The Homecoming

The Homecoming takes place during the Great Depression, and the larger Spencer family, living at the foot of a Virginia mountain, is struggling hard just to survive. With his father having to take the only available job far from home, Clay-Boy is stuck with unusual responsibilities for his brothers and sisters. Just reaching his manhood, Clay-Boy has a secret yearning that’s quite extraordinary for the practical, earthbound community in which he lives. He wants to write! Such foolishness is utterly foreign to his hardworking father, who tells him to prepare to become a responsible man – to build a home and raise a family. Clay-Boy could explode with frustration at his inability to communicate with the man whom he admires most. He is also worried because his father is long overdue in getting home. In the climax, the father makes it – just as they are in despair about him. He brings a special gift for his son, a gift that reveals unexpected understanding and the strength of a loving family.