Beautifully rich and powerful look at family dynamics. Four siblings navigate their relationships after the death of their larger than life father. Long-buried resentments and emotional upheavals abound as each sibling questions their roles and tries to create a new normal. Oldest daughter Netta is the glue who held the family together after the death of their mother. Next oldest daughter Susan is the homemaker of the family. She feeds their souls and their bellies. Then we have Goose, the only son, who tries to be an artist like his father, but is convinced (sadly by their father) that he doesn't have the talent. Lastly we have youngest daughter Iris, who truly broke my heart. She lives in the shadow of her other siblings, constantly trying to remain small and not take up her space in the world. There is so much within these pages to unravel as these siblings realize they didn't really know their father and they need to let go and redefine themselves away from under his shadow and their own perceived roles. It is a messy and often ugly business as they do so.

An achingly poignant novel about the complex emotional bond of three sisters and a brother when their mother dies young and their father, a famous, philandering, selfish artist, is left to raise them. In childhood, the siblings competed for their father's attention as they basically raised each other, but they're somewhat estranged as adults. Their father summons them together to announce that he's marrying a much younger woman, but then he disappears, only to be found dead at his Italian villa, new wife much alive at said villa. The unspooling of fraught sibling relationships and the complexities of their dead father's choices in life and choice of this particular young bride make for compulsive reading as everyone comes together at the villa. Nuanced and layered with a perfect though unexpected ending. #Penguin Random House #Netgalley.

The Homemade God is a beautifully layered story about faith, grief, and the fragile ways we try to make sense of the world. Rachel Joyce masterfully weaves together heartfelt characters and quiet revelations that stay with you long after the last page. A moving, thought-provoking read I couldn’t put down. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of four siblings whose relationship with their father is not ideal so they became close to each other. Their father announces he is getting married to a younger woman and the siblings don’t know what to make of that. Vic, the father, dies suddenly and the siblings go to the family villa. They have to journey through the lies and secrets in the family and also to sort out their father’s new love. Who is she really?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book will gut you. I looove a fractured family dynamic and oh boy does this deliver. This family will make you forgive your sister for eating your leftovers.

This beautifully written story is a compelling exploration of family dynamics with themes of grief, art and legacies. Set against the sweltering backdrop of an Italian heatwave, the novel follows four adult siblings- Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris- as they reunite at their late father's lakeside villa. Their father, Vic, a commercially successful yet critically panned artist, has unexpectedly died shortly after marrying a much younger woman who the children have never met. The siblings' quest to uncover the truth behind his death and the whereabouts of his final painting unearths long-buried secrets and unresolved tensions.

Joyce does a masterful job of delving into the psychological intricacies of each character, portraying how Vic's domineering presence shaped their identities and relationships. The impact of parental influence is strong with these siblings and the psychological toll of living in the shadow of a larger-than-life figure has led to each of them being messed up in their own ways.

My favourite part was how the siblings interacted with each other, as it very much felt very real and familiar and made the pages come alive. At times they did grate on my nerves with how selfish and self-obsessed they were, but I think that was part of the point. They didn't know how to exist together without Vic. The reveal of Vic's new wife and how the children interacted with her was very interesting as well; I definitely would have liked to know more of her backstory as she was a really intriguing character and artist.

The title is a tongue in cheek reference to Vic and how he referred to himself, a self-taught artist, as homemade and to something his wife created in his absence. Overall, this book is a thought-provoking narrative that resonates with anyone who likes reading about the intricate dynamics of family and the quest for identity and meaning.

3.5-3.75 stars.

This was probably my most anticipated book this year. Rachel Joyce is a favorite author of mine. The Homemade God did not live up to my expectations. Maybe they were just too high.

The Homemade God is the story of the 4 adult children of artist Vic Kemp who come together at his villa in Italy after his death.

They explore identity, relationships, goals, among other family issues.

I didn’t really like this family. None of them. And the side characters, Bella-Mae and Laszlo weren’t much better.

Rachel Joyce writes great quirky characters. These people are just not good. They are stuck, immature, needy and just plain mean.

I didn’t think towards the end the storyline might swing up and I’d find the love I was seeking but no. Didn’t happen.

Oh well! Every book can’t be a winner. I’ll wait for Ms. Joyce’s next novel.

Thank you to #netgalley and #thedialpressbooks for the advanced copy of #thehomemadegod . This book publishes 7/8/2025.

Had no idea what I was getting into with this one, but my goodness, what a ride!

What starts as a story about siblings banding together because of their father's death - with some intrigue from their father's new wife - turns slowly into a story about a family's cracks and their ultimate meltdown.

