Suggested Book that’s about Family Dynamics. What’s not to be invested in here? I’ve never heard of the author, the book, and can’t cave in due to the cover, so this is really a blind shot in the dark.

So: I am so glad I picked this book. Fiona Williams is an extremely talented writer and this is her debut novel. This is about a Family that is struggling. There is Tess and Richard, who are married and live in the English Countyside. Tess had lived in London and has a Jamaican Heritage, while Richard is from England. They have twins, Max and Sonny. They are called The Rainbow Twins since Max looks White and Sonny looks black. The book is done from the perspectives of each character, so you get how each person is experiencing what is happening. It covers a year in their life. Tess struggles with being away from London and her Jamaican Family. Richard is a Professional Gardener and has to constantly work to get things done, yet he is drinking at the Pub much more. So, you know something is wrong in their marriage and the kids describe this as well. You are not certain what is bringing so much heartache, yet I did care about this family.

The beauty of the book is its lush descriptions and emotions. When the countryside is described, you feel all the beauty around, the garden growing fresh vegetables, the rich soil, foliage and the animals. I almost felt I was there with them. Scenes where Tess goes back to London and her Mom is cooking authentic Jamaican Food felt such a family bond. The book creates such an emotional attachment to the land, nature, and the characters that was unique to this author. She does a wonderful job. Loved so many descriptions and felt the longing for hope and light in a dark time in their lives.

Since each person has a chapter, sometimes I did wish they were a bit longer. I was a bit confused since the chapter felt incomplete and then jump to another seen with a new person. That would be my only critique.

When I finished this book, I went back and read passages again. There was a reason to do this. It made me realize again how poignant, lyrical, and magical Fiona Williams words are. I do recommend this book. It is wonderful, unique, and done differently, but it will make you want to go back and read it again. I think I would love listening to this on Audio as well.

Thank you NetGalley, Fiona Williams, and Henry Holt & Company for providing me a copy of this book. I always write reviews of books I read.

One of very interesting book because it talks about different relationships in this book. Triss is a black woman and she married a man named richard. Her family was originally from jamaica and they settled him london and she met richard at college. She had two children max and sunny. One of the twins was like white and the other one was like black. MAK had a hard time with it because he was black like his mother. And sunny it was like his father. These two boys were opposite in direction. Sunny was the one who got all the good grades and max struggled in school. It find out how this book was because a different times of the year they would talk about it. Trish went up to London with max to visit her mother and her sister named penny.. Her mother did not like her marrying rich because they moved to the suburbs and it was very hard for her because they didn't have blocked stores for her hair and the food was very different for her.. She would cook jamaican food at home and this really helped her to settle in because she was always upset about something. She ran into her old boyfriend up in London.And she realized this is the one she should have married but she married richard instead. She takes off for a while to go visit.Her mother and her husband Richard said.I did not know what was going on.But he felt comfortable with the situation because she knew she What's very unhappy in the suburbs. This book also has different hidden meetings as well. And you'll find out how sunny plays a really important part in this book and how the mother was trying to cope with something. Very interesting book.Everybody had something to say

What an impressive debut! This was such a poet, lyrical, and lush story of a family in the English countryside. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Tess, Richard, and their twin sons Sonny and Max, which I really enjoyed. The writing was so impressive and I was particularly drawn in my the descriptions of nature and the changing of seasons. The slow reveal of what’s causing strife in this family was done so well, I didn’t see it coming. I look forward to see what comes from Williams in the future!

Book Review: "The House of Broken Bricks" by Fiona Williams

In "The House of Broken Bricks," Fiona Williams delivers a poignant narrative that delves deep into the complexities of family, identity, and acceptance. Set amidst the serene backdrop of the English countryside, the story follows Tess, a Londoner of Jamaican descent, who finds herself grappling with feelings of isolation and displacement after moving with her partner Richard and their twins to a rural village.

Williams expertly crafts a character-driven tale, allowing readers to intimately connect with Tess, Richard, and their sons, Sonny and Max. Through alternating perspectives and lyrical prose, the author explores themes of race, belonging, and the intricate dynamics of familial relationships.

The novel is divided into four parts, each representing a different season, providing a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences as the family navigates through a year of growth and transformation. While Tess longs for the familiarity of city life and struggles to find her place in the countryside, Richard embraces his connection to nature, leading to tension and conflict within their relationship.

One of the book's strengths lies in its vivid setting descriptions, which transport readers to the rural landscape, allowing them to experience the sights, sounds, and sensations alongside the characters. Williams' evocative imagery adds depth and atmosphere to the narrative, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Despite its beauty, the novel is not without its flaws. There are frequent shifts in perspective and narrative style , while others may feel that certain chapters lack cohesion and resolution. Additionally, the pacing of the story may feel uneven at times, with abrupt transitions and unresolved plot threads.

