only if they help you to be a better person.” Will Liddie make the right choices? Will her experiences make her a better person?
Go Away Home is a very engaging coming-of-age story, set at a time of incredible change and turmoil. Highly recommended.
June 11, 2014
Sixteen-year-old Liddie is a spinner of dreams at a time in history when there were few lifestyle choices available for a girl growing up in rural Iowa. She rejects the life of a farm wife or a teacher, but she can only imagine what options might lie beyond the boundaries of the farm or how to go about accessing them.
She pins her hopes on an unexpected opportunity to apprentice to a seamstress in a nearby town. When scandal and tragedy in her family block this opportunity, it is easy for the reader to conclude that Liddie’s reach exceeds her grasp.
But Liddie’s determination to taste life beyond the farm wins out. Using her native wit, Liddie parlays a second chance at a sewing apprenticeship into an opportunity to learn photography and ultimately to live and work in Paris as the wife of an attractive and talented man. The tension builds as the now-adult Liddie weighs her dream-come-true against the love and support of family and friends.
Liddie is the main character in family saga that takes place in the early 20th century against a backdrop of cultural change, the women’s suffrage movement, and the social conflicts prior to America’s involvement in World War I. Each of Bodensteiner’s characters is vividly portrayed and you will remember most of them long after you have finished the book.
Go Away Home, a heartfelt story of one women’s search for meaning, will keep you riveted from the first page.
She pins her hopes on an unexpected opportunity to apprentice to a seamstress in a nearby town. When scandal and tragedy in her family block this opportunity, it is easy for the reader to conclude that Liddie’s reach exceeds her grasp.
But Liddie’s determination to taste life beyond the farm wins out. Using her native wit, Liddie parlays a second chance at a sewing apprenticeship into an opportunity to learn photography and ultimately to live and work in Paris as the wife of an attractive and talented man. The tension builds as the now-adult Liddie weighs her dream-come-true against the love and support of family and friends.
Liddie is the main character in family saga that takes place in the early 20th century against a backdrop of cultural change, the women’s suffrage movement, and the social conflicts prior to America’s involvement in World War I. Each of Bodensteiner’s characters is vividly portrayed and you will remember most of them long after you have finished the book.
Go Away Home, a heartfelt story of one women’s search for meaning, will keep you riveted from the first page.
April 28, 2014
Go Away Home is a chance to immerse yourself into a world that is no more, through the eyes, mind, and heart of Liddie Treadway, coming of age on an Iowa farm during World War One. Her family expects her to marry, settle nearby, and spend her life cooking, cleaning, and caring for a farmer husband and his children. It seems her life is pre-ordained and no other path is open to her.
Before marriage, young women of the time are allowed a suitable and temporary occupation, such as teaching or sewing. Liddie pours her heart and her creativity into her sewing and hopes to turn her temporary job, as a dressmaker's assistant in the nearby county seat, into a career. She's never been more than 12 miles away from home, but she dreams of becoming a dress designer and traveling abroad.
When Liddie meets a debonair photographer, her life takes an unexpected turn away from respectable sewing and into all sorts of exciting possibilities as his assistant and apprentice.
Suddenly, for almost the first time in her life, Liddie must make important choices for herself. Will she be a dress designer or a photographer? Will she be a single, independent woman? Or will she marry?
Liddie Treadway is not the stock character you may expect. She is a thoroughly real woman, who makes real choices and learns to live with the consequences.
Before marriage, young women of the time are allowed a suitable and temporary occupation, such as teaching or sewing. Liddie pours her heart and her creativity into her sewing and hopes to turn her temporary job, as a dressmaker's assistant in the nearby county seat, into a career. She's never been more than 12 miles away from home, but she dreams of becoming a dress designer and traveling abroad.
When Liddie meets a debonair photographer, her life takes an unexpected turn away from respectable sewing and into all sorts of exciting possibilities as his assistant and apprentice.
