I was utterly captivated by this book. It’s poignant, razor-sharp, and so emotionally true that it aches. A stunning, unforgettable novel.

Having read Rachel Joyce’s Harold Frye series, I was looking forward to reading her newest novel,
The Homemade God. This story centers around a family of four adult children of a well-known artist who raised his children after his wife died when they were all quite young. They, in turn, adore him while recognizing that he had his flaws. When he suddenly announces that he is planning to marry a woman who is nearly 50 years his junior, they are gob smacked.

After the pair are married, Vic, their father, invites his children – Netta, Susan, and Iris, and Gustav (called “Goose”) to spend the summer with him and his new wife Bella-Mae at the family’s lake home in Italy. They rebel and disregard his messages until it is too late. Just six weeks later, he’s found dead, and now they go to the lake.

Their imaginations had conjured up all sorts of ideas about Bella-Mae. None of them fit. Yet, they are suspicious. How could he have drowned? He was a good swimmer. What about the final painting he bragged about? Where is it? What about his will? So many questions. It can take days, weeks to get the answers.

Initially, I found the story to be slow-moving. The author painstakingly introduces the characters in their daily lives, their relationships, their habits. The reader gets an idea of who Vic Kemp is when he’s alive, but only a little bit. Much of who he was is revealed by his kids, his widow, and his friends after he’s gone.
But this family, four distinct individuals with distinctly unique personalities who perhaps think of their bond as unbreakable, experience something entirely different at the villa.

Each has his and her own perception of Bella-Mae and of her cousin Laszlo. Each is dealing with waiting for the results of the autopsy and everything about “Daddy’s” death in different ways. One drinks too much. One lusts after someone other than her spouse. Others obsess about “the painting.” It is intriguing, hopeful, and at the same time, dark and foreboding.

Bella-Mae seems the outsider, even when she stays at the villa, a mysterious observer. She does reveal bits of herself as, particularly at the very end, but with the siblings, she mostly keeps her distance. While the sisters’ lives often seem chaotic, unkempt, my favorite character was Goose. It’s not that he has his life together. Far from it, at least throughout most of the story, but he seems to just get along with others except with his own demons.

Do the Kemp survivors come to realize a satisfactory resolution of their fathers’ death and the disposition of his properties? What about his last great painting? And lastly, will their bond remain intact? Are those we love really who and what we thought they were?

I received a digital copy of The Homemade God as an ARC. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, The Dial Press, and the author.

3.5 stars rounded up

I do enjoy family and generational fiction. In this novel Rachel Joyce creates a family of true characters who exhibit wildly different personalities. At first, the reader might think this is a mystery novel, and there is some of that, but primarily this book this book depicts a family in crisis. They are relationships relationships among the siblings are often co-dependent and each of the four of them has their own issues. The power that their father exudes over them is a segue directly to the book’s title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the opportunity..

This is my first Rachel Joyce book but it will not be my last. The characters were well-written and thoughtful and the storyline was compelling from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Random House for the opportunity to read this advanced copy! Fabulous writing by Rachel Joyce - I felt like I was part of this family as I was reading. Four siblings who had a rather unusual life with their artist father, the conflict that arises upon his death and the aftermath of that conflict. Family is everything in the end.

I've read a few of the "group of siblings falls apart" type books recently, but The Homemade God has definitely stood out. For one thing, it defied genre- half a murder mystery, half an examination of family dynamics. The first half had me hooked with suspense, only to realize how far the cracks between family had spread right before it was too late. Joyce did an incredible job at holding back the ending and keeping me guessing at chances of reconciliation, the cause of the sibling's father's death, and the intentions of his suspicious younger lover. I think the occasional reference made in the narration, where the perspective would mention the looming Falling Out, also drove this tension throughout the first 70% of the book. This was one of those books that was enjoyable throughout, but so worth getting to the end- I was teary on a few occasions. I'm sure that anyone reading can see themselves somehow in Netta, Susan, Goose, or Iris.

Thank you NetGalley and Rachel Joyce for this ARC. This is my first Rachel Joyce book and it did not disappoint. The character were beautifully written. I was very intrigued in learning about the four siblings and the story with their father. Their childhood was very unstable with an artist father and motherless. You soon learn how their childhood has effected the in adulthood. I was very confused with the section giving a second point
of view. It just seemed very out of place. Complicated siblings, imperfect parents, it was just all so good.

I was invited to read this and received an ARC of this fine upcoming novel through NetGalley.

This is the fascinating story of a family. The father, Vic is a widower and artist. He has four children, three girls and a boy. Vic is in his seventies. The children are at various stages of adulthood. Vic is a rambunctious guy and shocks his family by running off with a twenty-something young lady he met online. They quickly marry in a private ceremony which none of the children attend. Soon after that, Vic dies.

