Home

by Donovin Freeman

Based on a true story Home is a sensitive and dramatic novel about one family’s quest for wholeness. Spanning three decades it is a novel that deals with some hard-core issues that many American families face. You are sure to be immersed in the intricate plot as well as the fast paced story that will keep you turning the pages in anticipation of what’s about to happen next. There are a rich array of characters who come in and out of the lives of Cathy, Tara, Kim, Hallie and Mike some good some bad but through it all they remember where they come from and realize they only have one home. Home also has a link to the major motion Hoodlum released in 1997 starring Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Williams and Andy Garcia.

502 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2001

About the author

Donovin Freeman was born in Charleston, SC in (1970). At the age of 8 he moved to College Park, GA. He graduated from M.D. Collins High School in 1987. After high school Donovin attended Chowan College where he played football. Quickly realizing that he didn't have much of a future in football Donovin began to take his writing courses more serious. Donovin however dropped out of college and toiled around for a couple of years trying to figure out what to do with his life. Always a good listener Donovin had heard many of the stories his grandmother, mother, aunts, and uncle told him about their tumultuous upbringing. Still job hunting, Donovin thought back to all of those writing courses he took at Chowan, so he sat down on an August morning in 1993 and began writing. Six months later the novel HOME was finished. A year later he got an agent, unfortunately the "agent" turned out to be a complete fraud who got him a book deal with a "publisher" who prayed on the hopes and dreams of first time authors. Undaunted Donovin who had also begun screenwriting was able form a partnership with a record producer from Tampa who wanted to shoot a movie. Donovin wrote a script titled Stuck On Broke and the movie went into production. Once again trouble ensued when the director and producer couldn't see eye to eye and with a mere 13 scenes left to shoot the production was halted. Donovin took his latest set back in stride and vowed not to give up. After years of getting very close to the prize, he and his producing partner decided to take matters in their own hands. With the rights to Stuck On Broke still theirs, they decided to produce it themselves. They cast Oj Da Juiceman as the male lead and Nicki Minaj as the female lead. More trouble, Oj turned out to be very undependable. His constant tardiness and utter unprofessional actions led to Nicki walking off the set and not returning after shooting only one scene. While the movie was finished it was not near what it could have been. With several other screenplays to his credit another music guy from Chicago persuaded Donovin to write a screenplay for an up and coming artist. Donovin obliged and of course the deal fell through. Donovin decided enough was enough he published HOME on Kindle and Nook and while he will continue to listen to film offers HOME is his first priority now because it's something he can control. “I have neglected this book for to long. Home is a great novel that needs to be read. It’s time that I promoted it properly.”

Donovin currently lives in College Park, Georgia.

Reviews

[Gene Griessman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. It was quite interesting and held my attention from beginning to end. Loved it. If you like to read I would recommend you giving Home a read.

[OOSA · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s No Place Like Home

You have a set of parents who decide to have several children with no real means to take care of them. The parents lose control of their marriage and their lives and become increasingly less responsible. The children’s lives are placed in jeopardy because of this and some of them almost die. That’s what happened to four children: Hallie, Mike, Kim and Tara in the novel “Home.”

Once the four children were ultimately abandoned by both parents, their paternal grandmother, Cathy, and her husband, William, become their surrogate parents. Cathy is a no-nonsense, sharp-tongued authoritarian with a soft side that manifests at the oddest times. Her life is never the same once she takes on her grandchildren. The children will struggle with rumors, hardship, death, rape and the blatant fact that their real parents had major issues that forced them into their situation, but they will learn to cope and to understand that they were actually forced into going to a real home and real happiness.

Donovin Freeman writes a somewhat charming tale about a family that experiences some of the worst of life and somehow they find the courage to laugh and to overcome obstacles that could’ve destroyed them all. I laughed several times during this read. The characters were well developed and likeable. They actually carried this story. The problem with “Home” was that it was extremely long and didn’t have a plot. The characters actually make up for that fact. There was just too much material. There were many well-written scenes. However, some of them were unnecessary. There were a lot of things that didn’t have to be mentioned. There was dialogue overload and not enough descriptive material. Sometimes readers will find themselves in a different spot in the story’s timeline without any transition material.

With that being said, I would indeed encourage readers to give “Home” a try. If you’re going on a long trip and need something to read, “Home” is it. I really did enjoy the read and will definitely read Donovin Freeman in the future.

Reviewed by: Trenika

[Yarnetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting book 2, very good read. Cathy puts me in the mind of "Medea". It's heart waring and touching. This is the first book I've read by this author, it won't be the last.

[The Book Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great characters, funny moments but very long without any direction. It was enjoyable.