Member Review

Turning Home by Janice Kay Johnson is the debut of Tompkin’s Mill series. I found Turning Home to be well-written with complex, realistic characters. Julia Durant needs a new beginning after a traumatic event. Her brother, Nick is the chief of police in Tompkin’s Mill, Missouri. Julia pays Nick a visit and finds herself drawn to the small town where Amish and Englischers coexist. Julia gets a job at Bowman & Sons Handcrafted Furniture runs by Eli Bowman and his son, Luke. Julia learns her new job quickly and begins making suggestions that have a big impact on the business. I loved the descriptions of the beautifully crafted furniture. Eli and Luke were not carpenters, they are craftsman. The apartment Julia rented sounded gorgeous with the hard wood floors as well as other historic details in the renovated schoolhouse (I wanted that apartment for myself). Turning Home is a touching story. The story moved at just the right pace. The chemistry was present between Luke and Julia, but it was mild which suited this story. It was wonderful the way the Bowman family embraced Julia. I liked seeing Julia expand her horizons. I liked seeing her change as the book progressed. I enjoyed how this tale played out. This is the first novel that I have read by Janice Kay Johnson, and it will not be my last.