Television film drama about Todd McCray (Noel Fisher), a young man with mental health problems. During Christmas vacation, a nearby animal shelter begins an 'Adopt a Dog for Christmas' scheme. As an animal lover, Todd encourages those in his neighbourhood to participate in the programme and he, himself, becomes very attached to one dog. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear why his father is not entirely supportive of Todd's attempt to help the animals.

A bewitching debut novel in the vein of the much-loved classic Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe. It's 1956 and Samuel Lake, a handsome preacher, is voted out of his ministry by yet another congregation, disappointed by his relentless pleas for them to live more charitable lives. Out of options and out of pocket, Samuel and his family are forced to move in with their Arkansas in-laws, the rambunctious Moses clan. At first they thrive in the unruly sea of relatives - Willa, Samuel's wife, runs the bar for Grandma Calla, while the boys, Noble and Bienville, run riot through the surrounding countryside. But when Swan, their formidable but loveable 11-year-old tomboy, crosses the path of neighbour Raz Ballenger, things take a turn for the worse. Raz Ballenger, horse trainer, is a man who rules both his family and his animals through terror. Used to instant obedience, he is insulted when Swan leaps to his son's defence, an act that sets a whole chain of unexpected and terrible events into motion...

"Raw, dark, and powerful . . . Southern Gothic at its best. "The Homecoming of Samuel Lake" puts one in mind of Erskine Caldwell and Flannery O'Connor."--Fannie Flagg
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Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee's outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core and setting the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.
With the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic--and triumphant--aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield has created an enduring work of fiction.
"Jenny Wingfield has given us a spectacular novel that] will make you laugh out loud one minute, hold your breath the next, and weep when you least expect it."--Dorothea Benton Frank, author of "Folly Beach"
" This novel] touches on many genres--family life, Christian fiction, coming-of-age, and suspense. . . . Readers will love it."--"Library Journal" (starred review)
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"Wingfield hooks the reader with her opening sentence. . . . The reader is thoroughly caught up in the family saga.""--Abilene Reporter-News"
"A lovely debut . . . a bittersweet, inspirational tale."--"The Dallas Morning News"
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