However, despite these shortcomings, "The House of Broken Bricks" remains a compelling and thought-provoking read. Williams' skillful storytelling and keen insight into the human experience shine through, offering readers a poignant exploration of love, loss, and resilience. With its beautifully rendered characters and immersive setting, this novel lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned, making it a worthy addition to any reader's bookshelf.

This was a beautifully written book centered around a couple and their children. I don't want to say much more than that because this is one that you really just need to dive into. The prose is lyrical and I finished it quickly wanting to see how it ended. While I enjoyed the ending it felt a bit rushed and left a few loose ends. It wasn't quite satisfying enough for me personally.

I’ve read many reviews praising the way this book is written. I can’t agree. It’s pretentious. It is disjointed. I can’t find anything to like or be interested in any of the characters. It’s simply boring with lyrical sentence structure. I tried.

This book is beautifully written, It has a slow meandering pace that lends itself to quiet times and reflection based upon the complex story surrounding the family in the book. I found the storyline as well as the writing to be captivating and would read other books by this author based on my first foray into books by Fiona Williams. If you are looking for a solid literary fiction with a family at the center then this will check all the boxes.

Can we simply just take a moment for the cover? Stunning! First, I loved how we were able to explore the family dynamic in multiple POVs. I read it in one sitting, It is so magical, yet heartbreaking all at once. For the authors debut novel, it definitely pulled at my heart strings and made me fall in love with their writing!

Very rarely does the beginning of my reviews start with praising the writing but in this case I must. This was so exquisitely written. The way the story focuses on the year with the passing of the four seasons scratched such a good part of my brain. Again, the writing is so beautiful and the way she describes everything is breathtaking. We explore race, healing and family dynamics and we follow the story with these characters. I read a review that said to go into this book with minimal information and this was the best advice I have received.
Thank you to Fiona Williams, Henry Hold & Co, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and give my honest feedback. :)

I was in the mood for a more character-study-style book, and this hit it right on the mark! Definitely slower paced, and the writing is lush and dense (in a way that I loved! But I acknowledge may not be for everyone).

Thank you Henry Holt & Co for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a beautifully written book with multiple POV’s. This is a very character driven story that focuses mostly on character development. This story is a beautifully haunting display of how grief can weave its way through a family and how it can change each person differently. This book discusses a lot of heavy topics but does so very well. The chapters are short which I always like.

The audio was a little hard to follow, especially the passage of time but all of the narrators were great. On audio the POV switching was a little confusing at first but got easier to follow as the story went along. I did want a little more from the ending but overall this was still a great read.

I look forward to seeing what Williams writes in the future after this great debut! This is a great book to pick up if you like literary fiction, lyrical writing and character driven stories.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒔
𝒷𝓎: 𝐹𝒾𝑜𝓃𝒶 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓂𝓈
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕: Every marriage has its seasons...It’s autumn when we meet Tess, but her relationship with Richard is in a deep, cold winter. A winter so harsh, their union may never see the bright light of spring.

𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆: “We can't rest. Can't you see? Angry words are weeds. I watch them grow and spread through the house like couch grass. While Dad daydreams, Mum takes the broom and sweeps them out the front door. I must hold on tight, else she'll blow away with the dust”

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓: Sonny! The way this character speaks is as if he has lived a thousand lives, and yet also still has the magical imagination of a child.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅: I was so invested in this book! I do not want to go too far into things because I think going in blind for this one is best! I loved that we are able to see this family dynamic from multiple POV’s. The emotions and relativity for me were off the charts. When I tell you I finished reading and wanted to start it all over again! I know there is so much in this book that would be magical and even more heartbreaking if read again once understanding it all.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆: I cannot say one negative thing about this book. It was beautiful.


Thank you Henry Holt and Company, Fiona Williams, and NetGalley for this arc copy.

This was a really nicely written multi POV book. It’s mostly all character development and character driven story line. This isn’t typically my style but it was written well. Very lyrical.

It explores lots of deeper topics.

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC

I had really high hopes for this one, the summary sounded great so i was excited for it. Unfortunately, it didnt live up to my expectactions. The writing was beautiful but chapters were too short, there were too many time jumps without any clear indication that a jump had occur, the switch between all the POVs was good at first but added to the confusing factor when they kept switching. To me every chapter felt unfinished, they brought on more questions then answers.

