Thank-you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC of this book Homecoming. I have loved all of Kate Morton's books and requested a copy of this latest one as soon as it became available.
As typical of Morton's other books, this story is told with a dual timeline, but something different in this one is a book within a book.
Jess is a 40 year old journalist living in London, feeling a little disillusioned with her life and career. She is called back to her native Sydney Australia when her elderly grandmother Nora (who raised her) has fallen and is in hospital. She then begins unravelling a murder mystery that occurred in a small town in South Australia and in the process discovers secrets about her grandmother, her mother and even herself.
Daniel Miller, an American journalist has written a book about the Turner Family Tragedy that happened Christmas Eve 1959. Jess discovers this book in her grandmother's room and begins to read about the horrible events of the murder and the involvement of her own family.
The story unfolds slowly, introducing us to many characters and events, both from the past and present. Along the way the author leaves us little nuggets of information, that we need to look at and decide if they are important to remember!. As with Morton's other books, a paper copy would probably be easier to read, so that the reader can flip back and reread important sections. I found myself making notes, especially in the beginning to keep the characters and events organized in my mind.
Morton does a spectacular job of the setting for this story. She describes in detail the flora and fauna of Australia, and since most of the story takes place in the winter, the reader feels the heat and humidity of the Australian summer. Birds are continually singing and we can easily imagine the fragrant flowers. The old mansions that feature prominently are full of creaks and groans and beautiful old furniture.
The character development was intriguing, if not somewhat disjointed. Some of the people we met early on in the story were left hanging until the end. Jess's mother Polly who we did not really meet til the second half of the book, suddenly was given a prominent role. I really liked her and would have enjoyed meeting her sooner..
This story would inspire good book club discussion, particularly regarding secrets. Who keeps secrets? At what cost do we preserve a secret? How important are family secrets? Can we ask children to keep secrets? Lots of good discussion material here.
In summary, this was an engaging story that I couldn't put down. Kate Morton has done it again.

This book takes place in Australia in two different time periods. I found it slow to start with but it did get more interesting as the story progressed. I felt that the story rambled on a bit and moved forward a little too slowly. I finally got into the story more when I was about half way through. I would have given it a 3.5 stars if that was available.

It is sad how the lies and the secrets of Nora, the grandmother, messed up both her daughter and her granddaughter. It took a long time for the whole truth of the story to come out but when it did you see the effect it had on the family and community.

Polly, Jess's mother, lost out on years with her daughter and Jess missed out on a close relationship with her mother. It is a thought provoking story and had some interesting twists.

I did enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced ARC copy of this book.

I would first like to state that Kate Morton is definitely in my top 3 favourite authors. I have absolutely devoured her pervious books and loved them all. This one however, was absolutely terrible!

Firstly, the way in which the book was written was entirely confusing and I was not a fan of the book within a book thing going on. It was very difficult to keep track of what was a memory, what was in the book, and what was in the present day. Like I said, her previous books were great so I have no issues with the bumping back and forth but the execution on this style did not go well.

I also was having a hard time distinguishing when memories became the focus of the paragraph and not just a quick side comment. There was no clear break or transition so you'd be halfway down a paragraph and not have realized you jumped back 50 years.

I also didn't love the various POVs. Towards the end and you are adding more, nope. Just too much.

I will die on the Kate Morton hill, but I think this book is the "we don't talk about Homecoming" type of book.

Thank you ever so much for this ARC. As disappointed as I was, I'm still very grateful to have been able to read it!

The first part was very slow, confusing and way too much descriptions that didn't need too be added.

After i barely got through that the rest of the book was great. Many twists and turns. Great book if you can get past the first part.

Thanks NETGALLEY and publisher.

All thoughts and opinions are my own

I found the first two thirds of this book slow-going; I felt there were too many descriptive details and too few details being revealed about the tragedy. However, the last third of the book was chuck full of twists and surprises! I thought I had everything figured out, but, in fact, what I thought I knew was only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the characters in this book had a secret, something they needed to hide. The ending brings all of this together, brilliantly,

The story is revealed through multiple points of views and excerpts from a character's book-within-a-book, without being confusing. Family relationships, especially between mothers and daughters, is a strong focus of this book.

