An emotive story about friendship and family ties in the face of loss


18-year-old Kiama had grown up living with his dad Lewis and doesn’t remember much about his mother Emma, who died when he was a small child. As he reaches adulthood, he seeks out her best friend from university, Yvonne. He implores her to come with him to Kenya, on a voyage of self-discovery and to learn more about the place that his mother grew up and where they briefly lived before her passing. Kiama believes Yvonne is the only one who can help him feel closer to his mum, but Yvonne has secrets of her own that involve not just Emma, but Lewis and Kiama as well. As the unlikely pair delve into the past, they both end up discovering more than they expected, and potentially more than they can handle.


This was a well-written, richly detailed and unusual story that is told from two separate time points – Kiama and Yvonne’s voyage to Kenya in the present, and Yvonne and Emma’s friendship from university in the past. The mystery of what happened to Emma is slowly pieced together as you learn more about her past and the link between her, Yvonne and Kiama’s father Lewis, with the reveal at the end packing an emotional punch.

I found Kiama a very likeable and realistic character – I’ve often found teenagers and young people are written in a very poor and stereotyped way. Still, Kiama was believable and had the perfect combination of teenage angst and arrogance that made him both genuine and sympathetic.

Emma also came across as being fun and full of life in the flashback sections, which made the tragedy of her death all the more painful, even though you know it has already happened from the sections set in the present.


Unfortunately, I really didn’t get on with the character of Yvonne, and that really impacted on my enjoyment of the story. When I first read about her, I thought she was significantly older than she was, and quite a boring, uptight person; lacking much in the way of personality, which didn’t tie-up with the fun-loving party girl that she apparently was in her youth. I also found her behaviour towards Emma throughout the years extremely selfish and quite deplorable at times. I didn’t emphasise with her at all throughout the story. Additionally, as significant parts of the book were set in Kenya, I would’ve liked a bit more description of what I imagine is an atmospheric and vibrant country. The pace of the story was also a little slow-moving at times, and the plot could have been a bit more succinct and snappy.


In conclusion, whilst this was an enjoyable novel with an intriguing plot, it lacked a fast-pace and consistently strong characters. However, I did enjoy reading it and wouldn’t be averse to reading a novel by this author again.


Daenerys


Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

Homecoming is the story of Emma, Yvonne, Lewis and Kiama. It follows them over the course of 20 years through secrets, lies, truths and tragedies. I don't want to say too much about the book without giving the story away, as the fact I knew very little about it really added to my enjoyment of it and my need to binge read to learn more!! It's well written and easy to read and the characters are both well built and believeable. This is the second novel I've read from Luan Goldie (having read Nightingale Point last year), and she's definitely going from strength to strength. I really recommend this book and can't wait for her next one! Thanks so much to HQ, NetGalley and Luan Goldie for the ARC.

Thanks NetGalley for a free copy!

I didn’t love this book it but I didn’t hate it. Thought it spans over 20 years, it didn’t feel like much was happening in the story. All three main characters seemed quite confused in what they wanted from Kiama’s trip to Kenya and I would have liked to read more about what ‘Home coming’ meant for each of them after their experiences of Kenya. I liked reading about Lewis, Yvonne and Kiama’s journeys and just wanted more for them than what the concluding chapters offered.

Hugely enjoyed this second novel by Luan Goldie, having read Nightingale Point last year.
Set between Kenya and London, this is the story of Kiama. Kiama is returning to Kenya for the first time after a tragic event that happened in childhood. In coming to terms with the events he witnessed he draws in those around him in recounnting the events of his life.
A story of love, families and secrets - told in a really commercial way. A great multicultural tale.

A beautifully written book. I loved the settings between the UK and Kenya. Set in two timelines from when Yvonne and Emma start university to when Emma's son invites Yvonne to join him in Nairobi. Some wonderful characters. Heartwrenching and heartwarming with some secrets that come out during this journey of discovery. I loved it. Will now be going to find Luan Goldies' other works.

Homecoming alternates between two timelines and is told from the perspectives of a couple of different characters which I love I think it really enables you to get to know the characters better. It’s definitely and emotional journey and the writer is such an amazing storyteller, the characters just feel so real and the relationships are all so interesting and complicated. Will be looking to read Nightingale Point at some stage.Thank you so much @hqstories for having me in the tour and for my #gifted copy.

