Where the Heart Was by Glenn G. Boyer

Book Description
In this stunningly original novel, Boyer traces the history of the American Republic from the Revolution through the Civil War and the Great Depression. Never has a novel seen a more poignant and stunning cast of characters to move the reader through these different times effortlessly, all the while telling the great tale of the novel’s protagonist Bennie Todd.

Bennie is a Depression youth living with his Pa and Ma in a cold-water flat in an industrial suburb of Chicago. He longs for paradise lost, the family farm in Wisconsin CutOver, left behind for economic reasons.

Through his trials in the novel, Bennie grows into manhood, and with maturity his understanding of the humanity that encompasses all races and colors deepens the novel’s reach into mankind’s very soul.

With haunting eloquence, Boyer evokes the heartland of his mid-west boyhood, the birds in the forest, the magic of the marshes, the lone howl of a hunting wolf. Throughout the book, Boyer brings history alive the way it was – the courage, true grit and patriotism to those who have gone before.

My thoughts
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.