Princess Fuzzypants here: Occasionally one is blessed to read a sweeping novel whose writing and characters move the reader deeply. There is something so visceral about this story that simply captures the emotions and does not let go. On Christmas Eve 1959 an entire family is poisoned during a picnic in South Australia. What appears to be a suicide/murders is so much more and the impact on several families is beyond life changing. The truth is slowly teased out through the eyes of the various participants and can only reach a conclusion with the death of one of the principals.

It is a sad tale of loss and longing and loneliness. Lies and secrets, kept in dark corners with the best of intentions drive events and lives until, once the story has been told, the truth can come out into the light and peace can be made. In the end, the reader, like the characters, feels she has been through an emotional wringer but has a great sense of satisfaction in the possibilities for the future. This is not a fast read but one that deserves the time to succour it. Five purrs and two paws up.

This novel follows a family tragedy and is set in a dual timeline – 1959 and 2018 – with excerpts from a book written about the events of 1959 in the years between. It’s the story of catastrophe and lost love and the need to know what happened.

On Christmas Eve, 1959, outside the small Australian town of Tambilla, a local man, taking a detour on his way home, discovers a mother and her children dead and one child missing. That discovery starts an investigation that ends with a finding of potential murder-suicide.

In 2018, Jess is a journalist in London, where she’s lived for twenty years. Her relationship has ended and she’s looking for freelance work when she gets a call from Sydney that her grandmother Nora, who raised her when her mother couldn’t, has fallen and is hospitalized, so she returns to Australia right away. At Nora’s house, Jess discovers the book chronicling the 1959 tragedy and thus begins her journey into discovering the truth of what happened.

This family saga had great promise. The writer uses prose beautifully and her descriptions are so clear you feel you’re right there.

Unfortunately, for me, the storyline was very slow to unfold, especially as it became clear where it was going. Granted, there were some unexpected touches along the way, but no big surprise twist ending that I didn’t see coming early on in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I love Kate Morton's ability to weave a story that just sucks me in. This one was so good - there was mystery, love, intrigue, family dynamics. It had everything. I really appreciate how we get to know part of the mystery first, then we learn more about the players and the people involved. There are lots of flawed characters but you can't help love (most of) them anyways. An excellent read like you would expect from Morton.

I have loved every Kate Morton book I have read and this book was no exception. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I thought it addressed post partum depression & child loss in a good way. I thought I had some of what happened with Thea figured out & I turned out to be right but the rest of the ending of the book I did not see coming. The twist in this book after Jess & Polly heard the tape then read the lost journal pages was amazing, The ending of this book was fabulous & bittersweet. I would have loved to know what happened with Jess but the end was open ended enough that the reader can imagine for themselves, The two storylines were woven together so masterfully which is something Kate Morton is an expert at.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this phenomenal book. I loved it!

4.5/5 Thank you to Net Galley and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas Eve 1959: A deliveryman comes across a murder-suicide of a mother and her children outside a small town in Australia.

Sixty years later: Jess, an Aussie who has been a journalist in London for about twenty years, has recently lost her job and gets a message from Australia that her grandmother has had a bad fall. The grandmother raised Jess and she feels that she must race “home”, only to find her larger than life relative looking small and frail in her hospital bed. Jess is shocked to find that Nora is incoherent & fails to recognize that the medical staff are telling her that things do not look good for a recovery.

While back in Australia, the journalist in Jess is looking for a story to write about. Before leaving London, she had sold a British editor on a story about her trip home; but she just cannot get it together. There is a nagging mystery about her grandmother’s fall and she begins to investigate. It seems that the sixty year old murder-suicide involved relatives, and Jess was totally unaware of this bit of family history.

The story jumps back and forth between the two timelines: when Nora was a young woman, and when she is the ailing grandmother in the hospital. Slowly the story of the crime is elucidated and other, well-hidden crimes are exposed.

