I’m always pleased when I discover a new (to me) author whose books I like. One writer I discovered just a year ago was Veronica Henry. I very much enjoyed the first book I read by her, so I started adding more to my wishlist. I’ve just finished reading ‘A home from home’, which I was given last Christmas.
It’s a heart-warming character-based story, set mainly in Somerset. There are two families who have been divided by a long-standing feud. This started when an entire plot of land and house was gambled away by the owner, over a century before the story began. But bad feeling has continued…
Tabitha is an outspoken and impetuous young woman who has been living with her elderly great-uncle for some years. Her parents are divorced, and she has found affection and motivation in life from her great-uncle Matthew and his wife Joy. Joy died a couple of years before the story starts, and Matthew has been grieving. But we don’t actually meet him because there’s a terrible accident in the first chapter.
A young man with the unlikely name of Dash is on the scene. It turns out that he’s from the ‘other’ family, although he knows very little about the long-standing feud. He’s just arrived in the area, determined to renovate the tumbledown mansion he is living in. He also has plans for developing some of the land. He would like to be friendly with all his neighbours, and he’s rather taken with Tabitha. But she is prickly, suspicious, and also, of course, very upset.
Tabitha’s gentle cousin Georgia comes to the rescue. Georgia’s story is something of a sideline, but we see her working as an editor, longing to be recognised as a writer. She’s recently broken up with someone and is still stressed about that. She and Tabitha haven’t spoken for months, but they are very close, almost like sisters.
Then they learn that Great Uncle Matthew has left his house to three people: Tabitha, Georgia, and a young man called Gabriel. Gabriel had never previously heard of Uncle Matthew, and although his surname is the same as Dash’s, he knows nothing about his heritage, or the family home, or the feud. Gabriel is a skilled knife-maker, concerned about how his business will continue as the landlord is putting up the rent. He has a partner, Lola, and a delightful small daughter called Plum.
I found the various family relationships a bit complex to follow; it wasn’t until I finished the book that I noticed a family tree (or, rather, two family trees) at the beginning of the book. I’m not sure it would have helped much, since it turns out that there are some family secrets making things even more complicated. The unexpected division of Matthew’s property is the catalyst for uncovering several surprising relationships.
As with the author’s other books, the writing is good, the pace excellent, and the characterisation nicely developed. I found Tabitha a bit difficult to relate to - she’s quite insecure, but also very easily angered, and not at all tactful. I liked Georgia very much, however, and I also grew fond of Georgia’s parents, although their role is relatively small. Once I was about half way through the book it was difficult to put down - not that there's any fast action, but several of the people were getting under my skin. Reading it in just a few sittings made it easier to keep track of who was whom.
The ending is entirely satisfactory, if perhaps inevitable - I had seen the various 'surprises' coming, but that didn't matter at all. I like a book where most of the loose ends are tied up, and where the future looks hopeful for everyone. So all in all, I liked this book very much and would recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful women’s fiction.
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