The newly released second audiobook in the “Home to Milford College” series is a wonderful dive into a historic piece of fiction consisting of complex characters who had to often overcome numerous obstacles simply to survive day-to-day. The story...
The newly released second audiobook in the “Home to Milford College” series is a wonderful dive into a historic piece of fiction consisting of complex characters who had to often overcome numerous obstacles simply to survive day-to-day. The story was well written by Piper Huguley and the audiobook’s narration was performed exceptionally well by Shamaan Casey. I have previously listened and reviewed “The Preacher’s Promise”, which is the first audiobook in the series, I also enjoyed quite a bit. This audiobook, along with the first, was interesting to me because of its historic perspective along with the place and period being Milford, Georgia in the late 1860s. What a different time a place from what we know the world to be like today. If you find that you enjoy well narrated historic fiction, I can say this would be a good series to get started with. It is a wholesome tale with quite a few issues needing to be overcome and sacrifices being made to keep things together.
The story opens with some tension on what has caused Virgil to be delayed returning home from business travel. Being a Mayor, Preacher, and blacksmith keeps one busy, and challenged by another for one of these roles sets the stage for the rest of the story. As I said earlier, the major theme I took from this story was the amount of sacrifice required by everyone to overcome specific issues. There are town problems, marriage issues, and money troubles that all need to be addressed and resolved before each person can get on with their lives. Add to these, a new pregnancy along with the troubles of paying what is due the government to keep the school operational, it feels overwhelming at times. The flow of the story was well paced and even with the many marriage issues that arise, the couple is resolved to keep their commitment to one another. We see that this commitment does not come easy for them, but it was what kept the couple unified and engaged.
About the audiobook’s narration, I have found that each of Mr. Casey’s audiobooks, which I have reviewed, feel familiar yet each in some ways feels distinct. The smooth, deep, and rich voice makes me picture what Virgil may look like, yet the narrator is able to voice each of the other characters just as well. The audio itself was professionally produced with no noticeable audio artifacts. Mr Casey’s voice is the type that goes with nearly any genre, and I look forward to what he will be doing in the future.
For parents and younger listeners, overall, the book is wholesome and without profanity. It is a historic romance tale, so it does contain some implied adult matters between a married couple. It also deals with some hardships that may be harder for a younger listener to fully grasp. I think it would be safe to recommend this audiobook to early teenagers and above. Some of the subject matter may be difficult to understand for younger listeners.
In summary, the story is a historic romance where the characters suffer and must overcome quite a bit to get back to their normal lives. The are sacrifices needing to be made by each while being able to jointly compromise for the better of the whole. The story portrays a solid marriage while still showing that marriage is never easy. The narration was spot on for me, and look forwards to future works by Mr. Casey.
