Home to Harmony

By Philip Gulley

Welcome to Harmony ...

In this acclaimed inaugural volume in the Harmony series, master American storyteller Philip Gulley draws us into the charming world of minister Sam Gardner in his first year back in his hometown, capturing the essence of small-town life with humor and wisdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061869846

Philip Gulley

Philip Gulley is a Quaker minister, writer, husband, and father. He is the bestselling author of Front Porch Tales, the acclaimed Harmony series, and is coauthor of If Grace Is True and If God Is Love. Gulley lives with his wife and two sons in Indiana, and is a frequent speaker at churches, colleges, and retreat centers across the country.

Reviews for Home to Harmony

[sarahgracegrzy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book! I love the small town feel, the humor, and the profound moments at the end of each chapter. It reminded me in some ways of Jan Karon's At Home In Mitford, but thankfully wasn't a Mitford Copycat. Some of the "Quaker-isms" bothered me a bit, but not enough to make me not read it. Also there was one chapter in the middle that was . . a bit . . . adult. Ahem. The book could have done without that one. :P

What I loved most about this book was the profound 'lessons' at the end of each chapter. I wanted to pound my fist on the table and shout "AMEN!" after some of them. They didn't come across as preachy, AT ALL, just as an observation or encouragement.

The characters were great; Dale Hinshaw was HILARIOUS and annoying, I loved Miriam and Ellis Hodges; and of course, Sam Gardener and family was sweet too.

Favorite quotes:

"I don't think we ought to look for Christ in a quilt. I think we ought to look for Christ in the poor, in the common, in the lady who rings up our groceries, in the man who mops the grocery floor, in the kid who delivers our pizza. . . We always look for Christ amid magnificence. But that Christ has a history of showing up amid the unlovely. Born in a dirty stall. Crowned with thorns. Died gasping on a shameful cross atop a jagged rise. We don't need to be beautiful for Christ to take us in . He is equally at home when we're broken down and dirty. "

" 'I'll be fine,' I'll tell him. 'I'll be fine. You go on home. Don't worry, I'll be fine.' Putting on a brave face. We learn that in first grade."

"In the end, that is what we all must do. Stand where we feel led. Stand straight, stand tall, and try hard to remember that other folks might be led to stand elsewhere."

All in all, I loved this book! Excepting the one aforementioned chapter, I heartily recommend this!

[jsnickola · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you want to read about small town Americana this is the book for you its like snuggling up with a warm blanket a cup of tea and being transported to a town similar to Islesford . This is an easy escape and once the book takes you to this town you wont want to leave .

[StephanieBoyd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It reminds me so much of Jan Karon's The Mitford Series! Such a delightful read!

[april johnson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A little sappy in places. Good storytelling overall in the book.

[laugal-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this author. He is funny and captures the irony and absurdity of everyday life. If you like Mark Twain,Garrison Keillor or the Sisterchicks series, you will like this series of books!!!!!!
He makes me laugh and giggle out loud! The sentimetal parts of the books are quite touching and reminders of events in our own lives.
Very good read, and enjoyable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author, like his narrator, is a Quaker minister in a small midwestern town. The writing is lovely. Each chapter has a moral, but it is very gently delivered. Lots of humor and situations that are universal.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a charming book this is. Sam, a young Quaker minister returns to his home town in the US, and we get to know the stories behind several of his neighbours and friends.

It gives a lovely set of cameos of life in small-town America, which, if the book is to be believed, is apparently still rather clinging to life in the mid-20th century... even though this was written in 2002. I did rather find myself wondering when the story was going to start, after several of what seemed like introductory chapters, but gradually realised that it was, effectively, a set of linked short stories rather than a novel as such.

I found it slightly confusing at first, as it's all narrated in the first person, but still switches viewpoints to events where Sam was not present, even relating other people's thoughts - but after initial puzzlement, I became used to the style and stopped worrying about it.

There were a couple of places where I chuckled out loud, and many more where I smiled at the aptness of the writing. Well worth reading, for anyone who likes gentle character-based books of this kind.

[stephaniesmithrn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wholesome, heartwarming with a sense of humor you wouldn't expect from a Quaker minister. It was just what I needed after the last book. It's a simple quick read. Gulley's writing style is very easy to like, as is his personality which shines through it.

[alincolnnut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Church would be a wonderful thing, if it weren't for all the people." This is a common quip among pastors and church members alike sometimes, when the quest for spiritual growth runs up against the bureaucracy of the church and the stubbornness of some church members. Sam Gardner, the Quaker pastor in Philip Gulley's charming and very funny Home to Harmony (the first of Gulley's "Harmony Novels"), would certainly agree. By an unlucky coincidence, Sam finds himself called to pastor the church in which he grew up, located in small town Harmony, Indiana. In his first year, he adjusts to life in his hometown, dealing with an assortment of odd, yet endearing, church folk. This book at once celebrates many components of American small town life: the local diner, the local newspaper, the church, the special annual events. It gently presents the challenge any newcomers face when they try to move into a small town. It shows the power of small town gossip and the pervasive watchfulness, and subsequent discussion, that follows almost every action in a small town. But Home to Harmony is squarely focused on the eccentricities of the local Quaker congregation. Go to any church long enough, and you will recognize the denizens of the Harmony Friends Meeting. The unspoken seating chart in the sanctuary. The ill-advised but earnest plans of a couple of the elders. The frustrations of church meetings. The underlying power of the women in determining what's really important on the church calendar. Gulley is a pastor (as am I) and he knows these people and these situations. It is clear that they have frustrated him over his career. But it is also clear that he loves them: he loves them for their earnest, if misdirected passion, loves them for their subconscious assumptions, loves them for their quiet moments of honor and love. The book is filled with gentle humor, and is a pleasure to read. In fact, it is such an easy and enjoyable read that Gulley's skill is not immediately apparent. In the midst of these almost self-contained chapters, each of which ends with a delicate moral (sometimes posed more as a question than as an assertion), Gulley gives life to the fictitious town of Harmony and many of its citizens.

[lesaholstine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sam Gardner, pastor of Harmony Friends Meeting, describes the life of the small town & his church community.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I thought I'd try something different. I always assumed, that if I had to be Christian, I'd be Quaker. But after getting to p. 60 and finding that the author is sympathetic to the censorious librarian, I'm just thankful to be an atheist and to not live in a town like Harmony.

'If you went to the circulation desk to ask if the library had a certain book and Miss Rudy didn't think it was one suitable for Christian people, she would let you know.

She'd say, We don't have that book. This is a library, not a cesspool. If you want smut, you'll have to go to the city."

She'd say it in loud voice, so that people would look up from whatever they were reading and stare at you. By the time you reached home, three people had phoned your mother to tell on you."'"