Where the Heart Was

hard living through the depression for our forefathers

When I tackled this book I thought I would never get finished reading it. The size was humongous! But, as I read on I discovered there was very little the author could have left out of his story. "Where the Heart Was," tells a family linage story that goes from the 1800's through Pearl Harbor in 1941. It is told in a memorable way that probably would align with many of our own families if we went back far enough. The descriptions that the author ingrains in your mind will not leave you whether they are happy, sad, or just simple occurrences. The characters can be pictured as you read each page. You will travel with some of history's well-known people such as Abraham Lincoln, General Grant, and other famous military figures on and off the battlefield, and someone that could have been your grandpa or grandma while they remember those famous people they knew, or knew of, from history. Some in war, some in peace, some deep in Indian territory, some while courting, some in saloons or whorehouses, or just riding in an old automobile on roads so rough that your insides might move around a lot. Falling in love usually started quite young and, as today, some lasted and some didn't.

You will be on the field when Custer made his last stand; when Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address; when Sitting Bull and other great Indian leaders ruled the range; when men were called to war in several periods of history; when men flew "by the seat of their pants" in old cloth covered biplanes; be aware of change of seasons in various areas of our nation; when you hear stories of your forefathers and live as they did; live through the great depression while your life becomes dependent on little or nothing, sometimes scratching for the simplest of food and supplies to live; visiting battlefields where your early families describe what occurred and who they lost or almost lost due to injuries; live in a medical area where no anesthetic existed and limbs were severed in great pain; learn how to milk a cow properly or kill it for needed food; walk through a meadow or glen and take in all the scents; cross rivers that routinely flood; you will live many days in your forefathers stead as they lived and carried on regardless of pain until their body could not take any more.

I could go on and on with this great story but I think you have a good idea by now what Glenn Boyer's story is telling. You won't forget it and you will greatly appreciate what your past generations went through and how good a life you have thanks to them regardless of the problems you might have during your living years. You will appreciate the huge and dramatic improvements those former families gave our generation. As I said, do not be wary of the size of this book because it tells a story of history that needs a book the scope of this one.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Where the Heart Was

Glenn Boyer has filled much in the 500+ pages of his novel "Where the Heart Was" and every bit of it is fascinating, making it enjoyable to read. The book revolves around Bennie Todd and his life in the Midwest during the Depression. He comes from a poor family and they had to leave their farm in Wisconsin and ended up outside Chicago. But Boyer also examines the lives of Bennie's parents and other family members. We get a glimpse of what life was like after the Civil War up until the Second World War. He mentions the Revolutionary War and the growth of our country. This novel is rich in US history and an emotional story of love, family, patriotism, sacrifice and much more.