They Almost Always Come Home

by
Cynthia Ruchti


When Libby’s husband Greg doesn’t return home from a trip to the Canadian wilderness, she's not sure whether to be sad or glad. In fact, if he did show up, she just might divorce him. Their marriage has been a farce since their 12-year-old daughter’s death, for which Libby holds her husband responsible.

The police investigation seems haphazard at best, as they’ve pretty much decided Greg used his annual trip to Canada as a way out of a failing marriage and a career he despised. Despite her own doubts as to her husband's disappearance, Libby finds herself unable to let it rest. With her father-in-law and her best friend Jenika in tow, she sets out on a wilderness trip of her own, hoping to find clues or find Greg.

The trip sheds a light on far more than a missing man's motives. With her own trust in God lying in tatters, Libby is buoyed by Jenika’s steadfast faith and her father-in-law’s unswerving confidence in his son’s integrity. By the time they reach the end of their journey, she is forced to reconsider her harsh judgment and consequential treatment of a husband whose love was unfailing. In doing so, she finds things hidden away in her heart that force a reassessment of her own spiritual, mental and moral being.

Is it too late for them? Will she ever find Greg … dead or alive?

They Almost Always Come Home is a touching account of one woman’s journey back to love and faith. A wonderful thread of humor keeps Libby’s painful odyssey from being too much to bear. I enjoyed the authors' subtle yet unmistakable message of faith. Because it took me a chapter or two to get into the story, I was surprised when I discovered that I was completely lost in it. I had to know what happened to Greg and whether or not his and Libby’s marriage would be salvageable if he were found.

This is a well-written, memorable and touching story I’m pleased to recommend.

Reviewed by

Delia Latham