Rooville

Title: Rooville
Author: Julie Long
Published: September 8, 2015 by SparkPress
Pages: 396
Source: Publisher via BookSparks
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

Even after thirteen years in Southern California, Owen Martin can feel the corners of his squareness still sharply evident. He’s a TV weatherman bored by the beautiful climate. He wants to coach basketball but all the kids play soccer. And he seems to be the only person who thinks a fruit smoothie is a poor substitute for a vanilla shake. When he’s fired from his job, Owen is relieved to head home to Iowa, to the town his ancestors founded and the simple life he knew before his father died. He can’t predict the atmospheric pressure he's about to encounter, which, as any meteorologist knows, is the key catalyst for change. . . .In his absence, Martinville has become the center of the Transcendental Meditation movement and host to all things alternative. There are golden domes for mass meditations, a vegan café where the burger joint stood, and all the shop doors around Town Square now face east. But far worse than anything is the danger to the Martin family farm. In a town divided between “Regulars” and “Roos” (gurus), Owen is clear where he stands until he falls for a levitator instead of the down-to-earth girl he had in mind. With old customs and open-mindedness clashing like warm and cold fronts, Owen gets caught in a veritable tornado. Can he save the farm, get the girl, and reunite the town? Maybe . . . if he’s willing to embrace a change in the weather.

My review:

Sweet story about whether or not you can truly go home again, and what happens when the home you know is vastly different than it was when you left. It's a tale of the "regulars" vs. the "roos (gurus)", and if there can be a peaceful co-existence. I loved the character of Owen, a lovable guy who just wants to settle down in his old home, in his old hometown, in a place where life should be simpler (and has four seasons). We follow him along his path to achieve his goals, but what a set of adventures he must go through along his way. Well written, well paced, and partly factual (the author grew up in the actual town in Iowa where many of the Roo events actually took place). The tornado section was a bit tedious, but necessary to set up the end. While I was happy with the ending, I'm not sure that I actually believe that Owen's relationship would work out long term, but in the world of this story, I can hope that it does 🙂

Refreshing story about going back to your roots. A great protagonist, with a wonderful collection of community characters, this is one that is worth a read.

This book is part of the BookSparks fall reading challenge. To find out about this program, click the link.