I really enjoyed reading Luan Goldie's novel Nightingale Point so I was excited to read Homecoming. Set between England and Kenya, the novel follows the friendship between Emma and Yvonne who met as students. Goldie touches on family relationships, friendships, solo motherhood, separation and grief as it spans a period of 20 years. I enjoyed the storyline but did not feel as close to the characters as I had in Nightingale Point. However, I did really enjoy the chapters set in Kenya, which seemed to add a real depth to the story and made it stand out from other novels I have recently read.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for sending a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I had no idea what to expect from this book, and was overwhelmed by how powerful and complex it was. Telling the story from the different points of view accompanied by jumps in time allowed the narrative to unfold slowly and inexorably towards the past events in Nigeria that were teased from the start. Goldie also touches on issues of race, colonialism and poverty alongside this intimate family drama. I'm definitely going to go back and search out Goldie's previous work and look out for what she does in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this early read.
The story is set around the friendship of the two main characters Yvonne and Emma who met as students. The narration switches between them and moves from England to Kenya & back. The timeline switches from now to the early 2000's.
I enjoyed the storyline.

A hypnotic story of love, friendship, loss and betrayal that takes you from London to Nigeria - I couldn’t put this down.
Yvonne and Emma are best friends who just happen to be in love with the same man, Lewis. When Emma has his baby after a brief fling, their friendship is never the same again, but it’s only when Yvonne returns to Nigeria with their son Kiama years later that she finally comes to terms with her feelings and guilt.
I must admit that I never warmed to Yvonne as a lead character as I found her to be fairly cold, but luckily the other characters had so much more to them, and the story was so beautifully written that I still loved this. I loved all the different family relationships and dynamics - from Yvonne’s tight knit family, to Emma’s rich but distant parents and Lewis’s warm and welcoming mother, there was a lovely contrast throughout the story. At the heart of this there is a love story, but it’s not anything like your usual romantic novels - the characters are real and make honest mistakes, and there’s no feeling of an inevitable happy ending, which I loved. There are a few twists and turns but overall this felt like an exploration of coming to terms with loss, and of the mistakes and decisions we make and the ripple effect they create.

I loved Nightingale Point so much and Luan’s 2nd Book did not disappoint.
I loved the dual timeline aspect and the characters were fantastically fleshed out. Luan writes dialogue better than any writer I know.

Set in London and Kenya and over almost 20 years, Homecoming by Luan Goldie is a heartbreaking and emotional story centring around 3 characters and the woman that inextricably links them together.

Kiama is desperate to return to Kenya to visit his grandparents and to lay some ghosts to rest. He approaches his late mother’s former best friend, Yvonne somewhat out of the blue to ask if she will accompany him. Though Yvonne seems reluctant she does agree to go with him and the unlikely travel companions set off. Kiama’s father, Lewis, seems very over-protective and we get the impression he’s worried about Kiama’s return to Nairobi, though we’re not entirely sure exactly why.

From the beginning the reader is left wondering what happened to Kiama’s mother, Emma, though it is clear that her death has had a profound effect on Kiama, Yvonne and Lewis. The dual timeline takes us back to Yvonne and Emma’s university days, through Emma’s pregnancy and Kiama’s childhood. There are secrets, things left unsaid, and we see how split second decisions and untruths can shape the future in profound and devastating ways.

Luan Goldie’s writing is beautifully evocative, and her ability to make us care deeply about her complex and well-developed characters is what really makes this book. The standout character for me is Kiama. In his late teens and having suffered a profound loss at a young age, I was impressed by the way the author so deftly captures that tricky period where he’s hovering somewhere between being a boy and a man. He’s trying to find his way in the world and make peace with the past, and as a result we are shown many different sides of his personality.

The taste of Kenya we are given I found completely fascinating and it has prompted me to read a little bit about Kenyan history to plug (the huge) gaps in my knowledge that would have enhanced my enjoyment of the story. This could be partly why it is not a book that I was able to read quickly; I had to savour the writing, and make sure I was able to be fully immersed each time I picked it up.

