The story continues as Ernest searches for hope and triumph following three generations across the continent.

Joseph Woodward’s Another Chance: No Place to Call Home is a family drama, unraveling the mysteries behind the author’s ancestor, Ernest Woodward. The story reads like a plot from a Catherine Cookson novel, complete with clever descriptive passages and intense characterization. The reader gets a strong sense of living in an upper-middle-class home in the late nineteenth century, in London England. The heart-wrenching story of a young boy whose life shatters slowly and painfully after his mother’s death is one that speaks profoundly of so many similar family situations in that era. A creative story in which the author has invited his readers into a real-life plot. An excellent read. Looking forward to book 2.

Despite its relatively short length, this highly readable work chronicles a life well lived by a man who was clearly beloved by his family. The tale is told in different intervals where Ernest interacts with the members of his family, and I especially liked the fictionalized glimpses into his early life. Author Joseph Woodward does well to imagine and bring to life what it might have been like traveling on freighters and riverboats and toiling for your supper at such a hard time in early American history. I was also fascinated by the subplot of John Woodward and his development in the church. Overall, Another Chance gives a great start to what proposes to be a very interesting trilogy filled with family ties, good clear writing, and a strong sense of personal narrative.

Joseph Woodward introduces what he calls the “missing link” in his family history — those years his ancestor spent growing up in London, England before he emigrated to the United States and began working on the Ohio River. I was most impressed by the psychological insights the author displays in examining the life Ernest had before his father met Catherine and noting how it changed after she was installed in the household, and he was no longer considered the young master of the house. Another Chance is well-written and the author’s research into the culture and lifestyle of business-class Londoners at the time gives this historical fiction authenticity. His characters are well developed and credible, and the plot kept me involved and engaged at all times. Another Chance: No Place to Call Home: Lost Between the Continents, Book 1 is most highly recommended.

Another Chance: No Place to Call Home is a great story and I look forward to reading the next part. Family life can be a minefield, and this is a classic tale of a family in disruption. Another Chance by Joseph Woodward is a well-researched tale of Victorian London and a successful businessman who is involved in a new era of trade. Woodward paints a vivid picture of a successful family that is reaping the rewards from the father’s success yet also describes the poverty and squalid areas near the docks. This is a realistic tale of a stepmother and her children and the impact they have on the household, especially Ernest. This true to life story will keep you riveted and ready for the next installment!