The Homemade God, Rachel Joyce (Review by Abigail Blake)

Set against a simmering summer on Lake Orta, Italy, The Homemade God follows the curious death of the Kemp siblings’ famous-painter father and the destruction he leaves in his wake. Vivid and startling, tensions run high in a setting that feels like a beach read, plays out like a thriller, but follows the plot of a family drama.

The Homemade God makes a strong case for nurture over nature in the shaping of the self: especially if your “maker” is an overwhelming presence determined to shine brightest, even at the cost stifling the dreams of his kids. When that presence vanishes, all the Kemp siblings are left to wrestle with who they are without their father and to each other—not to mention what they’re to make of his newlywed and widowed 27 year old wife, Bella-Mae, in the mix. Headstrong Netta, daydreamer Susan, whimsical Iris, and sweet, peacemaker Goose must come to terms with both their father’s public legacy and the direct impact he’s had on all of their lives (and whether or not to trust their young stepmother).

Like any good thriller, there’s plenty of clever foreshadowing if you keep your eye out for it. It’s not a who done it, it’s a who is it? Who is Vic Kemp really, and who does that make his children, who have centered their entire lives around him? Vic Kemp is ultimately unmasked by the revelations of all those who loved him after his death as they navigate a world without him at the center.

The Homemade God starts slow until all the characters collide in the family’s Italian estate, culminating in one emotional disaster of a dinner. The first “ending” feels wholly destructive and tragic, yet well-deserved. A somewhat meandering final act provides an optimistic “where are they now” segment, concluding the novel on an altogether hopeful note.

I give the novel a solid 4 Stars. Suspenseful, enticing, and worth the read.