The Homeplace
In the year preceding the worst economic depression in American history, fourteen-year old Lanie Freeman and her family were optimistic about what the future held for them in the small town of Fairhope, Arkansas. But tragedy befalls Lanie when her mother dies shortly after giving birth to a little girl, and her father is wrongly accused of murder and imprisoned. The responsibility of taking care of her four siblings, including a newborn baby, and managing to hold on to their home and five acres falls upon Lanie’s small shoulders. Lanie manages to keep up the bank payments by continuing her father’s logging business, but a banker who covets the Freeman land ensures that it is unsuccessful. If Lanie defaults on the note, the bank will take the Freeman home and property, and her siblings will most likely be placed in an orphanage.
Gilbert Morris has crafted a beautiful story about the determination of friends and neighbors to help Lanie and her siblings to survive. The characters in The Homeplace demonstrate that one can survive adverse situations through prayer vigils, helping hands, secret donations, and most importantly, through faith in God. The Homeplace is historical Christian fiction at its best. The story portrays an accurate account of the problems faced by many Americans during the Depression while at the same time offering an uplifting story of faith and courage.
