
Member Reviews

First read for me from this author. I loved her writing style. This book makes you remember how valuable family is. Sure they are dysfunctional but aren't most families in one way or another. My heart hurt for their fallout. Maybe I understood it more as had a brother fall out in the family at one time too. I love how the book was flipped at the end and the ending touched me
Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

2.5/5 Stars!!!
I'm not having good luck with books these days. This is my first Rachel Joyce book, and I've heard good things, but this latest will probably be my last.
What a giant cluster of words about four grown children, with a famous mainstream artist, taking place in London, and then on an island in Italy, where they spent much of their childhood in.
After the sudden death of their eccentric artist father Vic, they all gather around to mourn, and find out the mystery of his final piece of work, and why he would have run away to marry a woman 50 years younger than him.
The answer is fairly obvious as to why he would have married her, though instead of looking into it, they decide they don't need to, ignore his texts, and don't bother to look into his will. There's a lot of ridiculous choices being made by these siblings, who don't make the right ones, even before their father has passed.
The four kids on question: Goose (short for Gustav), Iris, Susan, and Netta, all love their father very much, share that special sibling bond, and quite frankly, are all broken and immature in their own way. I was hoping this would have been a deep story about siblinghood, and the beautiful landscapes of Italy, but there wasn't a single character I liked.
I didn't need to know that one of them was able to cut his hair short, he's an adult, why make a whole page about this decision. I also didn't need the entire book to be a a cluster of story that was mundane and boring in many parts.
By the end, I skimmed through the second half, only to know the word "turps" is used far too often and figuring out Vic's autopsy was not quite a mystery, nor did I care what happened.
So much anticipation for a giant mess of a book.

The Homemade God is Rachel Joyce's latest novel, which centers around one family. The patriarch, Vic, is an artist and father of four. He marries a much younger woman and soon dies. His family decamps to his home in Italy to get answers and find his missing final painting—a supposed masterpiece.
The novel examines the children's relationships with each other and with their father. It is part mystery, part dysfunctional family drama, and part reinvention.
Overall, I felt like this story would be better as a short story than an entire novel. It felt like ‘someone asks for the time, and someone tells them how to build a clock.’ Not bad, but a lot of exposition to get to the point.
Thank NetGalley and Dial Press Marketing for the ARC.

This is the story of four siblings and their widowed artist father, Vic. Vic marries a much younger woman and retreats from London to the family villa in Italy to paint his masterpiece--and then he is found drowned. How did Vic die? Did his new wife kill him? And where is the painting?
There was a lot of promise in the first half of the book but the plot really slowed in the second half. I liked the characters but never got a handle on Vic's new wife. The four siblings were somewhat stereotypicl and while well drawn were not really that sympathetic (except maybe Goose). The book is well written but not incredibly compelling.

I sought to read The Homemade God after being intrigued by the description of a family drama centered around four siblings gathering at their family lake house, seeking answers to questions around their artist father’s sudden death, his enigmatic young bride, and his final masterpiece. This novel seemed to promise depth, emotion, and intrigue.
The star element of this novel is really the setting. Rachel Joyce’s descriptions of the Italian lakeside are beautifully vivid. I could practically feel the heat of the summer and the mist off the water as I read. The setting is a character of its own, anchoring the story in a lush environment, heightening the tension and emotion of the family’s unraveling.
While the scenery was compelling, the characters and the dynamics between them unfortunately fell short for me. I struggled to find them likable or relatable and many of their interactions felt inconsistent and unresolved. Heated arguments would flare then dissipate without explanation - other times characters would be estranged without any real inciting incident. This made the emotional rhythm of the story feel disjointed and I was left unsure of what the book was truly trying to convey. The plot felt underdeveloped and lacking a cohesive direction.
Overall, while The Homemade God is beautifully written in parts, the story itself didn’t resonate with me.That said, readers who enjoy stories about complicated families and “rich people problems” might enjoy this book. There is plenty of drama and conflict among the characters, though with a lack of neat endings or clearly defined emotional arcs.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good family saga, and this one is excellent! I felt immersed in the Kemp family, and I thought Joyce revealed secrets at the perfect times. The descriptions of Italy are just gorgeous! And it has the most satisfying ending. I highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a compelling story of family dysfunction. It starts as more of a mystery but then focuses more on the drama between the siblings. The scenes in the Italian villa are well drawn.

I love *The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry* (an excellent book and the wonderful Jim Broadbent as Harold in the film) and was thrilled to receive an early copy of *The Homemade God.*
A beautifully written, deeply moving and poignant novel, Ms Joyce brings varying characters to life within the pages with such success that these evolving characters and the messages of this story will remain with you well after you’ve finished reading.
This was my second time reading the author, and I now have to read everything else she’s written. This is a definite recommendation.
Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the DRC

After reaching a few other titles by Rachel Joyce, I thought I had an idea of what this books would be about but it turned out to be darker and more emotionally charged than her other titles. Siblings in conflict with their late father's widow may hit too close to home for some readers, like me, but it's an intriguing story nonetheless with a very interesting payoff at the end!