Nora is not the lovely person she is first made out to be. There are things in her past that have shaped the woman she became. These same things caused her to first control and then alienate her daughter; who ended up so unsure of herself that she left her own daughter to be raised by Nora. It seems that Nora did a better job raising her granddaughter and Jess is quite independent.

The prose is beautiful and there is lots of vivid imagery which makes this lengthy book a joy to read. The mystery took the reader in a direction where I figured out part of the solution; but there were still surprises in the end.

I would definitely recommend this read to others who would enjoy a vicarious trip to Australia with a good mystery thrown in to boot!

Homecoming was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and let me tell you, Kate Morton does not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed Homecoming. I loved that it took place in Adelaide, Australia where family friends live and a place I long to visit. Homecoming is a slow burn, multi-generational, family saga, mystery novel all rolled into one. It’s told in multiple time lines, and points of view, about three women who are inter connected by a horrific crime from the past.

Kate Morton’s writing style always transports me to where-ever and whenever the story takes place. Her vivid descriptions make me feel like I’m watching a movie and in another World. The characters are well developed but I connected to Jess the most. At times the story got a bit complicated and I had a hard time keeping track of time lines, but over all Homecoming was a captivating and intriguing book. A solid 4 ⭐️ read for me.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley and Kate Morton for my electronic arc of Homecoming in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors, her book are always long and detailed and usually suck you right in from page one. I found this book was a little slower to get into, but once I was just over half way, i couldnt wait to finish it to find the answers to my questions.
I do love a dual timeline story and this one, was a good one. I lovew hen books are in areas I am not familiar with and I get to learn about the customs and traditions in a new to me area. This storty takes place in Austrailia in 1969 and 2018. I really enjoyed the story form the past more than the present but overall, really enjoyed this book.

This was a really immersive story with descriptions of small town Australian life that I could picture so clearly. I found the book within a book a little drawn out at times but the slow burn payoff around the 80% mark was incredibly worth it! I could have done without the book within a book aspect and would have preferred that Jess use her journalistic skills to figure things out instead of simply being told. I guessed one twist, suspected another and the third caught me entirely off guard!!

I had some difficulty getting through this book. I felt like it dragged on and was very slow moving. Maybe the characters didn't quite capture my attention. I was close to putting the book down halfway but I struggled through it. I would say that the story picked up about 3/4 of the way through with all the twists the story did take.

I am a big fan of family sagas, especially when the story draws me in, providing a strong sense of time and place, a feeling of connection with the characters, and a good dash of family secrets intrigue and tension. Morton delivers on all counts with her latest offering. Well, almost on all counts. I never really connected with the character Jess. Found her rather annoying, actually. Other than that, Homecoming was a satisfying winter read.

“Peeling back the onion" is a perfect way to describe this one. Layer by layer by layer, the reader slowly gets to the core of the family history, the shocking Christmas Eve discovery, the police investigation, the relationships and the closely guarded family secrets. Told in vivid detail, it is easy to picture the town of Tamilla and the evocative beauty of the South Australian Adelaide Hills. The 'who' and 'why' are slowly teased out, but the effort to follow the story through to the end is worth it, in my opinion. I really love how Morton makes use of chapters from a fictitious true crimes novel (another POV) to aid Jess in her ‘search’ for answers.

If you are looking for a fast-paced suspense read, you will probably be disappointed. This is not that kind of story. You need to be prepared to invest the time, to sink into the descriptive prose, soak up the atmosphere, and let the motivation behind certain actions – those all important ‘whys’! – slowly be revealed. Even though I was able to suss out the main family secret pretty early on, Morton still had a few more surprises up her sleeve that I did not expect.

Now, some readers may not be as enamoured as I am with Morton's latest. Some may not appreciate the shifting points of view and switching timelines. They may find revisiting certain events from different angles to be repetitive and may become frustrated that Morton takes such a circuitous route to tell the story. Some may find the pace slow, maybe even plodding in places. Some readers may feel there is just too much story (Geez, is there such a thing?) My response to these readers: Approach this story like a journey. A direct path may get you to the end quicker, but the slower, meandering routes reward the reader with unexpected vistas along the way.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy.

