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Verk av Karen Osman

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If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be gripping.

I also have to note that the title is perfect. The characters are real, in that we know them. We've met them, worked with them, gone to school with them, we know them. That's what draws you into their lives, is the desire to see where their lives are going. The more information that is provided to us, the more we want.

I can't really get into particulars here, but I can tell you that it is a worthwhile read. It will have you thinking for sure. The writing is good, the story keeps you hanging on, and you will enjoy the ride.

My copy was provided by NetGalley.com and the publisher, for which I thank them.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
Bonnie.Franks | Jul 21, 2019 |
The Home by Karen Osman is a dark suspense novel. Angela is twenty-seven years old and a solicitor in London. She was adopted by James and Rosemary from a children’s home when she was fourteen years old. Her father has pancreatic cancer and suggests to Angela that now is the time to look for her birth mother. He wants to be there to support her while she goes on this journey. Angela, Rosemary, James, and Evelyn are unprepared for what is about to happen. The apprehension builds as The Home progresses. The story is told from Angela, Rosemary and Evelyn’s point-of-view as well as diary entries of a girl growing up in a children’s home that begin in 1969. All three of the narrators are tied together by adoption and we get to see how it affected each of them. The diary entries allow us to see what it was like to grow up in a children’s home. Lies, abuse, and neglect are written about in the diary entries. The secrets unfold as the reader moves deeper into The Home. Be prepared for deception, abuse and betrayal. There are twists to surprise and shock readers. The Home is an unsettling story that will have you on the edge of your seat.… (mer)
 
Flaggad
Kris_Anderson | 1 annan recension | Jun 24, 2019 |
A tough upbringing.
We were lucky enough to have the author come to our Book Group discussion and share the story of how she won the highly coveted Emirates Festival of Literature, Montegrappa Novel writing prize in 2016, with her first book, The Good Mother. This resulted in a three book deal, of which The Home is her second book. I had already read and enjoyed The Good Mother and this was an excellent second novel.
To compare the two, I would say The Home was better written, but it's hard to say which was my favourite. The reveal at the end had me searching back through my memory to events earlier in the book, but sadly I didn't have time for a re-read.

Angela was left in a children's home when she was very young and as she got older, had given up any hope of being adopted. It was therefore a huge surprise when James and Rosemary took her on and gave her a loving home. When, at a later date, Angela begins the search for her birth mother, Evelyn, she finds a lonely woman with a tough past and it's not the easiest of bonds to make.

The descriptions of the children's home, the beatings, neglect and abuse, were distressing, but I guess to be expected in a book of this nature. There were also some pretty nasty revelations in a diary that runs alongside the narrative. I hope children's homes have improved a lot since the '80s, but it's certainly worrying. It made me want to rush and hug my grandchildren and thank the lord that they are safe and loved.

I see there is a third book in the pipeline, The Perfect Lie, so I look forward to reading that soon... or maybe listening to it as audiobooks are my preferred medium these days and I see that The Good Mother is already available as an audiobook.
… (mer)
 
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DubaiReader | 1 annan recension | May 28, 2019 |
I cheated!
I never cheat!
But I couldn't understand why the three stories didn't seem to be intersecting. By 75% it got to me and I skipped to the end. That satisfied me that it was worth persevering...so if you're feeling tempted to do the same, just stick with it, it's worth it.
I guess it also shows how fixed my expectations are and Karen has broken the mold with this book.

I was originally prompted to read the book because the author was coming to our up-coming Lit Fest, and as she lives locally she kindly agreed to join our discussion. She was one of the winners of the Montegrappa Writing Prize, awarded annually in conjunction with the literature festival. Some pretty big names have started off as a result of this award.

Three women, Catherine, Kate and Alison, are the main characters throughout the book. Each of them has secrets that they keep to themselves. That is about as much as I can say without giving too much away so you'll just have to read it and find out more.

So I'll add a couple of quotes instead:
"As humans we are all capable of killing - all it takes is provocation and the loss of control for just one second and your life is never the same again." (loc 2468)

"She let the apology settle like a snowflake, before it evaporated into the night, lost in the void between them." (loc 2893)

This was enjoyed by our book group and they can be a pretty harsh bunch of readers at times.
… (mer)
½
 
Flaggad
DubaiReader | Feb 26, 2018 |

Statistik

Verk
5
Medlemmar
56
Popularitet
#291,557
Betyg
3.8
Recensioner
4
ISBN
10

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