What do You think about Home To Harmony (2006)?
I read the book, Home to Harmony, and loved it. It somewhat differs from the later novels in that its chapters can be enjoyed as stories by themselves. The later novels follow a less segmented format. Gulley's progressive (some would say heretical) ideas were already emerging. Pastor Sam Gardner is much more complex than others might give him credit. Few authors (based on the authors themselves) would give their heroes the fragile ego and glass jaw that Pastor Sam has. We learn a lot about faith along with the hero and also rebel against the deeper truths of faith, just as the hero does.The Audio Cassette is in its own separate sphere. Mr. Gulley reads the book himself. If you have difficulty pinning the dialect, it's central/southern Indiana, baby! It may be an acquired taste but please take the time to acquire it. Some of the chapters in the book take on a whole new level when said in his voice. My favorite is the tale of Sam, Dale Hinshaw, and Harvey Muldock taking the detour to the Cardinals baseball game on their way to deliver shoes to the Indians in Oklahoma. My family and I listened to this chapter alone three straight times and laughed so hard we nearly had to pull the car over.I wish all of the Harmony books were read by the author. Norman Dietz narrated the next several books and I won't criticize his work but he lacks "the voice" that Gulley gives his story.I wish the book was available on CD or for download. My worn cassettes won't last forever.
—Oliver Billin
Short, anecdotal, character driven stories of small town life filled with simple truths. I laughed out loud a couple times and even wept a bit, but then I am a sentimentalist. A folksy, witty style of writing that seems grounded in real life. In this case, it is the life of a Friends Meeting.What kept me reading was the common place situations that occur in every congregation. There is always the "traditionalists" who speak loud over their fear of any change. There are the wounded who occasionally seek shelter from the world. There is the all powerful women's group that can guilt the males into doing most anything that they think needs to be done to further God's work whether it is to shod the barefoot Choctaw Indians or to get a water saving toilet in the ladies room. The book wouldn't be so special if it weren't for the wonderful turns of phrase. About sitting in the same pew every Sunday:"My wife and I considered having another child, then realized we'd upset the fragile balance of the meeting. So our family is small, due to Quaker family planning-parents ought never bear more children than the pew can hold." About serving on church committees: "You serve six years, then are paroled, having done your time." About the sermon critics: "Complaining about the service was a weekly ritual for Fern, a deep joy, almost a sacrament. During worship she would sit in the 6th row and scribble furiously. At first I thought she was taking notes, but what she was doing was gathering evidence."About Home: "When love takes you by the hand and leaves you better, that is home. That's the place to stake your claim and build your life." The result is a warm, cozy book that could be described both as profound in its simplicity of describing the best of Christian living and as 'Christianity Lite' in small town Midwest. If you prefer the heavier theological, intellectual, tough life "grey area" morality studies, try "Tattoos on the Heart" by Greg Boyle. It is another anecdotal, character driven examination of Christian action and reflection based on life in the world of East LA.
—Liz
A friend lent my this book to read. It is based on a small town Quaker community, but is much more than a book on the Quaker faith. It is really more about small town American life, both the wonderful and the quirky. Having relative who still live in the small town where I was born plus my years teaching in a small farming community, I just have to smile at the characters and situations. It rings so true to my own experiences. If you are familiar with and like Garrison Keillor's kind of wit and humor, you will enjoy this book. I say it is healthy to be able to laugh at ourselves and in a non-threatening way this book does this. I liked this book enough to continue on with the series by Philip Gulley! I would recommend this book.
—Pam Fullem