Suddenly, for almost the first time in her life, Liddie must make important choices for herself. Will she be a dress designer or a photographer? Will she be a single, independent woman? Or will she marry?
Liddie Treadway is not the stock character you may expect. She is a thoroughly real woman, who makes real choices and learns to live with the consequences.
November 13, 2017
I really don't know what to think about this book. It read like a memoir more than a fiction book. I can't say it was fun, I can't say it was happy, I can't say it was fascinating although it did hold my interest. I enjoyed the writing, and it was fairly well done, although I wouldn't call it great literature.
Based in 1913 - 1920ish, this was a story about Liddie Treadway, who was nearly 17 at the beginning, and in her early 20s at the end. She's always lived life on the farm but wanted something more. After the loss of her sister, who moved away, and a death in the family, she moved to town where she learned two professions, and was quite proficient at both. Because of one of those jobs she had an opportunity to do what she always wanted to do, get away from farm life and travel.
However things changed pretty drastically and that's where the majority of the story takes shape.
There were a number of things that happened in Liddie's young life, some very hard, some confusing and some very happy. But the book was far too long and told a lot of detail of day-to-day life that wasn't necessary. In the end the story went nowhere and it was disappointing. Not a happy ending; just ended after another death, trying to figure out how to get along.
It wasn't a bad book, but I'm not sure I would recommend this it to anyone.
Based in 1913 - 1920ish, this was a story about Liddie Treadway, who was nearly 17 at the beginning, and in her early 20s at the end. She's always lived life on the farm but wanted something more. After the loss of her sister, who moved away, and a death in the family, she moved to town where she learned two professions, and was quite proficient at both. Because of one of those jobs she had an opportunity to do what she always wanted to do, get away from farm life and travel.
However things changed pretty drastically and that's where the majority of the story takes shape.
There were a number of things that happened in Liddie's young life, some very hard, some confusing and some very happy. But the book was far too long and told a lot of detail of day-to-day life that wasn't necessary. In the end the story went nowhere and it was disappointing. Not a happy ending; just ended after another death, trying to figure out how to get along.
It wasn't a bad book, but I'm not sure I would recommend this it to anyone.
June 9, 2014
In a poignant, romantic tale, Carol Bodensteiner takes us on a journey inside the heart of a feisty Liddie Treadaway, an Iowa farm girl trying to steer her own independent path through the conservative attitudes of America on the eve of World War One.
Bodensteiner is a fine writer. When she writes about rural America you can smell the hay and when she creates characters they are ones that tug at your heart strings.
In Go Away Home, she has created a formidable character in Liddie, who goes from callow girl to strong-willed woman in a book that is rich with evocative settings. As Liddie’s own ambition grows so it is threatened by the emergence of her first real romantic interest.
Can Liddie see what is best for her or will she succumb to the temptations offered by her handsome, charismatic admirer? This and other tantalising questions are posed in this coming-of-age historical romance.
If you enjoy a good love story and want to immerse yourself in some wonderful characters, then Go Away Home is one book you will not regret reading.
You should also check out Bodensteiner's Growing Up Country for more examples of her great descriptive style.
5 stars
Bodensteiner is a fine writer. When she writes about rural America you can smell the hay and when she creates characters they are ones that tug at your heart strings.
In Go Away Home, she has created a formidable character in Liddie, who goes from callow girl to strong-willed woman in a book that is rich with evocative settings. As Liddie’s own ambition grows so it is threatened by the emergence of her first real romantic interest.
Can Liddie see what is best for her or will she succumb to the temptations offered by her handsome, charismatic admirer? This and other tantalising questions are posed in this coming-of-age historical romance.
If you enjoy a good love story and want to immerse yourself in some wonderful characters, then Go Away Home is one book you will not regret reading.
You should also check out Bodensteiner's Growing Up Country for more examples of her great descriptive style.
