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A review by salreads
The Island Home by Libby Page
4.0
I loved The Lido for its gentle and uplifting story and I loved The Island Home for the same reasons.
This is the story of Lorna, a single Mum of Ella, living in London and Alice living on the Scottish Island of Kip with Lorna’s brother, Jack, and their daughter, Molly. Lorna has been estranged from her family after running away, but following her parents death she is making her journey home.
What an absolutely lovely read! This is a story that you will feel a part of; a book that you will surrender to. The characters are beautifully drawn, particularly the main females but also Jack who is complex, brooding, unforgiving..There is an extraordinary sense of place. I totally fell in love with Kip, its little beaches, the lighthouse, the salty sea, the ferry providing the vital archery to the mainland. There is such a strong sense of community, about how it feels to be an ‘islander’, about what it takes for that community to work and how easily that community is threatened. The story is carefully paced, switching between the narratives of Alice and Lorna and then in the middle of the story the girls go missing and I couldn’t put my book down…There are some beautifully observed relationships - the unfolding romance between the rather lovely Malachy and Lorna (and you are so rooting for this one to work), between Alice and Jack, between the two girls and between the women and their friend Jean who has a cancer diagnosis and a secret. This is a community which I yearned to be a part of - I would happily pack my bags today and move to Kip.
A gorgeous and uplifting story with a wonderful Island at its heart.
This is the story of Lorna, a single Mum of Ella, living in London and Alice living on the Scottish Island of Kip with Lorna’s brother, Jack, and their daughter, Molly. Lorna has been estranged from her family after running away, but following her parents death she is making her journey home.
What an absolutely lovely read! This is a story that you will feel a part of; a book that you will surrender to. The characters are beautifully drawn, particularly the main females but also Jack who is complex, brooding, unforgiving..There is an extraordinary sense of place. I totally fell in love with Kip, its little beaches, the lighthouse, the salty sea, the ferry providing the vital archery to the mainland. There is such a strong sense of community, about how it feels to be an ‘islander’, about what it takes for that community to work and how easily that community is threatened. The story is carefully paced, switching between the narratives of Alice and Lorna and then in the middle of the story the girls go missing and I couldn’t put my book down…There are some beautifully observed relationships - the unfolding romance between the rather lovely Malachy and Lorna (and you are so rooting for this one to work), between Alice and Jack, between the two girls and between the women and their friend Jean who has a cancer diagnosis and a secret. This is a community which I yearned to be a part of - I would happily pack my bags today and move to Kip.
A gorgeous and uplifting story with a wonderful Island at its heart.