A beautifully written and engaging book about love, friendship and regret. With thanks to HQ for gifting me a digital copy for review.

I read this for a blog tour.

This was a fascinating novel about family, the past and dealing with things we've locked away.

Kiama has fragmented memories of his childhood in Kenya, before his mother's death, and he wants to make sense of them. His dad doesn't want to talk about it, so he seeks out his mother's best friend Yvonne and asks her to come with him to Kenya to unravel his memories.

Interestingly Yvonne knows the whole story but is uncomfortable with what it says about her. There's things she doesn't really want to tell Kiama, they don't paint her in a good light or his father.

The plot moves back and forth between Yvonne's past and the present, revealing the secrets she'd rather keep to herself.

Kiami turns 18 and reaches out to his late mother's best friend Yvonne hoping she will accompany him to Kenya to find out what happened to his mother.

The story follows a series of events over twenty years that lead up to Emma's death and a young man's journey to find out as much as he can about his mum and his African roots.

The story is beautifully written. It's a story of love, heartbreak and exploring heritage.

It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time.

Homecoming - Luan Goldie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5⠀
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My stop on the blog tour with @hqstories should have been yesterday but I've lost a day somewhere, whoops. So here it is 🤣🤦‍♀️⠀
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Where do I start with this book?! ⠀
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New favourite author alert! 😍💕⠀
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This is the first book I've read by Luan Goldie. Nightingale Point has been sat on my shelf for far too long and I'm now so annoyed at myself for it. ⠀
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Written over a timescale of two decades, Homecoming follows the story of Kiama and Yvonne. Kiama is a young man, with a confident attitude. Attempting to reconnect with his late mother on a trip back to Kenya as he feels there is so much he is yet to find out about her. Yvonne is carrying a heavy guilt, as his mothers best friend she is persuaded to go along on the trip with Kiama.⠀
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This book is breathtakingly written and captivating in every sense. The level of detail with each character is wonderful. Three sensational characters.⠀
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This book is about family, love & knowing your roots. You won't want this moving tale to end 💕⠀
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#bookphotography #bookish #booknerd #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #booklover #readingtime #readingofinstagram #booksofinstagram #bookobsessed #homecoming #luangoldie #bookreview #bookblogger

Covering nearly two decades and set in London and Kenya, Homecoming tells the story of Yvonne and Kiama (his name means ‘light of life’ in Kenyan). They’re connected through Kiama’s mum, Emma, who was Yvonne’s best friend and housemate at university. Emma died suddenly in Kenya when her son was only eight years old.

Ten years later, in September 2020, 18-year-old Kiama decides to return to Kenya to find out more about his mum’s death and try and come to terms with what happened. He remembers certain things about the past but his memories are patchy and mainly influenced by what others have told him over the last decade.

Kiama meets Yvonne (now 40), who he hasn’t seen since his mum passed away, at a coffee shop and asks her to accompany him on his trip as she knew Emma best out of anyone. After thinking about it for a week, Yvonne agrees to go to Kenya with Kiama but reluctantly as she’s hiding a few secrets and feels guilty about things that have happened since he was born and about the events leading up to Emma’s death. She was in Kenya visiting when Emma died in shocking circumstances.

Kiama plans to spend 10 days in Kenya and visit his maternal grandparents, Neil and Cynthia, in Nairobi, see his mum’s old nanny, Purity, who also looked after him for six months, and then head to Mombasa. Kiama’s dad, Lewis, is rather worried that he wants to revisit the past as there’s a lot that his son isn’t aware of; things that went on concerning his mum, dad and Yvonne.

At the start of their trip, Kiama and Yvonne are trying to suss each other out and are rather wary; they only have old memories to go on and Yvonne isn’t exactly sure what Kiama wants to know and wonders whether she should tell him everything about the past or not. He’s still mourning his mum and his nana, who died recently, and struggling to find his way in the world after being spoilt by his dad and nana too much. The trip is an emotional and tense time for Kiama and Yvonne, and brings all kinds of feelings to the surface and various flashbacks.

