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

What a beautiful and haunting display of how grief can weave its way through a family. This book covers heavy topics but does it so well. It snuck up on me how much I felt for these characters by the end of the book. The use of four POVs was an amazing tool and felt effortless to read. What a stunning debut novel.

The House of Broken Bricks is a beautifully written book that drew me in from the first two lines. “Sometimes there are no dreams to dream. Night-time brings other things, and we must wait patiently until it’s over.”

And so begins the story of a family told over the course of one year through each season as they deal with the grief of losing someone they love.

Each family member has their own POV and the author has done an amazing job of writing each person’s POV different from the other. I really enjoyed how each POV was a story on its own as each family member navigates their way to having a life worth living

"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."

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced readers copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this beautifully-written book by Fiona Williams, perfectly narrated by Ben Allen, Lee Braithwaite, and Jessica Hayles - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Just like their house in the English countryside is made of broken bricks, so is the family of Tess and Richard. They have "rainbow twins" - one appearing White and the other Black. Tess longs for the city life in London, where she wasn't the only Black person, while Richard thrives in the outdoors. Told over 4 seasons, we hear from each family member.

This is such a wonderfully, atmospheric story with beautiful writing - you'll be able to see the birds and the crops, taste the food, feel the weather. But where the story shines is in its character building - each member tells the story from their viewpoint, letting the reader figure things out, and seeing if they will be able to come together and move forward. You'll feel Tess' isolation and her yearning to be among more familiar people and setting; you'll see Richard step back inside himself, trying to figure out how to process; and how each of the boys, different in temperament and appearance, navigate all that's around them. Took me a bit to resettle after the twist, but it was so well done. The ending was perfect - hopeful. High recommended!

The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams was such a beautifully written story.
This is an excellent debut and her characters really stick with after you’ve finished the story.
I couldn’t out my Kindle down. Actually I don’t believe I even wanted to.
I will be keeping my eyes open for her next title because this book was just phenomenal!

Thank You NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Gosh. I so wanted to like this one, and while I'm thankful to the publisher, author, and Netgalley, this one wasn't for me.

Thanks to Henry Holt for the copy of this book!

A story of a biracial family that moves from London to the English Countryside, THE HOUSE OF BROKEN BRICKS is told from all four POVs of the family members. Tess and Richard have fraternal twins - but Max presents as white and Sonny presents as Black. This impacts their family dynamic greatly.

I really enjoyed having all of the family viewpoints in this story because they all provided an important perspective. While this was a unique read, I did find it fairly slow-moving.

Fiona Williams's debut novel, "The House of Broken Bricks," transports readers to the dark corners of the human brain in a frightening way. This intriguing story of secrets and redemption, set against the backdrop of a run-down home with a sordid past, captivates readers from the first page to the last, spine-tingling revelation. I loved it

I had high hopes for this book based on the synopsis but unfortunately the book, itself fell short. Very poorly written.

This book pulls you right into the heart of a family that's as real as they come, dealing with everything from deep loss to finding where they fit in the world. This is the authors debut novel and she deserves a pat on the back! She flips between characters' points of view so smoothly, you'll feel like you're getting to know each one personally, thanks to her knack for stunning visuals and words that stick with you. The book doesn't shy away from the hard topics, like racism & grief, making it all feel incredibly relevant. Williams' storytelling makes the whole journey feel intimate, and honestly, it's a book that'll linger in your thoughts for a good while. Definitely a standout piece that shows just how powerful and touching storytelling can get.

Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for this eARC.

A lovely book about love and resilience; this cathartic and magical story will break your heart, and then return to heal it.

Until next time, pick up a copy!

Family dynamics are complicated; family dynamics when you're trying to come to terms with a crippling loss are even more complicated.

The Hembry family lives in a small, rural English town, the kind of town where everyone knows everyone else. Tess, a Londoner with Jamaican roots, has never felt like she fit in in this tiny village, and her feelings only intensify when she and her husband welcome twin boys, one who is white and one who is Black.

As the story unfolds, readers step into the shoes of each of the four characters. Their different points of view highlight the growing feelings of disconnection, distance, and anxiety rippling through the fractured family. About halfway into the story, readers finally figure out why emotions are so strained, and that revelation allows you - or at least it allowed me - to reassess how you feel about the Hembrys.

Williams tells her story with beautifully lyrical prose, and the idea to align the plot of the story with the passing of the seasons is a good one. I do wish that the shifting perspectives happened a bit more gradually. Moving from one character to another every two pages sometimes made it difficult to connect with them. And the ending also felt a tiny bit rushed.