5 stars
June 9, 2014
***** Nostalgia At Its Best
In the same tradition of Willa Cather’s “My Antonia” and William Wyler’s “Friendly Persuasion,” Carol Bodensteiner’s “GO AWAY HOME” is a lovely stroll through twentieth century America. Strong characters and vivid scenes set the stage, as well as pull the reader along throughout. Scenes such as the ins and outs of making bread, ‘training’ sessions of rope-tied legs to help move in a hobble skirt, initial photographic techniques, sewing in a professional seamstress’ shop, everyday farming, and on a deeper level, the stirrings of first love, the U.S. suffrage movement, WWI anti-German prejudices, the conflict between a woman’s ambitions and wifely duties, marital discord, hushed pregnancies, an early version of date rape, and the killer Spanish Influenza of 1918––it’s all there, written with authentic, artistic simplicity. For those who are touched by not only nostalgia, but also just like a good story, this is a fine read. Recommended, indeed!
In the same tradition of Willa Cather’s “My Antonia” and William Wyler’s “Friendly Persuasion,” Carol Bodensteiner’s “GO AWAY HOME” is a lovely stroll through twentieth century America. Strong characters and vivid scenes set the stage, as well as pull the reader along throughout. Scenes such as the ins and outs of making bread, ‘training’ sessions of rope-tied legs to help move in a hobble skirt, initial photographic techniques, sewing in a professional seamstress’ shop, everyday farming, and on a deeper level, the stirrings of first love, the U.S. suffrage movement, WWI anti-German prejudices, the conflict between a woman’s ambitions and wifely duties, marital discord, hushed pregnancies, an early version of date rape, and the killer Spanish Influenza of 1918––it’s all there, written with authentic, artistic simplicity. For those who are touched by not only nostalgia, but also just like a good story, this is a fine read. Recommended, indeed!
April 30, 2014
The story begins prior to World War I with Liddie Treadway as the self-centered child whose dream of escaping the Iowa farm has been shattered by what she perceives as everyone conspiring against her.
Only when Joe, the hired hand, returns does Liddie realizes that Aunt Kate is right. “It’s not where you are, but who you are that counts.”
It’s through the wise council of Aunt Kate and the Wisdom of Mrs. Tinker that Liddie matures to the point where she realizes that the grass is greenest where the roots are deepest, the Iowa farm she couldn’t get away from fast enough.
Set amidst the breakout of the First World War. Woodrow Wilson is reelected to the Presidency by the newly franchised women voters with a promise to keep America out of the war. Anti-German sentiment is inflamed as young men are drafted and sent off to Europe. A wonderfully timeless story that resonates with all of us.
Only when Joe, the hired hand, returns does Liddie realizes that Aunt Kate is right. “It’s not where you are, but who you are that counts.”
It’s through the wise council of Aunt Kate and the Wisdom of Mrs. Tinker that Liddie matures to the point where she realizes that the grass is greenest where the roots are deepest, the Iowa farm she couldn’t get away from fast enough.
Set amidst the breakout of the First World War. Woodrow Wilson is reelected to the Presidency by the newly franchised women voters with a promise to keep America out of the war. Anti-German sentiment is inflamed as young men are drafted and sent off to Europe. A wonderfully timeless story that resonates with all of us.
June 10, 2014
Like a carefully crafted quilt, this book will give you memories to treasure.
I really enjoyed this book and it was my steady Kindle companion for an enjoyable week. The sense of time and place feels totally authentic. Characters are delicately layered, individual and credible. No one is an ogre, no one is a saint. Issues of the time (well, I guess these societal issues are perennial) - poverty, the call to war, women's suffrage, misogyny, prejudice, bigotry and racism - are handled perfectly. Characters make good and bad decisions, common sense generally prevails but not always. Bodensteiner has created the perfect quilt, her sparkling threads taking the reader through bittersweet times, tragedies and triumphs. This is a book I will read again.
