Introduction

No sooner is Shawn Collins home from the fighting in Europe than he's called upon to serve his country as a war hero on a USO bond tour. Others might jump at the chance to travel all around the country with attractive Hollywood starlets. But not Shawn. He just wants to stay home with his son Patrick, his aging father and to grieve the loss of his wife in private. When Shawn asks Katherine Townsend, Patrick's former social worker, to be Patrick's nanny while he's on the road, he has no idea how this decision will impact his life. Could it be the key to his future happiness and the mending of his heart? Or will the war once again threaten his chances for a new start?

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Excerpt

January 4, 1944

Shawn looked down at the empty seat beside him, trying

to imagine Elizabeth there. He tried to remember the smell

of her hair, the sound of her voice, one of her smiles. It all

seemed just out of reach.

She wasn’t there. She would never be there again.

He came here, in part, thinking some time alone might

help. He was tired of pretending to be fine. It was exhausting.

Pretending to see scenes out the window, pretending to read

a book, pretending to listen. Elizabeth preoccupied his every

waking moment. Shawn had known a depth of love with her

he’d never imagined possible, a love he was sure most men

would never see, not in a lifetime.

“Care for another cup?”

Shawn looked up toward the sound. “Excuse me?”

“A refill on the coffee? It’s on the house.” The waitress,

all smiles.

“No, thanks. I’ve got to be going.”

He stood up to pay the bill. The Corner Room Restaurant

hadn’t changed a bit. If he closed his eyes, he could almost

see their old college friends, all sitting in their proper spots.

He’d gotten a room at the hotel upstairs but wasn’t ready to

turn in for the night. Too much left to do. The main reason

he came back was to remember her, to reclaim moments of

time, conversations they’d shared, places they’d visited. He

wanted to see and feel all these things again. To do anything

that helped him see and feel all these things again.

Before it got too late, he decided to call Patrick. He walked

toward the back by the restrooms to use the pay phone.

“Hello?”

“Dad?”

“That you, Shawn?”

“It’s me.”

“You get in all right? Everything okay?”

“I’m fine, Dad.”

“I suppose you want to talk to Patrick. I’ll get him.”

His father never did like to talk on the telephone. He heard

him yell Patrick’s name, heard Patrick shout some loud, happy

thing in the background. Shawn smiled. At least he still had

Patrick.

“Daddy!”

“Hey, little man, how ya doing?”

“I’m fine. You at your college?”

“I sure am.”

“When you coming home?”

Shawn must have told him three or four times he would

only be gone a night. But after all Patrick had been through,

Shawn didn’t mind telling him again. “I’ll be home tomorrow,

before dinner. You be good for Grandpa till I get there.”

“I will. Wish I could be with you.”

“Is everything all right? Is Grandpa treating you okay?”

“Yeah. I just miss you. You were gone so long before.”

“I know. But I’ll be home before you know it.”

“You still going to do what you promised?”

“Uh . . . yes . . .” Shawn tried to remember what he apparently

had promised.

“You know, you said when you got home you’d tell us

about how you escaped from those Germans after your plane

crashed.”

“That’s right, I did. Yep, I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

“Mrs. Fortini wants to hear it too. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

“Also, Miss Townsend wants to hear it. Okay if I invite

her? You know the lady who ate Christmas dinner with us?

The one who took care of me?”

“I remember her. But I don’t think she’d really want to

drive across town to hear some war story. She sounds like a

pretty busy lady.”

“I know she would. Don’t you remember she asked you

about it Christmas night? Can I just call her and see?”

Shawn didn’t want to say yes. He sighed. “Okay, I guess

you can call her.” view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1. _ For those who’ve read the first book, The Unfinished Gift, did the sequel live up to your expectations? If so, in what ways? Were there things you’d hoped to see that The Homecoming didn’t address?
2. The book opens with Shawn Collins, beginning to deal with the tragic loss of his wife Elizabeth. This struggle continues throughout the story. What were some of the ways he dealt with his grief? Have you lost a close loved one? Can you relate to some of the things Shawn struggled with? What are some other ways you learned to cope with your loss?
3. Did you figure out early on that The Homecoming would be, essentially, a love story? What obstacles could you foresee Shawn would face, to get to the place where he could love someone else again? Were you ever frustrated with Shawn that he couldn’t get to that place sooner?
4. During the first half of the book, Shawn finds himself on a USO train surrounded by beautiful women, but he is unfazed and indifferent to this “opportunity.” Do you recall why? Did you find his reaction credible? Why or why not?
5. What were some of the differences in values and morality in American life during the 1940’s compared to today? Do you find yourself wishing things were more like they were then or glad they have changed? Can you think of specific examples?
6. What are some things about life on the homefront during WW2 that you never knew before or found particularly interesting?
7. While Shawn was away on the War Bond tour, one of Katherine’s duties was to take Patrick to church. In the 1940s, statistics show church attendance was very high in the US (70-80%). Did you have any thoughts about Katherine’s church experiences during the story?
8. Near the end of the book, Shawn visits Pastor Barnes, looking for help about his internal struggles. What did you think about the advice Shawn was given? Did you find any of it helpful? What other helpful things might be said to someone going through a similar situation?
9. What parts of the book impacted you on an emotional level? If there were more than one, which one affected you the most?
10. Who was your favorite character in The Homecoming, and why?
11. Besides the obvious homecoming at the beginning (Shawn coming home from England), did you see any not-so-obvious ways where the meaning behind the [email protected]). book’s title is revealed in the story?
12. Did you find the ending satisfying? Do you see this as a good resolve for the Collins family? Are there any future stories you think this family has left to tell?

Weblinks

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Author Dan Walsh's web site

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