Overall, Williams has crafted an admirable debut piece. I'd give it 3.75 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is beautifully written with carefully crafted characters that draw the reader in and holds their attention until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As an ARC reader for Fiona Williams' "The House of Broken Bricks," I was immediately drawn into the rich tapestry of this captivating tale. Set against the backdrop of the English countryside, the novel follows Tess, a Londoner of Jamaican descent, whose life takes an unexpected turn when she moves with her partner Richard to a rural community where she feels like an outsider.

Williams skillfully navigates themes of identity, belonging, and family dynamics through the lens of Tess and Richard's journey, especially as they grapple with the arrival of their fraternal twins—one black, the other white. The complexities of race and heritage are sensitively explored, adding layers of depth to the narrative as the characters confront their own prejudices and insecurities.

The alternating perspectives offer a multifaceted view of the family's struggles and triumphs, each voice adding depth to the overarching story. Tess's yearning for familiarity amidst the unfamiliar landscape, Richard's avoidance of difficult conversations, and the keen observations of their son, Sonny, all contribute to the novel's emotional resonance.

One of the novel's strengths lies in Williams' vivid depiction of the setting, where nature serves as both a backdrop and a character in its own right. The imagery of predatory birds, bartered goods, and the crumbling house with its broken bricks adds a palpable sense of atmosphere, mirroring the internal conflicts of the characters.

As the story unfolds and the seasons change, there is a tangible sense of growth and renewal, offering hope amidst the darkness. "The House of Broken Bricks" is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit—a deeply affecting read that lingers in your mind long after the final page is turned. What a fantastic book!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Literary Fiction

This is my first book by Fiona Williams. The story revolves around a family of four members over the course of a year during all four seasons. Tessa, the London-born daughter of Jamaican parents, is a person of color who is married to Richard, a white farmer. The two have twins, Sonny and Max. The two twins are not identical. One is colored, and the other one is white.

The family moves to live in the countryside, but Tess, being the city girl she is, finds it difficult to adapt to living in this small Somerset village, especially since she is the only person of color there. The twins also find it too difficult to convince people there that they are twins.

The book is divided into four parts, each representing one of the seasons. The story is narrated from the perspective of the four characters. However, the author has used two types of narration styles for the characters, with Richard using a third-person narration style, while the other three are narrated in the first-person style.

This is mainly a character-driven story, as the tale delves into the lives of the members of this family. As a reader, you will be able to connect to what they go through, be it their struggles, grief, or all the other emotions. Themes like race, acceptance, healing, and family dynamics are the focus of the story.

The writing is lyrical and beautiful, and the author’s setting descriptions are vivid and breathtaking. There is an unexpected twist in the book that shakes things up for you as a reader. At least, it was adequate for me and clarified the characters' perspectives. I’m not a fan of multiple points of view, but this book was an exception, as the author organized everything very well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

The House of Broken Bricks is a beautifully written emotional debut novel about a family grieving the loss of one of their own and struggling to heal the wounds. The chapters alternate POVs between family members. I couldn't help but fall in love with Sonny's poetic musings. This story will break your heart and I grieved with the family. Thanks to author Fiona Williams, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Well-written but I don’t think the story was for me. I was also struggling with the various POVs with such short chapters to start and it made it hard to get into.

Tess, a black Jamaican-Londoner, falls in love with Richard, a white country farmer. Against the protests of Tess' family they move to the country where there are no other black or mixed families. With their fraternal twins, one white, one black, the family struggles to find a balance in their lifestyle. Additionally, there is more to the family, causing more and more space between Tess and Richard. The story flips from point of view of the sons and Tess and Richard. As the story progresses, you gain a better understanding of the difficulties that family faces in all their endeavors.

Overall, this was an interesting novel, and certainly one that has an element of uniqueness. The writing with poetic and beautiful, but I struggled to keep "investment" while reading. The story itself was heart-breaking and frustrating. Additionally, there is an aspect to the novel that became clear to me almost immediately, but in reading other reviews it is absent, so I assume it was not supposed to be that obvious from the start? Overall, for lover's of literary fiction and beautiful writing this one could be for you. However, for myself the story lacked a dimension that kept me fully engaged.

“The House of Broken Bricks” by Fiona Williams was an interesting novel about a marriage on the verge of collapse. The prose is beautifully descriptive and deals with the complexity of a biracial marriage with twin sons.. It’s an emotional ride that speaks to issues of great loss, depression and denial. I would have enjoyed this more if it had more detail, and I would have liked more closure so I felt a bit let down. That is my reason for the 3 star review.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.