Naomi's Place

Adult/High School-This story of Naomi, Ruth, and the children's home they ran together rings with authenticity, not surprisingly, since the author drew upon her own experiences in creating the tales she recounts so vividly. In 1935, Naomi's church in upstate New York sent her as a missionary and teacher to a small community in the Appalachian hills. Poverty, untimely death, and sometimes the burden of too many children caused some families to break apart and Naomi found herself caring for abandoned or unwanted youngsters. So she founded a children's home and became both its manager and guiding spirit. Several years later, Ruth arrived from the home church as Naomi's assistant. Nurturing, deeply spiritual, trusting Naomi and tough-minded, efficient, sensual, and often cruel Ruth were at odds over how the home should be run, but cared deeply for one another. Jennifer, upon her arrival in the 1940s as a child, takes up the story of how the small home grew into an institution. Other young voices are heard, sometimes as part of Jennifer's story, and sometimes in their own words. At times, the voices shriek with pain, anger, and frustration; at other times, they sing with joy and love, but above all they are real. There is no sugarcoating of the conflicts and competition among many of the children, but the bonds formed among them help them face the outside world with courage and resourcefulness. Their successes and failures as they make their way from childhood into adolescence are at the heart of this novel.-Molly Connally, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA

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