This story took me in its jaws and shook me one way, then another, and then finally let me go with a beautiful ending. The slow unraveling of the mighty Kemps and their inimitable father is shocking, but beautiful to behold, and Bella-Mae has a hold on me as deeply as she did on Vic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press for the much-anticipated ARC of 'The Homemade God', by Rachel Joyce. I had read her most popular book, 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry', and my favourite, Miss Benson's Beetle. These books were enjoyable, entertaining reads with pleasant characters. The characters here are flawed and complex, and I could not engage with the three sisters. I had a lot of sympathy for the brother who felt his art, consisting of still-life (apples), to be a resounding failure. I became more fascinated with his character as the story progressed.

The Homemade God explores tight family relationships and how they became fractured when their past is examined. This dark, emotional, character-driven family drama focuses on grief, love of family, resentment, and identity. The book also explores the power of art and how it resonates in their lives and with the general public, who may not discern popular subject matter from art that displays great talent and originality. This also applies to individuals who produce works of art and how they are viewed by themselves and others.

Vic Kemp, the father, a widower, has made money with his art, allowing his offspring to live comfortably. The adult children had felt neglected as Vic was a womanizer, drank heavily, and spent much of his time painting. He owned a summer home at Lake Orta in Italy. His offspring have happy memories of time there, lounging in the sunshine, swimming, and spending time together as a family. He was popular with the public for his paintings of nudes and with non-pornographic sexual themes. His publicist, an older man, does a great job publicizing his paintings. He announced that he is working on his masterpiece, a large painting of a different subject matter, that will raise him to higher esteem in the art world. The story was repetitive and more prolonged than necessary.

The siblings are shocked when their 76-year-old father tells them he is marrying Bella-Mae, age 27,
and the couple departs for the summer home in Italy. They are sure that the young woman is a gold digger with hopes for the benefits of inheriting Vic's wealth and property.

The siblings are Netta, age 40, an intense lawyer who has made herself the head of the others, always expressing strong opinions.
Susan, age 39, is a housewife with two young stepchildren. She is married to Warwick, a good man she considers dull, and longs for more excitement in her life. She loves to cook and clean for her family, and her ambition is to head a TV cooking show.
Gustav (G00se) is a brother, age 38, who painted still-life (apples) and was made to feel he lacked talent. He works looking after his father's art studio.
Iris, 33, works at a series of low-paying jobs and buys secondhand clothing. She was babied by the others, is quiet and almost invisible, and has a secret romantic relationship.

The siblings regarded the news of their father's marriage to a woman younger than them as suspicious. Vic has stopped drinking alcohol, and she provides him with homemade tea. Maybe she is poisoning him? He has lost a lot of weight. Now they receive news that shatters them. Six weeks after their marriage, Vic drowned while swimming in the lake. He was a powerful swimmer, and the siblings couldn't believe he drowned. They rush to the summer home in Italy, hoping to find a will where they are beneficiaries and the masterpiece he was painting. They are to wait for the results of an autopsy.

They meet Bella-Mae and her cousin, the attractive Laszlo, at the summer home. They attempt to expose Bella-Mae in a plot leading to their father's death. They share memories, and anger and resentment are expressed as their past is examined. The relationships become fractured, and their conversations and behaviour are inappropriate. The kinship falls apart, and the siblings depart, not speaking to each other. They find their father's final painting, leading to a staggering, mind-altering conclusion.

A concluding chapter describes the outcome for all involved. The follow-up about Gustav was enjoyable. The last chapter seemed like an afterthought, called 'The Homemade God', a modern and unique work of art not previously mentioned, probably to show that interesting art can take various forms.

Recommended for readers who enjoy a complicated, emotional family drama and the power of art .

An eccentric, womanizing “artist” marries a much younger woman dramatically changes his appearance and style and no longer makes his four adult children a priority.
When he dies unexpectedly his children travel to their summer home in Italy to bring his body home. The young wife has different ideas of what to do with his body. During their time in Italy, the once close sibling relationships falls apart. The story comes together in the end but I found this to be a very slow read and I was unable to connect with any of the characters.
This ARC was provided by Random House Publishing | The Dial Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The death of Vic’s wife unhinged him in ways he didn’t expect. Thrown into single parenthood, Vic became an alcoholic and the way he chose to parent or lack of parenting, shows up in traumatizing ways for his children. He has now chosen to marry a woman considerably younger than he is - then ends up dead.
There’s a whole lot going on in this story. Wholly character driven.
Dysfunctional family, and sibling rivalries which end up destroying each other’s relationships. Grief and healing, memory, identity, I read it as it’s more about bonds and how to move forward after those bonds splinter.

I found the mysterious plot over the circumstances in which their father died is what held my attention to this particular novel. I was waiting for a grand finale. It didn’t end the way I thought it would. The book sort of fizzled out.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review.