I really enjoyed this book and it was my steady Kindle companion for an enjoyable week. The sense of time and place feels totally authentic. Characters are delicately layered, individual and credible. No one is an ogre, no one is a saint. Issues of the time (well, I guess these societal issues are perennial) - poverty, the call to war, women's suffrage, misogyny, prejudice, bigotry and racism - are handled perfectly. Characters make good and bad decisions, common sense generally prevails but not always. Bodensteiner has created the perfect quilt, her sparkling threads taking the reader through bittersweet times, tragedies and triumphs. This is a book I will read again.
April 27, 2014
Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner
This is the story of Liddie Treadway, set in the early 1900's. Liddie lives on her family farm, and during this era her life choices were limited. Most young women of the time got married or became teachers. Liddie wants more, she wants to leave the farm. But feels unsure if this is what she should do.
The story chronicles Liddies' life and the inner conflicts of what is expected of her and what her heart is telling her to do. I liked Liddie she is a strong leading lady. I loved the story, it told of life, love, family, happiness, sadness and loss. I recommend to those who like historical/romance/drama.
This is the story of Liddie Treadway, set in the early 1900's. Liddie lives on her family farm, and during this era her life choices were limited. Most young women of the time got married or became teachers. Liddie wants more, she wants to leave the farm. But feels unsure if this is what she should do.
The story chronicles Liddies' life and the inner conflicts of what is expected of her and what her heart is telling her to do. I liked Liddie she is a strong leading lady. I loved the story, it told of life, love, family, happiness, sadness and loss. I recommend to those who like historical/romance/drama.
May 21, 2014
I was quickly drawn into this beautifully crafted tale – and enjoyed every page, even when it brought me to tears. The story was well written and engaging. Liddie was easy to connect with and I found myself very invested in her life. The hardships she and her family face make me that much more grateful for modern medicine.
I don’t know what else to say about this book – it really was a delightful read. I highly recommend.
*I received this book for free as part of a First Reads promotion. My opinions are purely my own.
I don’t know what else to say about this book – it really was a delightful read. I highly recommend.
*I received this book for free as part of a First Reads promotion. My opinions are purely my own.
May 9, 2014
This was a awe inspiring book this is the kind of book that touches your soul. I can't say enough about how wonderful this book was. I won this book on Good reads. Thank you
July 9, 2014
Carol Brodensteiner was asked in an interview what was the best thing someone could say about her novel Go Away Home. She said, “I think the best thing someone could tell me is that they were touched by the characters and the story. That would mean they felt the story was well told, which was my goal in the first place. The second best thing is that they came away from the book knowing more about life in the early twentieth century.”
Go Away Home, Ms. Brodensteiner’s first novel, scores on both counts. The story touched me, and I learned a few things in the process.
The main character, Liddie, yearns for a life outside of her family’s Iowa farm as the novel opens in 1914. She’s sixteen and has yet to deal with life’s harsh realities. The novel’s coming of age theme isn’t old-fashioned despite its historical setting. The same universal characteristics apply whether a novel is set in the 1900s or 2000s. Liddie must come to terms with the world, not as black and white, but as shades of gray. It’s the same for everyone. Those who adapt can enjoy fulfilling lives no matter the circumstances.
I particularly enjoyed one of the messages in Go Away Home. If offers the encouragement to keep doing something no matter how dire life may seem. We can sit and do nothing, but if we do there’s no hope for anything miraculous to occur. Liddie must keep moving and doing things even when the most precious things in life have been taken from her. If she sits and does nothing, that’s exactly what will happen. I loved Liddie and her determination. Yet, Ms. Brodensteiner created a very real character in this woman. In one particular scene, Liddie has made a dire mistake with a lovely dress made for a client of the dress shop where she works. She prays no one will notice, but of course, the owner of the shop does. Liddie’s horror, fear, hope, and embarrassment are the emotions we all share in the same type of circumstances. It’s a brilliant piece of writing and characterization.
