Dear Homefolks

Candace Simar, award winning author of the Abercrombie series and the novel Shelterbelts,

has penned another winner with her latest book Dear Homefolks. Candace's readers wanted more of her stories, and she had a lot of material complied over the years from her novel projects that was too good to discard. 

Dear Homefolks is a collection which includes frontier stories, memoir pieces, poetry, several pieces set in modern times, and,  for all those fans who have been waiting for a sequel to Shelterbelts, a story about Tolga Township.

The engaging title of the book is a nod to Candace’s Scandinavian background and a greeting used by many Norwegian immigrants when writing their letters home to the Old Country.

Candace’s gift of storytelling excels with her frontier stories that transport readers back to another time period using precise words that create sharp images building tension along the way. Candace’s meticulous research gives authentic voices to her immigrant characters facing adversity in a new land. I found the character Olava Wick, the cornerstone for "Dear Homefolks" and "Joy of Life" stories, to be a fascinating character. She was a midwife, herbalist and almost doctor for the early settlers. She brought healing to more than one kind of misery.

Two memoir pieces included in the book expose raw emotions with the challenges Candace and her husband faced as foster care parents while raising their own family and the joy reaped by providing some stability to their lives. 

"Golden Noresam," a story set in modern times was developed by Candace and her mother who was in a care facility at that time. It is an imaginative piece written with a wicked sense of humor about a group of wild seniors with gold colored rags cruising around the senior center on their scooters.

Of course I did feel Candace saved the best for last with the ending story “Tolga Township.” I enjoyed catching up with the characters I had come to care so much about in Shelterbelts plus a glimpse into the developing relationship between Tia and Russell.

Dear Homefolks is available in August and can be ordered at  https://candacesimar.com/dear-homefolks/

To learn more about Candace Simar and her previously published books as well as upcoming events go to candacesimar.com.

Candace's books are available in audio, e-book, and large print.

Upcoming Book Launch Dear Homefolks Brainerd, Minnesota  

Brainerd Library 12:00 PM to 2 PM Monday Aug 28, 2017
Brown Bag Lunch Series sponsored by Friends of the Library