I would like to sincerely thank Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
#NetGalley #SimonandSchuster #Homecoming

In the beginning, I struggled with this novel. I found it to be wordy, slow-paced, repetitive and with much unnecessary detail. (Why did I need to know that a character washed her hands before heating her dinner – couldn't I just assume that?)

Despite the above, I kept reading. The more I read, the more I became hooked. It’s the kind of story that employs the reader as a detective and keeps you guessing all the way to the end.

The Homecoming has much to say about belonging, family, guilt and the unreliability of memories. The characters, as well as the landscape, were complex and vivid. I found myself searching the internet to discover if this novel was partly based on a true story and if the Australian town of Tambilla actually existed. (Dr. Google denied both.)

The pace picked up substantially in the last third, making the final portion much more riveting (and causing me to stay up well past my bedtime)!

Thank you to NetGalley for granting me an Advance Reader Copy.

Publication Release Date 4/4/23
Number of Pages: 550+

Kate Morton has yet to write a book that I didn't like. This book is probably one her best ever which I have read. Stories about family and family secrets are always intriguing. This one uses the unique perspectives from the protagonist, Jess, and from the author (now dead) of a book written about a disaster in her family. The actual story of what happened to one relation and her family gets quite convoluted and only gets resolved at the end. The ending is a surprise, too. There are several surprises in the book. Similarly the relationship with Jess and her mother doesn't get resolved per se, but it is something they are continuing to work on, The book is entitled Homecoming, and even the title poses a questions to me, even at the end reflecting on the book.
What does Homecoming mean to me? To Jess, it meant an end to loneliness. Does it mean one specific place or where one's family was for the most part of one's life? Another point that was brought out in the book was referring to one's memories from childhood. Do we really remember things correctly, or how we want to remember them? Another excellent book by Morton, and one that I will definitely read again. Well done, Kate Morton!!!!

https://wwAs we are now coming to expect from Kate Morton, Homecoming is a novel that moves through time, and through events occurring in those different times. Opening in Adelaide Hills, South Australia in 1959 we then travel on a seesaw journey to London in 2018 and back again. And as we have also come to expect, the novel is big and sprawling, emotionally taut, and featuring diverse and fascinating characters.
Homecoming is complex and has several seemingly unconnected plot lines and characters. Only as the reader journeys through the novel do relationships come together and connections are realized. Jess is a struggling writer in London, searching for an idea to submit to a publisher. Percy, who with his wife, runs a grocery store in Australia, walks into the horror of a dead family. Nora, Jess’s grandmother, rambles about “the pages” as she lies in a hospital bed. Mr. Thomas Turner is always looking for a new “grand plan” to hold his interest and there is Daniel Miller who wrote a series of essays on the gruesome murder witnessed by Percy.
These and a dozen more interesting characters will all play a part as the story unfolds. In addition to the mystery of the death of a family and of who fathered a child, we have lies and untruths, romance, and secrets. Ms. Morton makes old buildings, beautiful landscapes, broken down huts, fashions, and more come alive in the mind.
All in all, a well-written and fascinating read. The story engaged my emotions and instilled in me the need to solve the several mysteries presented in its pages.
I have no hesitation in recommendation Homecoming to readers who like to get the teeth into a complex and challenging read.
Thanks to the author and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an ARC
w.goodreads.com/review/edit/53287003

I would first like to state that Kate Morton is definitely in my top 3 favourite authors. I have absolutely devoured her pervious books and loved them all. This one however, was absolutely terrible!

Firstly, the way in which the book was written was entirely confusing and I was not a fan of the book within a book thing going on. It was very difficult to keep track of what was a memory, what was in the book, and what was in the present day. Like I said, her previous books were great so I have no issues with the bumping back and forth but the execution on this style did not go well.

I also was having a hard time distinguishing when memories became the focus of the paragraph and not just a quick side comment. There was no clear break or transition so you'd be halfway down a paragraph and not have realized you jumped back 50 years.

I also didn't love the various POVs. Towards the end and you are adding more, nope. Just too much.

I will die on the Kate Morton hill, but I think this book is the "we don't talk about Homecoming" type of book.

Thank you ever so much for this ARC. As disappointed as I was, I'm still very grateful to have been able to read it!

I am a big fan of Kate Morton and her newest book didn't disappoint! Great read, wonderfully vivid writing.