The four children are extremely close knit, though their individual differences lead to clashes. The entrance of the young bride into their father’s life throws them all for a loop. How they all react to this is what this book is all about.

The author creates very authentic and complex characters. Yet it is quite easy for the reader to understand them. How they handle their father’s marriage and death is not necessarily what the reader might hope for, but what each child does is in character and understandable.

A very good book by an excellent author.

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce 3-11-25 Review by Shirley W.

Three sisters and one brother have been close since childhood. Their mother died after the youngest was born. They are grown adults when Vic Kemp, their father, runs off to Italy with his new wife, who is 30 years younger than him, to get married. The siblings have never met Bella Mae, despite trying to! Netta, Susan, Iris and their brother Goose talk by phone often. None are invited to the wedding. They are all angry and suspicious as they traipse to the beautiful, family home on a lake in Italy.

Vic intends to paint a final masterpiece after his long, semi-successful art career. The siblings had a scattered childhood at the lake for many summers. Each is grappling with their past as their lives and experiences are so very different. The present is confused by their own worries about the autopsy, about where the will is, and what and where Vic’s great masterpiece painting is.

Author Rachel Joyce has a unique way of writing that pulls you in with beautiful words, phrases and perception. She is adept with explaining complex feelings of the characters and the situations that change at the lake.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from Net Galley. This is my honest review.

I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, the author’s previous novels. They were character-driven, and very compelling.

This book felt like she was trying to break out a bit and deliver something different, but it didn’t work for me. My favorite novels all have strong, vibrant ( good or evil) characters, and this book failed to d3li Dr that to me. I was curious regarding the father and his marriage, but by book two, I really didn’t much care.

I am often happy with a book where “ nothing happens,” but Ms. joyce disappointed me with this novel.

Tense, atmospheric, and utterly engrossing, this novel captures the simmering unrest within a family grappling with grief, betrayal, and long-buried secrets. Set against the backdrop of a blistering European heatwave, four adult siblings reunite at their family’s lake house following the sudden death of their father — a renowned artist who recently remarried a woman half his age before retreating to Italy to complete his long-awaited final masterpiece. But now he’s gone, the painting is missing, and the siblings are left to untangle the truth — about their father, his new wife, and themselves.

The novel thrives on its tension. The siblings, once close, are now forced under the same roof for the first time in years, and their strained dynamic is palpable. Old wounds and unresolved resentments quickly resurface, and the house — filled with their father’s lingering presence — becomes a crucible for long-overdue confrontations. The author does an exquisite job of peeling back the layers of each sibling’s personal turmoil, subtly revealing how their father’s larger-than-life persona shaped and sometimes fractured them.

Adding to the mystery is the enigmatic young stepmother, whose presence hangs like a storm cloud over the lake house. Is she merely a grieving widow, or does she know more about their father’s death — and the missing painting — than she’s letting on? The constant question of her role in the family’s unraveling adds a delicious undercurrent of suspense to the narrative.

What sets this novel apart is the sharp, evocative writing and how the author captures the suffocating tension of a family on the brink of collapse. The summer heat, the claustrophobic setting, and the ever-present shadow of their father’s legacy amplify the story’s slow-burn intensity. Readers will find themselves turning pages as quickly as possible, desperate to uncover both the truth about the missing painting and the depths of the siblings’ personal fractures.

But this is more than just a mystery — it’s a haunting, beautifully rendered exploration of grief, identity, and the complex ways family wounds can bind and destroy us. By the time the summer comes to a close and the final, shattering revelations come to light, readers will be left breathless and aching for these characters.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm such a fan of reading about sibling relationships and this story has that. The book explores how four siblings get on living together as adults after their father dies. There are such complex scenes and a lot to unpack within the pages. I was captivated. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Vic is a famous artist with 4 adult children. When Vic summons the siblings, he tells them that he is marrying Bella-Mae, a mere 27 years old to his 76 years old. The siblings are in shock and of course worried that Bella-Mae is after their father's money. When Vic suddenly passes at his summer house in Italy, even more questions are raised about his brief marriage to Bella-Mae. The siblings travel to the summer house in Italy, determined to figure out what happened to their father. With the siblings all together with Bella-Mae, their relationships are tested. In a nutshell, the story is about how losing a father disrupts family dynamic.

This book started out quite slow for me. I almost gave up quite a few times. The last 30-40% really picked up and was quite good. By the end, I was invested in the siblings and curious to see how things would pan out.

I have not read a third person omniscient point of view book in a while. While not my favourite style at all, sometimes, they are done really well and essential to a book's makeup. However, I really think this book would have benefited from the first-person POV, perhaps with chapters from different POVs (ie alternating chapters between the siblings and Bella-Mae). In my opinion, this omniscient POV really took away from what the story could have been and made it difficult for me to become involved or invested in the characters.

