Review of The Heart of Central New York

[Michael Valentine]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Heart of Central New York" by Martin A. Sweeney.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Heart of Central New York: Stories of Historic Homer, NY by Martin A. Sweeney is a historical non-fiction book that explores the village and town of Homer, New York.

The village of Homer is a growing commercial center on the banks of the Tioughnioga River. The author traces the development of Homer from the 1800's to the present, from the town hall dedication of 1909 to the fight against the great influenza pandemic of 1918 to the closing down of the Capitol Theatre in 1956 until these present times. The chief means of communication was by mail and it was judiciously utilized, even to the extent of mailing children, until it was banned in 1915. A medical facility was also in place to foster good health in Homer from 1888 to 1926 and it also served adjoining towns and counties.

Homer had ordinances guiding their day-to-day living. The author writes about the founding fathers and mothers who first settled in Homer. One of such founding mothers' names is Rhoda Beebe for whom a historical marker has been placed in her honor. However, in recent times, there has been a call for the annexure of Homer to Cortland. Learn more about the history of Homer by reading this book.

I love that the author includes humor and pranks played by Homer indigenes and not just a monologue on achievements, thereby making the account more interesting for readers. For example, consider the wittiness of two prohibition officers by the names of Isidore Einstein and Moe Smith. These two assumed different disguises in order to capture many bootleggers and hoarders of alcohol. This book is well researched. The author shows the resilience of the town people, who, regardless of surviving and overcoming several tragedies, still embraced development and adapted to a changing world. One would marvel at the civilization that met Homer for its inhabitants to be able to build a water-powered grist mill in 1798. It is quite commendable of Martin A. Sweeney to pay tribute to certain people, like the secretary of schools and bus drivers, who are barely noticed but do the most in the education sector.

Martin A. Sweeney's The Heart of Central New York navigates subjects ranging from parenting to business in Homer. I admire the author's descriptive skills. He combines different inputs from various writers and readers of his column on the discourse, both good and bad and his personal lived experiences. I found no negative aspects while reading this book. 

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. This book was professionally edited and the absence of notable negatives influenced it.

I recommend this book to historians.

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The Heart of Central New York
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[Shinshinshin]

Based on the review, "Share The Heart of Central New York: Stories of Historic Homer, NY" by Martin A. Sweeney seems to be a well-researched and engaging historical non-fiction book. The author successfully captures the development of Homer from the 1800s to the present, including interesting stories and anecdotes. The book is praised for its descriptive skills, incorporating humor, and paying tribute to lesser-noticed individuals. It receives a perfect rating of 5 stars and is recommended for historians. Overall, it appears to be an excellent read.