Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer + a Giveaway

Morning, everyone. I'm on the TLC blog tour for Liza Palmer's latest this morning! (And I get to give away a copy, too - stick around to the bottom for dets.)

I'm going to head this one up by saying that I was super excited to dive into Nowhere But Home. Last year I read Palmer's More Like Her. It was my first time reading this author and I was totally blown away. More Like Her set the bar high and my expectations even higher for Nowhere But Home and I have to say that Palmer did not let me down!

Queen Elizabeth "Queenie" Wake has known her share of disappointment. In their little town of North Star, the Wakes were always looked down on. BJ Wake's reputation was legendary - in fact, she always said her daughters' fathers could have been any number of men - and Queenie and her sister paid the price in more ways than one. Their mother was absentee at best and neglectful at worst until she was killed by a spurned wife. Queenie left North Star as soon as she could and never really looked back. 

After she's fired from her latest job though, Queenie decides it might be time to head home. At least until she can figure things out. Surely things can't be as bad as they were when she was in high school? Unfortunately for Queenie, the townspeople's prejudices against the Wakes have not lessened. But a surprising job opportunity and the chance to reconnect with her sister and nephew might just be enough to overcome those snide comments and nasty looks. 

I loved Queenie Wake! She's got spunk! She's fired for telling someone they can't put ketchup on their eggs for goodness sake, then she takes a job cooking death row inmates their final meals. She's got this great strength to go along with the attitude as well, but with a little layer of self doubt that makes her more human. She - and her sister - struggle with the idea that they may not be allowed happiness in their life. It really makes you quite literally ache for them, waiting for the Wake women to get the peace they deserve (and shove it in everyone's face!).

Liza Palmer has a great way of making even the most serious subjects somewhat lighter, if not light hearted. Here you have two women who were orphaned as teens and left to deal with an entire town's scorn for no reason other than their last name. This could easily become a sad and sappy tale of woe is me, but it's not. Not at all. Instead, it's a story of two women somwhat sarcastically overcoming the odds together and a lot of Southern comfort food to help them (and others) along. It's a story of knowing who your friends are and brushing off the pain that others can inflict upon you. And overall it's a story of family (and football... and food. Oh, I said food already!).

I don't want to belittle the book at all because I really think it's wonderful (as was More Like Her), and while the subject isn't quite as shocking as that of More Like Her, this latest from Palmer is an equally emotional read. In fact, I dare you not to laugh and cry alongside these characters. But I promise you'll do more laughing than crying as you rally behind the Wake sisters and their story.

Rating: 5/5

To see what others on the tour have to say, check out the official TLC tour schedule here.

For more on Liza Palmer and her work, visit her website and check out her blog. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

And now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Liza Palmer's Nowhere But Home courtesy of the publisher. To enter, be sure to fill out the rafflecopter below. US only please (and no PO boxes). Contest ends midnight 4/28/13. Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway