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Loading... Homecomingby Cathy Kelly
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I didn't enjoy this book, I kept waiting for a story but it never came. Very disappointed ( ) Set in a small community in Dublin, this novel follows the lives of four very different women. There's an elderly woman seeking her roots, a young film star who is in hiding after doing something stupid, a delightful school teacher who feels she should give up on the idea of love, and a generous, hard-working woman who works in a tea-shop, but has a deep-rooted secret which threatens to destroy her peace of mind. It took me a couple of weeks to finish it because I was very busy with guests, and at times I had to skip back to remind myself who was whom; there are quite a few minor characters in the book, not all of them memorable. As with the first novel I read by Cathy Kelly, I was reminded several times of Maeve Binchy's style; it's a tad grittier, and the viewpoint leaps around rather too much for my tastes, but overall I enjoyed this very much. Two of the main characters were particularly sympathetic, and I liked the way that the four stories gently entwined as the women got to know each other, and started to share their hopes and wishes. I enjoy the warmth and relaxation that Cathy Kelly's books offer. They are wonderful escapist reading and Homecoming is no exception. Kelly brings together a disparate group of people who reside around the Golden Square, featuring the stories of Eleanor who is mourning the loss of her husband, Megan who is hiding from the paparazzi after an ill-considered affair, Rae who is terrified of her lifelong secret being revealed and Connie who has given up on finding love, without neglecting an array of siblings, aunts, in laws, daughters, friends and husbands that these women interact with. Having recently read and reviewed Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner where I was critical of her stereotyped characters, Kelly could be accused of a similar failing, however I feel her characters are much more fleshed out than Weiner managed. Their lives are full with work, friends and family and it is easy to relate to both their worries and their happiness. One of the things I enjoyed most about Homecoming is the sense of community that Kelly invokes. I can just imagine sitting in the tearoom on the square, watching the children play in the park, chatting under the dryer at Patsy's hair salon. It's an idealised but comforting scenario when neighborhoods such as these have all but disappeared. Homecoming is a satisfying chick-lit novel from one of my favourite Irish writers of the genre. Curl up on the lounge with a few chocolates and enjoy this light and easy read. no reviews | add a review
Eleanor Levine left Ireland 70 years ago with little more than a suitcase and her mother's handwritten recipe book. Now, a lifetime later, she's returning from New York with hard-won wisdom and memories of her own. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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