Going Home: Stories of Small-Town Central Illinois (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9798988489641)

Going Home is a heartfelt collection of inspirational reflections, poems, and short stories that paint an endearing mural of small-town Central Illinois. With vivid imagery and gentle wisdom, Cammie Corlas Quinn invites readers to revisit a simpler time - one filled with family, faith, and the beautiful innocence of daily life. She writes with quiet grace about small-town life in the spirit of Earl Hamner's The Waltons--where everyday moments, family bonds, and the simplicity of rural living reveal deep and lasting truths.

Written especially for those in the autumn of life, this book offers comfort and hope through down-to-earth stories of gardeners, grandmothers, teachers, and other undercelebrated people who shaped their communities in quiet but profound ways. The author includes charming stories of visiting her grandfather's farm in the 1960s. Each piece stands alone, yet together they form a tapestry of gratitude, memory, and spiritual insight.

From snowy walks on the town square to heartfelt Christmas gatherings, from rural cow pastures to the banks of Sugar Creek, Quinn's writing evokes the timeless rhythms of Midwestern life. Bible verses are woven throughout, adding depth and clarity to moments of reflection. The final section includes fictional stories set in Auburn, Illinois - spanning the Civil War, the 1980s, and the present day - along with a whimsical fairy tale for children.

Going Home features eight original sketches by artist Glen Wheelus, inspired by vintage photographs of Auburn, Illinois taken by the author's mother in the 1960s and '70s. These illustrations beautifully complement the book's nostalgic tone and bring its small-town scenes to life.

Whether you're longing for your hometown, grieving a loss, or simply seeking a deeper sense of peace, Going Home offers a quiet place to rest, remember, and look forward with hope.

Cammie Corlas Quinn is a native of Auburn, Illinois and has lived in Central Illinois all her life. She grew up in the '60s and '70s passing her handwritten stories around the classroom to her classmates.

Since then, she has authored a 2023 historical novel--Follow the Wind Home--and a 1991 nonfiction book, Lincoln's Springfield in the Civil War. She has written numerous articles for The Lexingtonian and the State Journal Register.