The novel’s setting of eastern rural Iowa during the years 1914 – 1919 sets the tone for Go Away Home. First, the farming life creates a tableau of innocence and simple pleasures. Fresh baked bread, gooey chocolate cake, cows bearing calves, and shirts sewn with fanciful embroidery seem romantic to us living in the twenty-first century. However, to Liddie and her family those were the everyday occurrences on the farm. The world of wars and suffragists intrudes into the drum beat of everyday living. Letter writing brings news of family far away, but with great gaps in time. This simple way of life confines Liddie—or so she thinks—until she goes out into the world and discovers that life in the city isn’t as satisfying as she thought. The sister who must leave home in shame when she becomes pregnant without the benefit of wedlock affects the entire family. It seems so silly now, but then it was considered the worst thing that could happen—until the worst thing does happen and then priorities must be rearranged.
Liddie hopes that women’s suffrage will bring freedom for her to choose how she wants to live her life. The draft at the beginning of the United States’ entry into World War I creates fear among the family, although no one close to them is drafted. Automobiles are beginning to appear, even on the farm. And the telephone is a novelty, but one that soon proves to be invaluable.
We believe that technologies are changing at a rapid speed now. Imagine what it must have been like to suddenly go from horse-powered transportation to a machine filled with gasoline. Or what it meant to suddenly be connected to someone living hours away through the black device on the wall. We have no idea what it must have been like in those days of discovery and invention. However, through novels such as Go Away Home, we learn about those times and how it must have been for our ancestors.
The research is impeccable in this novel. Ms. Brodensteiner has proven herself as an exceptional storyteller in her first novel. If you enjoy rich characters and historical fiction, you won’t be disappointed in Go Away Home.
Disclosure: I was provided with an Advanced Review copy of Go Away Home in exchange for an honest review.
Go Away Home, Ms. Brodensteiner’s first novel, scores on both counts. The story touched me, and I learned a few things in the process.
The main character, Liddie, yearns for a life outside of her family’s Iowa farm as the novel opens in 1914. She’s sixteen and has yet to deal with life’s harsh realities. The novel’s coming of age theme isn’t old-fashioned despite its historical setting. The same universal characteristics apply whether a novel is set in the 1900s or 2000s. Liddie must come to terms with the world, not as black and white, but as shades of gray. It’s the same for everyone. Those who adapt can enjoy fulfilling lives no matter the circumstances.
I particularly enjoyed one of the messages in Go Away Home. If offers the encouragement to keep doing something no matter how dire life may seem. We can sit and do nothing, but if we do there’s no hope for anything miraculous to occur. Liddie must keep moving and doing things even when the most precious things in life have been taken from her. If she sits and does nothing, that’s exactly what will happen. I loved Liddie and her determination. Yet, Ms. Brodensteiner created a very real character in this woman. In one particular scene, Liddie has made a dire mistake with a lovely dress made for a client of the dress shop where she works. She prays no one will notice, but of course, the owner of the shop does. Liddie’s horror, fear, hope, and embarrassment are the emotions we all share in the same type of circumstances. It’s a brilliant piece of writing and characterization.
The novel’s setting of eastern rural Iowa during the years 1914 – 1919 sets the tone for Go Away Home. First, the farming life creates a tableau of innocence and simple pleasures. Fresh baked bread, gooey chocolate cake, cows bearing calves, and shirts sewn with fanciful embroidery seem romantic to us living in the twenty-first century. However, to Liddie and her family those were the everyday occurrences on the farm. The world of wars and suffragists intrudes into the drum beat of everyday living. Letter writing brings news of family far away, but with great gaps in time. This simple way of life confines Liddie—or so she thinks—until she goes out into the world and discovers that life in the city isn’t as satisfying as she thought. The sister who must leave home in shame when she becomes pregnant without the benefit of wedlock affects the entire family. It seems so silly now, but then it was considered the worst thing that could happen—until the worst thing does happen and then priorities must be rearranged.