As the story unfolds, things become clearer and we realise why Yvonne lost touch with Kiama and his dad, we learn more about Yvonne and Emma’s university days and their friendship beyond this, and find out more about Emma’s family (her parents both work for an oil company in Kenya). It’s a rather sad tale: full of regrets, lies, love, complicated relationships and heartache.

I enjoyed the descriptions of Kenya and the difficult conditions in the orphanage in Lari, which was where Emma had worked. The Swahili phrases were also a nice touch.

Homecoming was an engaging and thought-provoking read with some shocking and emotional scenes. It was sad that Yvonne was forced to choose between her best friend and a man. She felt torn between the two and unsure who to remain loyal to. She seemed rather lonely, guilty and deeply affected by all that had happened.

Overall, I really enjoyed this captivating and poignant novel. It was well written and beautifully described and the story built up cleverly as we switched between the two timelines and the past and the truth were slowly revealed. I had sympathy for all the main protagonists, apart from Lewis who seemed a bit selfish, and it was fascinating to see how one wrong decision/omission had such repercussions for them all in the future.

After reading both of the author’s novels back to back, I’m already looking forward to her next book!

Homecoming is essentially about a love triangle between best friends Emma and Yvonne and ladies man Lewis. Except it’s always been a well kept secret that these two women love the same man. The novel begins with Emma and Lewis engaged in a sexual liaison that may or may not just be a one night stand. Probably quite an insignificant event in the scheme of things were it not for the fact Yvonne and Lewis are already acquainted thanks to a previous encounter one drunken night. The storyline hinges on Yvonne’s decision not to disclose this information to her best friend, unaware of the far reaching consequences this tiny omission will have on all three lives. Their same taste in men and Yvonne and Lewis’s inability to turn their backs on a love that should be forbidden is detrimental to all involved.

Spanning nearly two decades this is a story about love, family, friendship and identity. As I’ve already hinted at, it’s frightening how easy one small white lie snowballs into something much bigger making it harder to tell the truth, especially when time marches on. This well kept secret not only impacts on Yvonne and Lewis but on Lewis and Emma’s son Kiama too. I’m not giving away any spoilers by disclosing the fact Emma dies when Kiama is only eight years old, although the reader doesn’t learn of the shocking circumstances surrounding her death until much later on in the novel. The roles Yvonne and Lewis play, almost by default, in this tragedy are integral to the storyline and it’s Kiama’s urge to revisit Kenya with Yvonne that could finally expose the truth.

Their stories are relayed via a timeline that veers backwards and forwards and is set across London and Kenya. I enjoyed discovering more about the friendship between Emma and Yvonne during the intervening years which whilst sometimes patchy is firmly re-established with the birth of Kiama. To me the fly in the ointment was the on off relationship between Yvonne and Lewis which destabilises an unlikely but valuable friendship and so I could never make up my mind whether I even liked Yvonne. I suppose it was easy for me to pass judgement and cast Lewis in the role of villain but neither are blameless.

The author has created intricately woven relationships that are both complex and intense. Whilst Emma and Yvonne are like chalk and cheese their friendship somehow manages to flourish through the university years and beyond. To me Yvonne is such a solitary figure having to face conflicting emotions regarding the man she loves and the friendship she doesn’t want to destroy. In that sense I didn’t envy Yvonne’s position, caught between a rock and a hard place. Is she truly worthy of Emma’s friendship or is she being hypocritical and unrealistic in wanting the best of both worlds? With Emma’s death I think she spends a lifetime riddled by guilt so a chance to make amends by accompanying Kiama to Kenya even though the prospect is horrifying seems to be her only course of action.

Lewis is one of those characters who redeems himself in my eyes over the course of the novel with a father/son bond that blooms into a lovely relationship. I think Lewis grows in maturity over the years to become the father Kiama deserves.

I’m not sure I ever came to grips with the relationship between Emma and her parents and I was puzzled by their lack of interest in their grandson’s life. Even Purity’s reaction to Kiama’s homecoming fell short of the heartfelt emotion I was expecting.

Kiama, as an adult retains his lost little boy persona, struggling with the death of both his mother and beloved nana and trying to find his place in the world. His time spent in Kenya reflects his desire to learn more about Emma, even though it will be a painful journey. When the author finally reveals the way in which Emma loses her life I understood both his and Yvonne’s reluctance to revisit the past. He is the only character who automatically won my heart.