I expected a thriller but it’s really a family drama about four siblings who after the death of their family realize their have no identify or meaning outside each other and their relationship to their father. I didn’t love this one because I couldn’t relate to any of their grief or character arcs. It’s also a slow burn that I almost did not finish because I frankly just did not care about the siblings. I found them vapid and ridiculous. However, the last chapters about Goose were the most compelling.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce. This was such an interesting and good book. This story basically follows the four children and their world-famous artist father as he requests them to come to Italy to receive some big news. They all assume it’s regarding his latest painting, but it’s actually a wedding announcement to a much younger woman. Then their father dies.

The children have no idea who this woman is and are suddenly in the same house as her trying to navigate everything with their father’s passing. This, in my opinion is where the real story begins. Joyce is a wonderful storyteller and I recommend this book if you enjoy family dramas.

“The Homemade God” is a family drama by Rachel Joyce. This book follows four siblings after the death of their father, Vic, but also their relationship with each other and their father. In some ways I liked this book - it dealt with who really knows the truth (and what is one person’s truth may not be what really happened), but in other ways I never felt an emotional pull toward any of the characters, which made this book feel “lacking” for me. The book is told in three parts, the last part being the shortest but it wraps things up nicely. I found the writing strong, but felt at times that the drama was heightened a bit too much (and Bella-Mae was rather underdeveloped). Overall, if you like complex family dramas (emphasis on the drama!), this might be a book that interests you. I wouldn’t say this is a light and fluffy beach read, but I can see it being discussed in book clubs.

I was really drawn in to this captivating story of four adult siblings whose famous artist father has suddenly married a younger woman and moved to his villa in Italy, a setting that played a huge role in his children's' lives as they were growing up.

I like stories about the messy business of family relationships among flawed and very real humans and how everything is navigated when children grow up. This one is intriguing because of how different each sibling is, in both their memories of growing up and in present day circumstances.

I was a bit frustrated by the depiction of the mysterious young woman the father married, who doesn't appear as a character until later in the story and, then, she remains inexplicably mysterious in a not particularly interesting way. The suspense about her connection to the father is both irritating and gripping and, in the end, rather mundane.

The setting in Italy, where they all end up after their father dies, is spectacular, atmospheric and immersive. I could feel the heat and sense the lushness of the lakeside property and the everyday life of the small town nearby.

Amazing characters and an intriguing story overall, if a bit sad. It was lovely to see the siblings grow to understand each other better and connect through all the tumult of their grief and differences though I didn't quite understand the big rift between them and how it lasted so long.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and the author for allowing me to read an eARC before the book is published - which will be soon, on July 8, 2025. I highly recommend this one - it will draw you in to an intoxicating other world.

The Kemp kids pretty much raised themselves after their mother died, because of their artist father Vic's devotion to his work and alcohol. As adults in their 30s, their solidarity sees them through the seismic shift that ensues when Vic suddenly takes up with Bella-Mae, nearly 50 yrs his junior. Bossy brilliant Netta, beautiful hostess Susan, son Goose, and youngest daughter Iris travel from London to the family villa on a lake in Italy, to finally meet Bella-Mae and to try to solve the mystery of their father's death; not realizing it will tear them apart for years to come.

This family drama had humor and mystery, heart break and romance. I loved the descriptions of the Kemp homes in Isola San Giulio and London alike, could picture Vic Kemp's commercialized type of art, and appreciated the many layers of trauma (from inherited, to shared, and secret).

I was forwarded this book as a recommendation as I loved other faily dramas. Sometimes, family dramas work and sometimes they don't. I found it hard to get into this book, and found the characters all over the place. Usually I love unhunged books, but this didn't do it for me.

A story about family and the results after the family patriarch passes away. The characters were well developed but to be honest, this book did not appeal to me. I was unable to connect with the characters and the storyline did not pull me in and keep me invested. I have enjoyed books by Rachel Joyce in the past and had looked forward to getting buried in this one. It took every ounce of energy and determination I had to continue reading until the end. I literally spent most of the time thinking I could be reading a book I really enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Adult Fiction
Contemporary
Fiction
Italy
Literature

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and The Dial Press for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was a book about the adventures of four siblings in Europe that goes to their family's lake house to find answers about their father's recent death. Their father is a newlywed to a much younger bride, and an artist that was working on one last great masterpiece. While on this quest for answers, they discover new things about everyone around them including themselves. Will the family stay together or will death split them apart?

I was not a fan of this literary fiction novel. This novel was very repetitive and very descriptive about things that didn't affect the plot. This book should have been 150 pages less than it was. I felt the author wanted to make the novel really long so she started to be very descriptive about everything around the characters including the characters. There were several times in the book where one character would describe the foyer and a few minutes later another character would give the same description of that same foyer. I didn't think the characters were very relatable. They were definitely fictional and unrealistic. Overall I gave the book 2 stars.

3.5-4 stars
Character-driven tale of the 4 adult children of a well-known artist. Their world has always revolved around their father. His unexpected death forces them to finally grow up and make their own lives.

We really get to see the early influences on each character and the growth they experience over time. I liked the book, but I think I would like it more if the characters were more likeable and relatable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.