I have read most of Rachel Joyce's books and was happy to read her latest, The Homemade God. This is the story of a family. Vic is the 67 year old father, and his three daughter and a son are unusually close since their mother died, shortly after giving birth to the youngest daughter. The story revolves around the death of Vic, while he is at their summer home in Italy, on Lake Orta. He has recently married a twenty seven year old woman, Bella Mae, that none of the children have ever met. Vic was a well known artist that was supposedly in Italy to paint his final painting, and now he is dead. The children all flock to Lake Orta where they have vacationed since they were children, only to find out that their father, an ardent swimmer's cause of death is drowning. What ensues is a mystery with flashbacks from all the children's childhoods giving the reader an idea of the effect that Vic had on his 4 children, and their relationships with each other. This is a dysfunctional family at best, and I had to find out what had happened to each of them that formed their personalities, as well as what would happen to Bella Mae. I highly recommend this book to Rachel Joyce readers, as well as anyone that has an interest in family dynamics. I would like to thank Netgalley and Dial Press Marketing for giving me the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is beautifully written, and it's not for the faint of heart. There are twists and turns in terms of character development, and some things feel detailed to the point of exhaustion... but I kind of liked that part. I just liked that each character had wildly massive personalities and quirks and idiosyncrasies that made little sense but also made some sense. Joyce didn't care about making her characters likable, but they were so incredibly human. The exploration of what it means to be a sibling.. oh boy-- so fascinating.

I started this book and really wanted to like it. It’s very slow and I had to stop reading it. The characters are interesting but the plot moved way too slow for me to continue the book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A father, an artist, an enigma of sorts meets a much younger woman and his children are suspicious of her motives.

5/5 Stars – A Masterpiece of Memory, Grief, and the Resilience of Love
The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce is nothing short of extraordinary. In this moving, beautifully layered novel, Joyce proves once again why she is a master of the human heart. Centered around the sudden death of renowned artist Vic Kemp and the emotional journey that his his four children go through, this story transports readers into a richly textured world of grief, sibling bonds, and the deep, tangled roots of family legacy.
Every character pulses with life and their own personal identity: Netta's fierce sense of responsibility, Susan's quiet devotion, Goose’s resigned dreams, and Iris’s youthful impulsivity. Through their voices, Joyce captures the messy, beautiful, heartbreaking experience of coming home—not just physically, but emotionally. The shadow of Bella-Mae, the widow but younger-than them individual, looms over the story, adding mystery and tension. You never quite figure out if it’s mind games she plays or an illusion of your own opinions as a reader.
The setting—an Italian summer on the shores of Lake Orta—adds a dreamy atmosphere that makes me want to transport there with the family. The story laced with grief and human emotion in a setting where nothing bad can exist only add an incredible element.
The Homemade God wasn’t only about loss - it speaks to readers about rediscovery and a new path of self no matter where that push comes from.
Absolutely mesmerizing. Unforgettable novel 👏🏻
Thank you for NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts, forever grateful!

Every bit as captivating as the Harold Fry books! A family with so many issues, so many clashes, so much to resolve. Impossible for the reader to fix or abandon. A great read!