I really wanted to be able to say that I loved this book, to perhaps be more enamoured with the characters and to be swept away by emotion. I believe it’s well written but my overall feeling having come to the end of the novel was one of deep sadness for lives that are half lived. I was plagued by the what ifs and if onlys...but I suppose that’s the beauty of hindsight. Who knows how any of us would react in a similar situation. Would I have the strength of character to walk away from the love of my life or be as self sacrificing as Yvonne and Lewis for the sake of Kiama? Would I forgive Yvonne for keeping a secret for so long? Those were some of the questions occupying my mind as I flew through the pages.

Homecoming is a bittersweet story whose pace is sedate and I will admit to my attention wavering as I approached the final pages. I’m glad though to have had the opportunity to read this novel and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Title: Homecoming
Author: Luan Goldie
My rating:

Description:
For years Yvonne has tried to keep her demons buried and focus on moving forward. But her guilt is always with her and weighs heavily on her heart.
Kiama has had to grow up without a mother, and while there is so much he remembers about her, there is still plenty he doesn't know. And there's only one person who can fill in the gaps.
Lewis wants nothing more than to keep Kiama, his son, safe, but the thought of Kiama dredging up the past worries Lewis deeply. And Lewis doesn’t know if he’s ready to let the only woman he's ever loved back into his life.
When Kiama seeks Yvonne out and asks her to come with him to Kenya, the place that holds the answers to his questions, she knows she can't refuse. And this one act sets in motion an unravelling of the past that no one is ready for.
Moving between London and Kenya, and spanning almost two decades, Homecoming is a profound and moving story of love, family and friendship. It's about coming to terms with your past, opening yourself up to the exquisite pain and pleasure of love, and of what happens when three lost souls, all bound by one person, come together and finally share their truths.

My opinion:
Kiama is an 18 years old man living with his father Lewis. His mother Emma has died tragically when he was 8. Since then Kiama suffers with night terrors.
He thinks that he can get rid of them if he goes back to Kenya and understands what's happened years ago. The boy thinks that his mum's old friend Yvonne is the perfect travel partner. She agrees to do it out of guilt and that's where the story begins.
I had really high expectations about this book. I'm a somehow disappointed. The whole story was really predictable in my opinion. There was a secret, no doubt about it but I feel the whole thing needed a bit more excitement.
The thing that I really loved about the book was the realness of the characters. It's like I was reading about the people that I could know. The relationship between Levis and his son is something I enjoyed the most. It was really heartwarming.
Returning to the homeland was interesting as well, I always enjoy discovering new cultures and food through the pages of the book.
I'm sure there is a lot of people who will enjoy this kind of contemporary story. Personally I need a bit more action. I'm definitely curious about Luan's debut novel “Nightingale Point” and I'll check it out if I get a chance.

Spanning across continents and decades, Homecoming is a story about redemption, heartache, loss and love all wrapped up in 384 pages. It feels familiar in the way it’s written in that the characters could be people you know and the things that happen to them could have been things that have happened to you or your loved ones. It is the way that Goldie writes that enables these feelings to come through her words and although the book can be heavy at times, it is written in a way that is digestible and easy to read. The settings of both London and Kenya enrich this book even more, with both places adding to the characters personalities in a way that I think mirrors real life - different countries bring different experiences which bring out different parts of us.

Homecoming is a book about coming home in both its literal sense and in its figurative sense.

I went into this not really knowing what it was about, after the first couple of chapters I thought this was going to be a typical thriller but it was anything but!

This is wonderful contemporary story following Kiama as he returns to Kenya ten years after his mother was murdered there. His mother's best friend Yvonne also goes with him, in hopes she can forgive herself for her betrayal all those years ago. Together they will learn to put the past behind them so they can move on with their future.

The characters in this were all amazing and developed so well that they all felt really instantly. The writing style keeps you that gripped that I devoured this in two days. The story was so complex that at each point you didn't know who to feel for the most.

I loved the whole returning to your homeland to discover you truth and how both time eras tied together seamlessly. I really enjoyed the split narrative in this too!

I really, really enjoyed this and will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for providing me a copy to read.