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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Predictable. I feel like this is similar to many other family dramas. On top of it, I liked Nora, and I didn't like Isabelle. So this was a little twisty for me. This was just meh.
Long but interesting. The novel meandered more than was likely necessary but there were a lot of very disparate threads that author Kate Morton wove together in quite clever ways.
I especially liked the message that came from all of what Jess and her mother Polly learned-home is where you are loved and a part of something bigger than yourself.
I especially liked the message that came from all of what Jess and her mother Polly learned-home is where you are loved and a part of something bigger than yourself.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm unsure how to feel about this book, a part of me wants to give it five stars but the other part of me, the one who could of done with about 150 pages wants to give it 3 stars
I am definitely in the minority in rating this book as low as I did, and so would recommend reading the reviews written by folks who gave it four and even five stars to get a better sense of what folks liked and didn't like. Kate Morton has a following, and so it may be if you like her style, you will like this book.
I, for one, found Homecoming extremely difficult to get through. It was unnecessarily long and over-detailed, in need of some good editing. Some books will tell part of a story several times through the lens of different characters' experiences; in this case, I felt the storytelling was ambling and repetitious.
Some of the reviews refer to this book as a mystery; there is certainly an element of that. But if you are looking for a mystery book, I don't think this will work for you. Mysteries that are written well are tight, sharp, with a clear roadmap. At the end of this novel, Morton gives a long explanation of what actually happened. By the time we got to that point, the story had been told and retold so many times I'd become desensitized to who actually did it, and was more about what had happened.
Ironically, the reason I gave this book two stars instead of one, was because there is a book within the book. This is a challenging technique for authors; Pat Conroy did it very well. This "book" excerpt was extremely well written, clearer, tighter and far more compelling than anything in the main prose -- even though it was written by the same author as part of the same book.
I do think, given the many positive reviews of this book and Morton overall, that I will try another of her novels in the future. But this one missed the mark for me.
I, for one, found Homecoming extremely difficult to get through. It was unnecessarily long and over-detailed, in need of some good editing. Some books will tell part of a story several times through the lens of different characters' experiences; in this case, I felt the storytelling was ambling and repetitious.
Some of the reviews refer to this book as a mystery; there is certainly an element of that. But if you are looking for a mystery book, I don't think this will work for you. Mysteries that are written well are tight, sharp, with a clear roadmap. At the end of this novel, Morton gives a long explanation of what actually happened. By the time we got to that point, the story had been told and retold so many times I'd become desensitized to who actually did it, and was more about what had happened.
Ironically, the reason I gave this book two stars instead of one, was because there is a book within the book. This is a challenging technique for authors; Pat Conroy did it very well. This "book" excerpt was extremely well written, clearer, tighter and far more compelling than anything in the main prose -- even though it was written by the same author as part of the same book.
I do think, given the many positive reviews of this book and Morton overall, that I will try another of her novels in the future. But this one missed the mark for me.
A sweeping historical mystery novel set alternatively in the Adelaide Hills of Australia of 1959 and London and Sydney of the present day. The story follows Jess, a struggling journalist who returns to her childhood home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she discovers a long-buried secret about her family's past and sets out to uncover the truth about a mysterious tragedy on Christmas Eve 60 years earlier.
Morton's writing is exquisite, creating a vivid and atmospheric world. The characters are complex and believable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. If you're a fan of historical fiction, mystery, or family sagas, then you'll love Homecoming.
A cast of complex, strong and realistic female characters drew me in. Jess is a relatable and likeable protagonist, surrounded by other strong women, notably her grandmother, the dominant Nora.
The characters then become the vehicle to explore family relationships, and the novel is very much a story about the power of family, both good and bad. It explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends, with a mystery at its heart, exploring the power of secrets to destroy families and communities.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Morton's writing is exquisite, creating a vivid and atmospheric world. The characters are complex and believable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. If you're a fan of historical fiction, mystery, or family sagas, then you'll love Homecoming.
A cast of complex, strong and realistic female characters drew me in. Jess is a relatable and likeable protagonist, surrounded by other strong women, notably her grandmother, the dominant Nora.
The characters then become the vehicle to explore family relationships, and the novel is very much a story about the power of family, both good and bad. It explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends, with a mystery at its heart, exploring the power of secrets to destroy families and communities.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
52 Book Club Prompt Thirty Picked Without Reading the Blurb
There is so much depth to this book: family, small town Tambilla, Australia, home, friendship, and death. It was so good, and Kate Morton did not disappoint.
There is so much depth to this book: family, small town Tambilla, Australia, home, friendship, and death. It was so good, and Kate Morton did not disappoint.
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From London to Australia, the l-o-n-g story unfolds in the current day as the reader is s-l-o-w-l-y offered bite-sized glimpses from several points of view of a tragic event that happened sixty years prior. Homecoming is a good read, but Morton could have effectively delivered it in 300 pages instead of 552.
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A great, twisty slow burn mystery set in Australia. Enjoyed trying yo work out what had happened with the Turner family as I listened to the story. Thought I'd worked it out then there was another twist.
Well written, believable characters, was good to see how the three women, Nora, Polly & Jess were connected to each other and how their relationships with each other had waned and strengthened (the ups & downs) as time went on and how Jess and Polly individually reacted to revelations.
Well written, believable characters, was good to see how the three women, Nora, Polly & Jess were connected to each other and how their relationships with each other had waned and strengthened (the ups & downs) as time went on and how Jess and Polly individually reacted to revelations.