And the ending... While it was a sweet gesture, it doesnt fix or negate everything that happened before between them. The ending also left us with a good bit of plot holes and was overall unsatisfying to me.

The premises of this book is a good one, that would have work better for me if the author developed the chapters a bit more and finished a scene instead of jumping from one scene to another in the space of a paragraphe.

Thank you Net Galley, the oublisher and author for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for this ARC!

Absolutely gorgeous and stirring...this was a book I don't even think I read the description of, just went off the title and cover, and it delivered heart wrenching beauty. It navigates a family's grief as they find their way back to themselves and each other. Fiona Williams is a master wordsmith who has painted such beautiful mind pictures of the English countryside and delivered some profound truths with such subtlety.

Tess and Richard are married. Tess is originally from London but her and Richard now live in the English Countryside now, As with most people from the city you may love the the countryside but you still yearn for the city. Richard loves farming and is a bit obsessive compulsive with his crops. He also doesn't know how to communicate every well especially with his wife. Richard and Tess have 10 year old twin boys but people in town have had a hard time believing they are twins. Sonny has a darker skin tone as he takes after her mother who is Jamaican. Max is lighter and takes after his father. Max gets into trouble often and Sonny is very ethereal. From the beginning of the book the reader knows there has been a loss that has affected Tess and Richard significantly. Each of the family members deal with this loss differently. Because of this Tess and Richard have struggles to communicate with each other. The story is told from four point of views, Richard, Tess, Sonny and Max. As the seasons change does the story which fills with grief, heartbreak, loss, and love as all of this is abound in this story. About two-thirds through the book the reader finally finds out what was loss and now the reader will start to understand why they are the way they are. Eventually life begins again. Tess and Richard begin to communicate with each other, learn to love again and heal, They find the love they have for their sons and their home they learn to embrace again. I will not give away the ending but it is wonderful. Your emotions and heart will be working a bit of overtime with this one,

This is a beautiful telling the story of the most difficult year in the life of a family alongside the changing seasons of their home next to a river. The interior heartbreak in each family member draws them steadily away from each other until we see slowly healing revealed in each individual and in the family as a whole. The book is told by the views of each family member. This novel examines themes of loss, tragedy, love and friendships. The books is beautifully written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co, and Fiona Williams for the advanced copy of The House of Broken Bricks!

"Ain't nothing wrong with being broken. Nothing at all. You hear? You're like these houses, not a whole brick in 'em and look how strong they are. Been 'ere hundreds of years and nothing's destroyed them, not floods, not war, not people, nothing."

This one is for all the literary lovers out there, who may not need a dramatic conflict and resolution and appreciate the subtleties of prose.

In The House of Broken Bricks, we follow the Hembry family throughout the four seasons in the year after a tragic event that rattles each member in different ways. Tessa and Richard, an interracial couple, have twin boys, Max and Sonny, identical in all but one way - skin tone. Each family member brings different perspectives to the grief that is felt after tragedy and how it manifests itself. Three of the family members' perspectives were written in first person and one was written in third person- perhaps an ode to the distance that character puts between himself and the others.

I had very few qualms with this book. Williams presents a compelling character study and sets each scene brilliantly.

Pick this book up if you love:
- literary fiction
- multiple pov
- character driven stories
- lyrical writing

This line in the publisher's synopsis says it all: "As Tess and Richard settle in, the dramatic arrival of their fraternal twins—one who presents as black and the other as white—recasts the family dynamic, stirring up complicated feelings and questions of belonging." We get to follow the 4 members of a family throughout one year of their lives. I never thought chapters could be too short (I love short chapters) but the pov switched a bit too quickly for me. This is a beautifully written book, and I'm glad I picked it up.

4.25- This debut novel is so thought provoking and moving. It was a tad slow in the beginning and took a bit to really get into, but once I did I didn’t want to stop.
Taking place in a small village a few hours outside of London this is the story of the Hembry family. They are broken, but their strength still shines through. Broken up into 4 parts, one for each season, each part has alternating chapters told from each of the 4 family members points of view- Richard, Tess, Max, and Sonny. Each narrative style is a bit different but all come together in such an amazing way that follows the Hembrys’ journey over a very hard year.
Fiona Williams has written a piece of literature that is so beautiful and thought provoking and which covers different social issues. This will have you gasping, crying, and leaving you wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for an advanced copy of this. The House of Broken Bricks hits the shelves on April 9th.

I loved this cover!!!!

What great writing and this definitely opens your view on grief and the affects on grief for a family!

The writing is heart on a subject that everyone should read!
This is multiple POV and a great tool to use for grief!

For. being a debut novel was very well written!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review