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.

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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!

Mystery | Adult
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I am a fan of Kate Morton‘s work; I’ve liked everything I’ve read and loved The Forgotten Garden in particular. Once again, Morton offers a time-shifting mystery involving a grandmother and her granddaughter. The book opens in an Australian summer with a shocking crime – in 1959, grocer Percy Summers is on his way home on Christmas Eve when he discovers the bodies of his neighbour Isabel Turner and three of her four children; baby Thea is missing. The bodies are lying under a tree where they’d been having a picnic; when he describes the scene to the police, he says they looked as if they’d all fallen asleep. Jump forward to 2018 – elderly Nora Turner-Bridges lives in Sydney, Australia, and when she has a fall and lands in hospital, middle-aged Jess Turner-Bridges leaves her home in London to attend to the woman who effectively raised her, but she remains unconscious. Soon Jess finds herself unravelling a mystery as she discovers the story of the Turner family deaths and their connection to Nora, and Jess herself. Why did Nora keep this a secret? and what was Nora doing in the attic when she fell down the stairs? The story keeps shifting back and forth between the two timelines, slowly revealing clues and new information from various characters; there are a lot, but Morton does a great job as always and it’s easy enough to keep them all straight. This is a slow burn of a novel that rewards the reader with unexpected surprises and twists. Most readers will figure out one of the twists early on, as I did, but there are so many reveals in the last few chapters I was delighted every time to return to the book. All the characters are beautifully developed, a fascinating blend of flaws and strengths that lead to misunderstandings and, shall we say, a kind of created lore. So much truth, there! The middle part is slow; I think a good editor could have helped Morton tighten the story, but it’s a multigenerational saga with many perspectives, surprising reveals, and a tender story of love, family, and home. And Morton’s writing is powerful and honest. This bit particularly struck me, almost at the very end: “The opposite of ‘home’ wasn’t ‘away,’ it was ‘lonely.’ When someone said, ‘I want to go home,’ what they really meant was that they didn’t want to feel lonely anymore.” Like Jess, I live far away from where I grew up, so the word “home” is complicated for me; this perspective gave me lots to think about. My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Grand Forks (B.C.) pals will find a copy in the library’s Adult Fiction collection; you can also find e-versions for reading and listening.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62692525

This book had such an interesting premise but dare i say the execution was poorly done. It was my first book of Kate Morton's. The book, for a murder mystery was unnecessarily long and laboriously detailed. I picked this book book up about four different times before I could eventually move past two chapters, and even then, it was a long and painful ride to finishing this book and I almost DNF'ed it multiple times.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I have been a fan of @katemortonauthor for years, and The Lake House happens to be an all time favourite of mine from the author.

This last vacation read happened to be another multigenerational family saga, this time set in lovely South Australia.

In Homecoming, the author weaves a complex tale built on what was either a tragic accident or a horrific crime involving a prolific family. Deceit and lies are passed down through the generations, but it’s difficult to say if anyone is actually being protected from them or if it has done more harm than good.

In true Kate Morton fashion, she has such a way of tying all of those different characters and storylines together that is so delicious. The mystery element of the book wasn’t fully revealed until the very end, and it was oh so satisfying once all of the minutiae were finally revealed. It kept me guessing right until the end.

I will say, that this book felt unnecessarily long, clocking in at 560 pages. It was a slow burn to tie it up, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And I don’t want to give anything away, but there was a really special ode to the magic of reading and sharing that magic with others who read the same books as you. I think all of us here on bookstagram can appreciate how heartwarming it can be to share your love of a book with someone else who feels the same at about it!

I’d recommend if you’re a Kate Norton fan, or like complex family tales. Available April 4th!

I originally requested this novel mainly because the protagonist and I share the same name. It took me a while to really get invested in the story. The first few chapters I was confused due to the switching of timelines. While I thought the writing was interesting and lyrical, it didn't excite me. I was hoping for a story of a bit more scandal, but instead I was often underwhelmed and just sad. The story was slow-paced and for some books I love the slow reveals (like Mexican Gothic), but for this one it was a struggle to continue on. There wasn't much to keep me invested. Despite my original attachment to one of the protagonist, the connection dwindled away as I got into the story. For people who enjoy gradually unfolding stories and historical fiction, I think this could be right up your alley.

3.75 stars

It’s 2018. Jess has been living in England for a long time, but is called home to Australia when her grandmother (who pretty much raised her) ends up in the hospital. Her grandmother, Nora, makes some odd comments. Jess, being a reporter, investigates and finds some family secrets.

In 1959, Percy is walking in a neighbour’s yard to find a mother and three of her children dead, not a mark on any of them. There was a basket hanging and he hadn’t realized there was a baby in the basket, but by the time the police have arrived and realize there should have been a baby there, the baby is missing.

This was good, but it took a long time to set up and get going. I had a hard time focusing initially, and many of the characters would delve back into memories which made it a bit harder for me to follow, as I was still figuring out characters, time frames, etc. Eventually, I figured things out and it did pick up, and I was interested to know what was going on/what had happened in 1959 (and, of course, how it related to Jess and Nora).

I’m not generally a fan of a “book within a book” and this one had that. That might have been at least part of the reason it took me longer to get “into” the book? Of course, there were twists. I thought I had one figured out, but I was incorrect in what I’d thought. So, my star rating has it just a bit higher than “good”, but I didn’t want to bring it quite up to 4 stars due to the slow start for me.