The Homecoming

The HomecomingFranklin and Helen Jones have lived in an apartment in New York City for the past thirty years. They have loved living in the busy city, but now they find themselves longing for the tranquility of the country. Packing up and hauling their stuff out of the city, the Joneses move onto a big, beautiful farm that overlooks a peaceful pond. A dream come true, or so they think. The quiet of the country is punctured by a particularly loud frog who seems to

Franklin and Helen Jones have lived in an apartment in New York City for the past thirty years. They have loved living in the busy city, but now they find themselves longing for the tranquility of the country. Packing up and hauling their stuff out of the city, the Joneses move onto a big, beautiful farm that overlooks a peaceful pond. A dream come true, or so they think. The quiet of the country is punctured by a particularly loud frog who seems to croak all night, every night. Mrs. Jones is hardly sleeping, and Mr. Jones can’t deal with much more of his wife’s grouchy behavior. What’s left to do besides go talk to the culprit and try to reason with him? What follows is a playful tale of man versus nature, of two neighbors finding common ground and maybe even a bit of friendship.

About the Authors:

John and Nelda Eledge, a couple devoted to family, community, and church, spent their careers as educators in Middle Tennessee.  They married in 1979, and their family grew to two sons and a daughter on a small farm along with cows, goats, chickens, and dogs. They enjoyed spending time together, especially in outdoor activities and sports.  Sadly in 2009, John passed away, shortly after their first grandson.  Nelda continues to work part-time as a reading interventionist.  She is involved at her church in the Preschool ministry, missions and Vacation Bible School.  Her six grandchildren are such a blessing in her life, and along with her hobbies, she stays busy cooking, reading, and shopping. Eledge has a strong sense of community having lived in her hometown her entire life, with her many lifelong personal friendships. Some years after John's untimely death, she found in his school-related possessions an old, tattered, yellow envelope.  To her surprise, it contained several literary manuscripts written by John.  One of these was a rough draft of The Homecoming.  John is well-remembered and loved for his great sense of adventure and his jokes and pranks. The book, The Homecoming, presents his creative and storytelling style loved by all who knew him, especially his students.