Kate does it again!

A wonderful historical fiction novel shrouded in a million mysteries; dark family secrets, murder, affairs, abandonment - this one’s got it all!

Never having been to Australia I can honestly say I felt like I was there! The author has a wonderful way of immersing the reader in the setting. I also loved how the story went back and forth through time. I thought I had everything figured out early on but there were ever more twists and turns!

It was a little lengthy but worth it!

I started The Homecoming a while ago but kept putting it down. I found it quite slow in the middle but it did get more interesting. There are few authors who can weave a complicated tale as well as Ms. Morton. Her characters feel real and engaging and she brings the beautiful scenes of Australia to life so well.
I have read most of Ms Morton’s books and have enjoyed them thoroughly, as I did this one. My only complaint would be that it dragged on somewhat in the middle. However, please do not let that stop you from reading this incredible story. Kate Morton is a master storyteller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the back and forth between the time periods and the story drew me in. I just wish that it wasn’t so long.

What a beautifully written book! Kate Morton’s writing style is captivating and this book had such complex storylines. I loved the two intertwined timelines and the in depth character development! I would highly recommend this book!

HOMECOMING BY KATE MORTON

Book review

This was a book with lots of family secrets, told with différents points of view, and has different timelines. There was also book within a book, which was quite unique.

This is a slow paced read which makes it drag in parts. However, there are twists which you didn’t see coming, which always to me, make it a worthwhile read.

Thank you to @simonschusterca and @netgalley for the gifted copy.

AD-PR PRODUCT

Thank you Netgalley, Tandem Global for having me as part of the Canadian VIP provided with and Simon Schuster for the ARC and goodies to read and review. This was my first Kate Korton and have hears how incredible her writing is so my expectations were very high... however it was a struggle to get past the 25% mark and had to switch to audio to try and finish and can say it was not for me - and that's OK. I found it to be overly wordy.

**I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of Homecoming by Kate Morton from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.**

I've read a few Kate Morton novels in the past and enjoyed them all, so I was happy to be approved to read this book. I enjoyed the format where you have the two different timelines with different character point of views. I was a bit confused in the prologue with what was happening but then everything unfolded over time.

Early on, I figured I had the mystery all figured out... I did not. Things were definitely more complex than I had thought. It had me flipping back and forth because of the foreshadowing in parts and something that was mentioned that would trigger a "I think I read something about that" moment and I would have to look for it.

I liked how it dealt with mental health issues, difficulty conceiving, and other themes related to family. These are complex issues that I think the author did a good job of capturing the emotions related to such. Kate Morton has excellent descriptions and use of imagery to really help the reader see Tambilla and the people who live there. As well, I enjoyed seeing the relationships between the three women: Nora, Jess, and Polly. I thought it was interesting how Nora and Jess were so close, yet Jess's mother/ Nora's daughter was not as close with either of them. I liked how the different storylines wove together to show why this was. I felt a bit sad for each of the women.

Overall, an excellent read. I really enjoyed it! A bit slow in places, but interesting storyline. I think this would make a really cool movie.

I only finished part of this book and then put it down. I found it too long and tedious. I loved the characters but did feel that the book could have been shorter to make it more enjoyable.

3.5 It's a good book with interesting little twists and lots of characters (reminds me a bit of Beartown), but it was too long for me--I felt like I barely made progress unless i could sit down for at least an hour. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is the first book I've read by this author! As posted to my goodreads

Love me some Kate Morton and this book did not disappoint. This author can weave a story! Addressed a number of important topics - loss, motherhood and mental health in a respectful and caring way. A lengthy read but picks up in the 2nd half and really grabs you. If you are a fan of historical fiction give this book a read!