Home to Harmony

I found the books in the Harmony series more similar to Garrison Keeler. The stories are snipets about the community full of irony and humor with a bit of wisdom at the end. At first the stories seem unrelated but as you soon discover they are related and continue the stories of the individuals introduced throughout. I see a loose similarity to Mitford but a much stronger similarity to Garrison Keelers style. A homey folksy telling of the the lives in a small community which might seem mundane except fir the humor and irony in abundance. I give this book a 4 star but I’m reading the series I see it closer to a 5. Enjoy!

THOUGHTS ON RUNNING AWAYIN THE past when I wanted to get out of a not so wonderful situation happening in my life, I either turned my back on it and pretended I wasn’t there or I actually left . In other words I ran away. Sometimes when I couldn’t handle having to be in the situation, as it called for me to be able to make decisions, I ate my way through tons of chocolate. I found chocolate pretzels were very satisfying.after waking up and growing up I becoming more enlightened about my poor behavior. I said to God, OK I will be here and do my duty I know its my responsibilities I ran away from. I tried hard to be focused on the problems of my life and to live up to the challenge of howGod wanted me to be there …( as I couldn’t be any place else) and work through the problems that were accosting me. I tried hard not to run away from my responsibilities. God doesnt drop problems on me , life does,. Now that I am trying to enjoy letting God solve the problems with me rather than trying to cope with them alone I have found a great deal of peace. Now I run to God who gathers me up in his arms and sits me on his lap and reads to me.You might think that is easy but we have to find time to do this and here is the way it works ;Mornings are dedicated to all the issues of the day and then you get hungryNoon is the time to fill the food basket your earring around and then comes the best time of all.I get in my recliner( as all 82year olds seem to have one ), Kick out the foot rest, and grab my Ipad( again the new age of books) and open to the page I left off on and …….there I go on a journey to another land. I am sometimes in ‘south carolina or Ireland or right now I am in Indiana in a small town called Harmony. God grants me a few hours to run away in books, I have chosen some great ones with his help.If you are prone to running away you might try staying close to the phone and the problems that accost you with the advantage of being able to get on the space ship that the books on the I pad provide.No chocolates just a good pair of reading glasses and your on your way.. I am enjoying being in Harmony with Sam and his wife Barbara and two sons. Harmony is located in a very small town in the middle of Indiana, you say you cant locate it on the atlas, that is true as the town is hiding under the staple holding the page in the atlas of Rand McNallyOnce your there you will meet Sams community. He was born and raised there and after a jaunt to college and a job in another town he came back to his home town to take over the leadership of theFriends meeting, and work with the Friendly Women as they called their group. His writing style is very real, like I was there. Funny, sad, thought provoking. I never knew a Quaker pastor before but now I am in love with Harmony. cant wait to read the next book Phillip Gulley writes. Try HOME TO HARMONY

Philip Gulley is a Quaker pastor living in central Indiana. This is the first installment in his "Harmony" series also set in a fictional small town in central Indiana and the protagonist is a Quaker pastor. Often, authors get the advice to "write what they know" and that is exactly what Mr. Gulley has done - and very, very well!Sam Gardner of Harmony Friends Meeting narrates this delightful work. While classified as a novel, I think is a cross between a collection of essays and a novel. Each chapter could actually stand alone with a story unfolding and then a synopsis at the end with the lessons learned in that section.The reader is introduced to a cast of characters (by both first and last name) that will keep you interested as well as thinking you have meet some of them before in your own life. There is the church lady who sits in the same pew every Sunday and has an opinion on everything and who complains about everything. There is the church deacon that is pompous and loud who always manages to do just the wrong thing at just the wrong time, upsetting all those around him and totally oblivious to the chaos he creates. On the other side there is the gentle, down-to-earth couple who try to live their lives according to their principles and things don't always go according to plan. There is also the elderly church secretary who imparts his words of wisdom gleaned from years of living that positively affect those around him.Often laugh-out-loud funny and always poignant, this is a wonderful book and fabulous series that I can't speak of highly enough. This was actually my third time reading the book which is very unusual for me. One time through is usually my style and then off to pick up the next in my TBR stack. In the case of these books, they are permanent fixtures in my home and I go back to re-read when in the mood for comfortable, but with meaning.Others have compared this series to the Mitford Series by Jan Karon (which I also love). While I think the audiences for these two group of books will often overlap, there are still different. The Mitford books are truly novels versus the more vignette style of this one. There is also a bit more of a "bite" in here since, while very very humorous, there are people here you really wouldn't want to spend more time with than you had to. Great book, Great series!!Side note: A resident of central Indiana myself, I have had the opportunity to hear Mr. Gulley speak multiple times over the years. If you ever get the chance, please take advantage of it. He is a fabulous speaker and once you hear him it will enhance your enjoyment of his books. Now, when I read his work, I actually hear his voice reading aloud - very distinctive voice and style. I was actually disappointed to find that the CD recording was not by the author. He would have done a better job, I think.

I read this book every few years and I’m always surprised by how heartwarming and funny it truly is. Philip Gulley is a treasure. Home to Harmony is timeless and makes a great gift for someone who enjoys a great story with a good message. Will make you love and appreciate your own community of quirky people a little more.

an exceptional read full of warmth and humor. Gulley has a way of making his colorful characters come to life. I would definitely recommend this book and others by this author.

This book made me laugh out loud and cry at times. If you grew up in a small town or a church environment I think you would enjoy it

great

This is one of my all time favourite authors and the stories are so warm and genuine with just the right amount of humour. We have had good luck with anything ordered at Amazon.

Loved it.