The write-up from David C Cook
“Eight years is a long time—from saying good-bye as kids to saying hello as adults.” This is the first thought to cross A.J. Digulio’s mind after leaving Italy and returning to the home of her heart, Indian Island, Idaho. When she gets her first glimpse of her childhood friend Danny, A.J. knows immediately that much has changed in her absence. Renee Riva’s latest release, Heading Home, draws her readers into the heart of the Digulio family as A.J. discovers that one of the key elements of a lifelong relationship is a love that will anchor your heart and draw you toward home.
Angelina Digulio’s heart has been tenderly tied to Indian Island through a series of letters that Danny has written on behalf of her dog, Sailor, throughout her eight years in Italy. Although the initial reunion with Danny is sweet, at the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, it isn’t long before Danny and A.J. realize that the future of their hearts and the reality of their plans could very possibly take them in very different directions. While Danny explores the possibility of creating a series of summer camps for church groups and introducing a new Indian princess to the island, A.J. begins spending time with the nuns at Our Lady of the Lake in an attempt to fulfill a promise she made to God several years ago. What neither of them realize is that their dreams for the future are more entwined than they could ever believe possible.
Fans of Renee Riva’s Indian Island trilogy will be delighted to be reunited with the colorful cast of characters from the two previous books, Saving Sailor and Taking Tuscany. As Heading Home progresses, all three branches of the extended families collide—Southern, Italian and Greek!—to create a story that will linger tenderly in your heart for a very long time! There are many tense moments as Danny and A.J. sort through their feelings, and there are many holy moments as each of them come before God with their burdens and trust Him with their future. Hilarity also abounds in this story, especially when the Italian and Greek grandmothers come together!
Heading Home is a story about the very best of what it means to be family. This is a story about beautiful beginnings and happy endings! Fans of Renee Riva will add special memories to their reading collection with the final volume of the Indian Island Trilogy.
Heading Home by Renee Riva
David C Cook/April 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6776-9/224 pages/softcover/$12.99
What did I think?
This is the first book I've read by Renee Riva, so I have not read the first two books in this trilogy. I think that my reading would have been enhanced by having more background on the characters, but this was an enjoyable read even on its own.
This was a light hearted, funny (I did actually laugh out loud a couple times), sweet book. I enjoyed reading it and would gladly read the first two in the series. I could not identify completely with the main character, but as coming of age stories go, this was worth reading.
Also, the picture of the book does not do it justice. I think this is a very pretty cover in real life.
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