Liddie hopes that women’s suffrage will bring freedom for her to choose how she wants to live her life. The draft at the beginning of the United States’ entry into World War I creates fear among the family, although no one close to them is drafted. Automobiles are beginning to appear, even on the farm. And the telephone is a novelty, but one that soon proves to be invaluable.
We believe that technologies are changing at a rapid speed now. Imagine what it must have been like to suddenly go from horse-powered transportation to a machine filled with gasoline. Or what it meant to suddenly be connected to someone living hours away through the black device on the wall. We have no idea what it must have been like in those days of discovery and invention. However, through novels such as Go Away Home, we learn about those times and how it must have been for our ancestors.
The research is impeccable in this novel. Ms. Brodensteiner has proven herself as an exceptional storyteller in her first novel. If you enjoy rich characters and historical fiction, you won’t be disappointed in Go Away Home.
Disclosure: I was provided with an Advanced Review copy of Go Away Home in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2014
In Go Away Home, Carol Bodensteiner's work of historical fiction, the author spins an interesting and entertaining tale loosely based on the life of her grandparents. Set against the backdrop of World War I, the story provides a glimpse into the life of a young woman, Liddie Treadway, on the cusp of adulthood and eager for something more than the simple farm life she has grown up with.
Liddie wrestles with career and relationship choices as she takes her first tentative steps into the world away from her family farm. As a reader I found myself cheering her on and wishing I could sit down with her and have a conversation about the circumstances, and the people, she found herself dealing with—and perhaps offer a snippet of advice as well.
Current events of the time, like the emerging suffragette movement and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, influence the storyline, and threads about the fashion of the day and the beginnings of photography as an art weave their way through the tale, making it all the richer.
Though we sometimes look back upon bygone days with a nostalgia and consider them to be simpler times, as this story progressed I found myself asking if that was really the case. In many ways Liddie's story is the story of women today—a century later—who find themselves weighing a desire for a fulfilling work of their own with, sometimes conflicting, family responsibilities.
I enjoyed this book immensely. With its well-developed characters, compelling storyline, and a sense of place so rich I felt that I was in early twentieth-century Iowa along with Liddie and her family, this was a book I lost myself in. I look forward to more from this author.
by Linda Hoye
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Liddie wrestles with career and relationship choices as she takes her first tentative steps into the world away from her family farm. As a reader I found myself cheering her on and wishing I could sit down with her and have a conversation about the circumstances, and the people, she found herself dealing with—and perhaps offer a snippet of advice as well.
Current events of the time, like the emerging suffragette movement and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, influence the storyline, and threads about the fashion of the day and the beginnings of photography as an art weave their way through the tale, making it all the richer.
Though we sometimes look back upon bygone days with a nostalgia and consider them to be simpler times, as this story progressed I found myself asking if that was really the case. In many ways Liddie's story is the story of women today—a century later—who find themselves weighing a desire for a fulfilling work of their own with, sometimes conflicting, family responsibilities.
I enjoyed this book immensely. With its well-developed characters, compelling storyline, and a sense of place so rich I felt that I was in early twentieth-century Iowa along with Liddie and her family, this was a book I lost myself in. I look forward to more from this author.
by Linda Hoye
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
August 26, 2014
I admit I haven’t been a fan of historical fiction since I was in high school and read Kathleen Winsor's amazing Forever Amber. As I got older, my tastes veered toward contemporary fiction, nonfiction and memoir (yes, even chick lit) because I wanted to find within those pages more about myself and my own unfolding life. I HAVE been a fan of Carol Bodensteiner’s, however. Her lovely memoir, Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl, so rich in detail of the rural Midwest, was a factor in my decision to read Go Away Home.
I found in Carol’s heroine, Liddie Treadway, a woman I could identify with; a woman who might well walk among us in 2014, not just the Women’s Suffrage movement and World War I when the novel is set. Liddie is headstrong and courageous, determined to leave behind what she considers the stifling dull farm life and provinciality of her parents. As the story unfolds, she discovers herself. . . what matters in life, a reevaluation of her youthful dreams and fantasies, and, thankfully, a man she loves with her heart and soul and who loves her too.