3.5 Stars
Rachel Joyce has been a favorite author of mine since reading some of her past work like "Perfect" and "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". In this offering, four adult siblings grapple with the death of their 70-ish father Vic- a renowned artist. In the last months of his life he was planning a phenomenal painting, and this widower of decades drops a bomb on his kids that he's marrying again- someone named Bella Mae who was in her twenties. Of course the kids were alarmed at this news, wondering if their father had lost his marbles or was being scammed by some gold digger after his money. When he dies soon after the marriage, the kids coalesce and descend upon Lake Orta in Italy, to their late father's ramshackle but idyllic lakefront home. The kids consist of Nella, the eldest- a driven lawyer; Susan, a wannabe chef; Goose, a former watercolor artist who now assists his father in the painting studio; and Iris, the youngest, most fragile- a woman who works at inconsequential jobs and buys clothes from thrift stores.
When I got about 20% into the book I seriously considered DNF-ing it at that point. I had trouble keeping track of the four siblings and their significant others, and thought a particular incident involving the son Goose in an art gallery was absurd. However, my admiration for this author made me give it another go and I managed to finish the book. I'm glad I did, because I just had to know about this mysterious Bella Mae character who was kept at bay for at least a third of the book where you wondered if you'd ever get to "meet" her. The characters fleshed out and enmeshed themselves in my mind, and I was able to keep track of them. The story was actually pretty interesting, with a good dose of mystery and suspense, romance, and delightful descriptions of Italian cooking.
Thank you to the publisher Random House / The Dial Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Immerse yourself in the heat of the sweltering summer, absorb the tension between family members, and allow the frozen-in-time magical setting to envelop you. Near the end of this book, one of the characters reflects to another about his “big bursting life,” and if I had to briefly sum up this story up, that’s exactly what it is. Siblings joined in a bond of intimacy, each uniquely their own person, linked to a larger-than-life father, and when the family experiences a fracture, the impact is so destructive, the devastation causes unexpected emotional turmoil.
Four close-knit adult siblings, three sisters and a brother, with distinct personalities, raised by their eccentric artist father, whom they worship, announces he’s about to embark on his masterpiece, a painting, which is big news. He’s also found himself a young girlfriend and he’s reluctant to introduce her to his children. All attempts to meet her go awry and when they find out he’s swooped her away to their family villa in Italy, they fear the worst. A tragedy ensues, their father has mysteriously died (this is not a spoiler) upon hearing the news, they rush to the place looking out over Lake Orta, that once held their fondest childhood memories, now dilapidated and tarnished by sorrow and mystery. In addition to their shock over his death, the woman, now his wife (also, not a spoiler), remains an enigma.
From here, things spiral as each of the siblings try to make sense of their father’s demise as well as discover where they stand in relation to each other and what role they played as their father’s child, and what now, that he is gone. Who are they without him and will the walls of their family dynamic start crumbling down just as their once dreamy villa appears to be decaying before their eyes.
This is a mystery wrapped up in grief, a family coming to terms with its collapsing foundation, siblings fraying at their once tight seams, oozing with atmosphere.
I loved what a different vibe this novel has from Rachel Joyce's other books, which I also like very much.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for the chance to read this ARC.

This story is a real downer with lots and lots of holes in the plot. Now that I’ve finished it, I wish I’d read “Part 3” and skipped the previous boring, repetitive and depressing 300 pages. Part 3, basically, tells the whole story in a nutshell.
I hope Rachel Joyce will get back to the hope and joy that I found in the first two Harold Fry books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of Homemade God by an author I’ve thoroughly enjoyed in the past.

The Homemade God is an interesting story that reads somewhat like your typical British mystery novel. The children and heirs of a locally famous artist travel off from their homes in England to the family villa in Italy to investigate what they consider his mysterious death, as well as to put his affairs in order. The kink in this mystery is his new, much younger wife, Bella-Mae, whom comes off as the Yoko of this collection of characters. Having never previously met, they only have what their father has told them about her, as well as their imaginations. Adding to the mystery, was Vic's odd behavior and physical changes prior to his death. Of course, with this exotic Italian villa, the book also reads a tiny bit like a glamorous travel novel which adds a little spice to the story. Bella-Mae also has her cousin Lazlo with her who comes off as this tacky sleaze ball, but without a history for anyone to really know for certain whether or not to trust him. The three sisters and brothers all have their own identity and character traits that are quite different from each other which can make for a soupy mess at times. It also provides the reader with a more dynamic scenario so that things don't get too flat and boring.
By the time everything plays out, the last quarter of the story takes some odd turns. Though the story itself is fairly common and easy to read without being esoteric or complex, a more astute reader will find some interesting symbolism and psychological takes that play themselves out with all involved. Nothing too heavy, nor difficult to understand. It's all just there and help to meld everything together in regards to The Homemade God.

In her seventh novel, The Homemade God, Rachel Joyce returns with her signature blend of warmth, wit, and emotional insight, casting a sharp yet affectionate eye on the chaos of familial bonds. When 76-year-old Vic Kemp—once a tempestuous, wine-soaked painter—announces a startling new romance with a woman younger than his youngest daughter, his four adult children are thrown into disarray.
Bella-Mae, the enigmatic and much younger muse, is the catalyst for a slow unravelling of old dynamics. Vic’s children—legal-minded Netta, caretaker Susan, idealistic Iris, and loyal Goose—are each forced to confront their roles within the family and reckon with a new reality they neither chose nor trust. When Vic unexpectedly dies during a trip to the family’s Italian villa, suspicions turn to Bella-Mae. Grief gives way to suspicion, and long-buried rivalries resurface.
Joyce handles this volatile mix of love, grief, and inheritance with disarming elegance. The novel is both a mystery and a meditation: on art, on the ownership of legacy, and on how families mythologise their dead. Bella-Mae remains a compelling, ambiguous figure—is she an opportunist or simply misunderstood? Joyce lets the reader wade through the murk with skillful misdirection and wry humour.
Despite the novel’s occasional gothic undertones, its emotional core is tender and deeply human. The Homemade God is a rich, character-driven exploration of identity and reinvention, and perhaps Joyce’s most sophisticated novel to date.