Review: They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti
I found this novel on Amazon Kindle’s free list last week (sorry, now you have to pay for it–but it’s worth it!) and found myself quickly absorbed into the story. For starters, the starter:
Do dead people wear shoes? In the casket, I mean. Seems a waste. Then again, no outfit is complete without the shoes.
So the question is: Who’s dead? The answer: No one. But Libby’s husband is late returning from a solo canoe trip. Right from the beginning, I could relate. Tell me I’m not the only one who starts worrying about the worst case scenario way too soon! Well, me and Libby. After all, They Almost Always Come Home.
But here’s the big difference between Libby and me. Libby is just plain annoyed that her husband doesn’t show back up. The nerve. After all, she had every intention of walking out on him as soon as he got home, but she can’t leave him if he isn’t even there. They’ve drifted apart since their daughter’s death three years before, but she never saw this coming! How dare he?
Libby, her best friend, and her father-in-law head north from Wisconsin into Quetico Park in Ontario, trying to find out what happened to Greg. As they start the trip, Libby isn’t sure whether she hopes to find him dead or alive. The physical journey is only part of the tale–the other part is her spiritual journey through dealing with the grief of losing a child and, possibly, a less-than-cherished spouse.
They Almost Always Come Home is a tender, funny, provocative story. I think you’ll enjoy the ride.
Cynthia Ruchti is the current president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), which she’s served in various volunteer capacities since shortly after she became a member in 2002. In her role as president of ACFW, Cynthia writes a monthly “From the President†column for ACFW’s Afictionado ezine. For two years she was one of four humor columnists for Afictionado’s “Let There Be Lite.†In 2007, she was the recipient of the ACFW Member Service Award. In 2008, Cynthia won second place for Women’s Fiction in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Contest.
I got this one, too, and I'm looking forward to giving it a read.
*Tell me I’m not the only one who starts worrying about the worst case scenario way too soon! *
Me too! At the first inkling of trouble I develop contingency plans for my contingency plans. It's good to do when there is actually trouble, but when Eric is sleeping off migraine meds and I'm scared to check on him in case he stroked out an hour ago, that's not so good!
I think that's why it pulled me right in. Then, of course, I could relate to canoe camping in the Canadian wilderness, too. Been there, done that! (In BC, not Ontario.) But the voice caught me from the beginning. I'm doing an interview with Cynthia over at the International blog in early August, so watch for that!