Women of all ages and backgrounds can learn from Liddie's story.
What makes the book “classic” Bodensteiner . . . it is based in a true story – that of her grandparents. Her love of Iowa, as well as her details about kneading dough, appliqueing, portraying the values of hard work, honesty and neighborliness make this book a page turner – wrapped up in a love story that rang true with this writer. There are other things that endeared me to this story, but saying so would give away the ending. Bravo to Bodensteiner in this, her debut novel. I have a feeling a sequel to Liddie’s journey may well be in the works. I, for one, will be eager to read it.
I found in Carol’s heroine, Liddie Treadway, a woman I could identify with; a woman who might well walk among us in 2014, not just the Women’s Suffrage movement and World War I when the novel is set. Liddie is headstrong and courageous, determined to leave behind what she considers the stifling dull farm life and provinciality of her parents. As the story unfolds, she discovers herself. . . what matters in life, a reevaluation of her youthful dreams and fantasies, and, thankfully, a man she loves with her heart and soul and who loves her too.
Women of all ages and backgrounds can learn from Liddie's story.
What makes the book “classic” Bodensteiner . . . it is based in a true story – that of her grandparents. Her love of Iowa, as well as her details about kneading dough, appliqueing, portraying the values of hard work, honesty and neighborliness make this book a page turner – wrapped up in a love story that rang true with this writer. There are other things that endeared me to this story, but saying so would give away the ending. Bravo to Bodensteiner in this, her debut novel. I have a feeling a sequel to Liddie’s journey may well be in the works. I, for one, will be eager to read it.
July 17, 2014
This is a well written story about a young woman, Liddie who was born on a farm in Iowa at the turn of the 20ieth century. She longs to be anywhere but on the farm. Her aunt works in the city and is involved in women's suffrage and brings stories to Liddie about what might be if women get the vote. Liddie also has a talent for sewing and she hopes to work as a seamstress creating beautiful dresses. An opportunity arises for her to apprentice with a dressmaker and she is set to go but the actions of her sister ruin her chances. Then her father dies and it seems that Liddie will be stuck on the farm forever.
Fortunately her mother realizes that Liddie will never love the peaceful life until she gets the wanderlust out of her system. So after the funeral as the family readjusts with their long time hand leaving to pursue his own dreams and her brother getting set to marry her mother feels that perhaps it might be time for Liddie to go into town to experience the life she wants to lead. So Liddie packs her suitcase, gets a room in a boarding house and starts her apprenticeship. Is it all she wanted it to be?
I thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age tale of a young woman running head long into her future. Being a young lady she, of course knows everything. She makes new friends in the city and learns that not all young men can be trusted. I felt myself quite engrossed in the story and found it very hard to put down. It wasn't all sweetness and light and Liddie learns some hard lessons as she grows up. Ms. Bodensteiner has a very strong feel for the era and its mores and I would love to follow the characters further.
4.5
Fortunately her mother realizes that Liddie will never love the peaceful life until she gets the wanderlust out of her system. So after the funeral as the family readjusts with their long time hand leaving to pursue his own dreams and her brother getting set to marry her mother feels that perhaps it might be time for Liddie to go into town to experience the life she wants to lead. So Liddie packs her suitcase, gets a room in a boarding house and starts her apprenticeship. Is it all she wanted it to be?
I thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age tale of a young woman running head long into her future. Being a young lady she, of course knows everything. She makes new friends in the city and learns that not all young men can be trusted. I felt myself quite engrossed in the story and found it very hard to put down. It wasn't all sweetness and light and Liddie learns some hard lessons as she grows up. Ms. Bodensteiner has a very strong feel for the era and its mores and I would love to follow the characters further.
4.5
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