I really wish the author dived more into Bella-Mae. She is an interesting character but was never fully developed. I was left wanting more from her and some explanations to her actions.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite writers - the prose is stunning and you cannot help but care deeply about the characters as they uncover family truths.

Vic Kemp meant the world to his four children, Netta, Susan, Goose (short for Gustav), and Iris. When he announces he will be marrying 27-year-old Bella-Mae, all are skeptical of her true intentions. Vic runs off to the family villa on Lake Orta in Italy to marry Bella-Mae without telling the four of them and their world and relationship with their father starts to crumble from there. Susan soon gets a call saying that Vic was found dead in the lake after he drowned and the Kemp siblings converge on the villa to find out what happened to their beloved father. After many weeks in their family vacation home, they begin to realize Vic was not who he seemed. They spend the summer on Lake Orta trying to figure out what happened to their father, where his last masterpiece painting might be, and what Bella-Mae knew about their dad. The grown children also realize they must now learn how to be more than just a son and daughters and what to do now that their world will not revolve around Vic Kemp. 
I went into this book thinking it would be more of a thriller rather than a family drama. I’ll be honest, when I realized this was not going to be a murder mystery, I was a bit disappointed. The first half of the book didn’t catch my attention, but towards the end, when things really started to heat up between the siblings, I began to enjoy it a lot more. I also really appreciated Rachel Joyce’s descriptive writing and the world she painted for us. I felt like I could feel the Italian summer heat, see the crystal blue lake water, and visualize the island the villa was on. I felt transported to this Italian lake town, and I love when I can feel fully submerged in a book’s setting.
Something I kept returning to when I finished the book was that I wish we had gotten more from Goose and Iris’ POV. I felt like Susan and Netta were the only ones telling the story and that we only really got an insight into their characters. Although for Iris, I guess it makes sense for her character to not have as much time to say what she feels. She mentions how she feels like she can’t compete with her siblings. Netta and Susan are the smart and beautiful ones, and Goose is the only boy so there is no competing with that. By the end of the book, I ended up wishing the entire story was from Goose’s POV. We learn that Goose tried to be an artist like his father, but had a small breakdown when it came time to show his art in a gallery. I just feel like there is so much for him to say when it comes to his complicated relationship with his dad because of this breakdown and his fear of being an artist, and his dynamic with siblings since he is the only boy with three very strong-willed and passionate sisters. He is always the one trying to make everything alright and keep everyone together. I would’ve loved to see more of the end of the book from his perspective, especially with the way his sisters start to unravel since he is that fixer. The end of the book was the best part for me and my main takeaway was that Goose deserves the world and is such a sweetheart. He loves his sisters so much and knows ha the no longer needs them, but they are still the most important people in his life. Even though he and the girls are fractured and his family will never be the same after that summer on the lake, he loves them with all of his heart and he says he would endure anything for them. I am a sucker for sibling relationships and the way they can break, grow, or stay stagnant, so the ending of the siblings’ story was perfect to me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and gave it three and a half stars. To me, that means I enjoyed reading it and know it has merit, but didn’t love it. As I mentioned before, the last half grabs you when things start to crumble around the siblings, but it just took a bit too long for me to start to really be entertained by it. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read! Definitely a family drama but thoughtful and relatable. I would read more from this author having enjoyed this one!

A dysfunctional family, a loving family, a sad and joyous look at families. 4 siblings, a artist father and a much younger wife over a summer on an Italian island. A deep look at families in all their glory.

This is very slow to get going and the pace continues to be sluggish throughout. However, Joyce is very adept at creating interesting characters and studying the way these siblings relate to one another. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce.

This book blew me away.

Exquisitely written. Heartbreaking. I'm already rereading it.

Rachel Joyce portrays difficult family dynamics really well in this. The Homemade God is the story of four siblings—Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris—and their relationship with their eccentric artist father, Vic. When Vic suddenly announces he's marrying the mysterious Bella-Mae, a woman younger than his youngest child, and suddenly dies a few months later, everything begins to fall apart. The siblings must travel to the Italian villa in which they grew up and try to manage after their father's death, which uncovers more than just the ugly truth about the kind of person their father actually was, but the ugly truth's about themselves. Without their father, they don't know who they are to each other, but most importantly, to themselves. This story is a great portrayal of the way familial relationships impact one's identity, as well as how you can carry so much from your childhood into your adulthood. I was invested the entire time and couldn't believe how each character seemed to make bad decision after bad decision. Joyce does characterization very well. I will say though that I did not feel as emotionally connected to the characters and felt that the ending was a bit anti-climactic given all the buildup with Bella-Mae and the storyline. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it for those who love reading stories about family dynamics!

Thank you to the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!