Four siblings meet at a noodle bar with their artist father, VIc. He reveals that he has met a young artist online and is in love. He has undergone a physical transformation and they are all wondering who the mysterious Bella Mae is.

He goes to their family villa on an Italian Lake and marries there, but they are ignorant of this until after they receive a phone call telling them that he has died. The four siblings then travel to Italy and grief splinters and fractures their relationships. Who is this Bella Mae and did their dad really break a lifetime habit to go swimming on the lake in the mist? Where is his final painting?

Each sibling has their own struggles with grief. Netta , a high powered lawyer takes action to order an autopsy and can't stop asking questions. Susan gets involved with Bella Mae's "cousin" , Iris is the youngest and often ignored or envied because she is the only sibling painted by their father. Goose (Gustav) has his own particular artistic questions.

There is a gradual, suspenseful build up to the first appearance of Bella Mae and the reader has their own questions. She has distinct and discrete relationships with each sibling which leads to many threads. There's
1. Each character's relationship with their father
2.Each person's grief
3.Each person's relationship with Bella Mae
4 Each person's relationships with each of their siblings.

As always, Joyce is psychologically acute and empathetic.. She really understands how grief can implode everything and test established relationships and patterns of behaviour. within families. She is a great example of "show not tell" and showing the deepest truth of someone underneath the versions of self they present to the world.

Her dialogue is spot on- she has a background of acting and writing radio dramas. I can see this book being a great TV mini series.

Although their is a disclaimer about the characters being fictional Vic did remind me of Jack Vettriano, who died just as I was finishing this book- a bit spooky???

Another empathetic page-turner from the most understanding of authors.

I loved this emotional family saga of an artist and his 4 grown up children. It reminded me of Eve Chase's The Birdcage.
Vic is widowed young and sleeps with a series of au pairs who raise his children while he creates popular art. As adults they become concerned that his new muse Bella-Mae is a gold digger. A series of emotional unfortunate events fractures the family and we find out what was really going on in everyone's lives. Very long but superb characters especially Susan and Goose.

For me, 'The Homemade God' feels a bit of a departure for Rachel Joyce. Previous titles that I've read have been cozy reads, with heartwarming characters. In this novel, the characters are all flawed and this reads much more like literary, rather than contemporary fiction, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

In it, four siblings, Goose, Iris, Susan and Netta are forced to confront who they are, who they are in relation to their siblings, and who they were forced to be by their father: Vic Kemp - an artist famous for producing pictures with a sexual theme. Following his death, the siblings fly to their holiday home on an Italian Island to try to make sense of his death, and how his young wife : Bella Mae, fits into the picture. Gradually, things unravel, causing big rifts to open up and suspicion to be rife.

Joyce is a good writer and this novel was very evocative and enjoyable. Events at the end of the novel did feel like they could have happened earlier and be given more breath, but the conclusions were satisfying. This novel reminded me Sarah Winman's 'Still Life' and would appeal to a similar audience. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

It’s brilliantly written and extremely clever.
The first words I thought of were ‘jarring and edgy’ but the more I read, I realised that it is quite beautiful.
Four siblings more or less brought themselves up after their mother died when they were young and their father was a controversial artist.
All four of them are incredibly close and fiercely protective of their father, that is until Bella-Mae appears on the scene.
But be careful! Remember that there’s always two sides to every story.
This is not what I was expecting, it was so much more.

I really liked this book.
The Homemade God is Vic Kemp a famous painter who paints scantily clad women in humorous situations.
He is just as dependent on his children as they are upon him.
This family balance often leads to farcical situations, sometimes to desperate situations.
When Vic dies the balance becomes unsteady due to the untethering of the relationships.
There is just the correct balance of humour and serious writing.
The characters were interesting if not wholly pleasant.
The settings changed, but the main setting was besides a beautiful lake in Italy, how can you go wrong with that.
My thanks to the author for the hours of enjoyment that the book has brought me, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was interested in the basic story behind this book. Widowed father marries a very much younger woman and dies very soon after. The children suspect foul play. I found the beginning to be very slow and my interest waned. I can’t say that I really enjoyed this book and I began to skip through to the end. It is far too slow in parts and too long in general and I did not like the characters. All in all I was slightly disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

Not quite what I was expecting from a Rachel Joyce - this isn't the usual comfy, cosy read that I was expecting but much more deep and detailed.

This is the story of a group of siblings, Goose, and his sisters Netta, Susan and Iris, and their relationship with their once celebrated artist father.

Their father has recently married, a much younger lady, Bella Mae, who is enigmatic and is assumed to be a money grabber. With the sudden death of their father, the siblings travel to Italy to finally encounter Bella Mae properly and assess her motives.

Took me a while to get into, as it wasn't what I was expecting, but a good story nonetheless.

Four siblings—Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris—are the main characters of this novel. They were 'raised' by their father, a famous artist with dubious fame and competence but a larger-than-life personality, after losing their mother while they were little. The four kids compete for his love, affection, and attention. This is yet another outstanding work by Rachel Joyce, who is among the best writers in terms of her ability to swiftly and profoundly create characters. I haven't read a book as brilliant, or poignant as The Homemade God in a long time.

Some writers never disappoint and this latest from Rachel Joyce is a masterpiece. So beautifully crafted with insightful characters that is just so engaging. The tale of a father (a well-known painter), his children and how their lives are defined by his parenting is something most of us can relate to. Each character is meticulously crafted and their interactions with each other shows an enormous empathy, intelligence and understanding of the human condition. I did not want this to end- the amazing setting by Lake Orta in Piedmont and the ongoing mystery of this elderly painter’s demise, his extremely young bride and his four children. Extraordinarily engaging. Loved it. Book of the year.

I loved this book and the characters Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris will stay with me. This is a hopeful family saga, how those closest to us can be the furthest from us, how memories can have a lasting impact on us. The first half of the book is mysterious, who is Bella Mae? What really happened to their father in Italy? What starts as a trip to find answers soon becomes so much more, a trip that’ll stay with them forever. Beautifully written and an engaging story, easy 5 stars!

A new book from RJ is always something to celebrate and The Homemade God is a very, very lovely read.
The cover, let me to expect something along the lines of a more literary read, but on reflection and having enjoyed the story, I think this is her most commercial book so far. I've enjoyed all of the other books, Margery Benson blew me away and Harold stole my heart, but THMG is a very good book too. I didn't expect to like Gustav very much and yet, by the end, I had warmed to him, each of the characters are interesting as much in themselves as their relationship to each other and the way it changes on their father's death. The house in Italy is so well drawn, the lake, the village, I felt as if I was there, with flip flops and kaftan wafting about in the midst of it all - no mean feat when you're in the middle of February storms in the west of Ireland. Bravo Ms Joyce - I will be picking up copies of this for friends as soon as it hits the bookshelves!

I really looked forward to reading this authour's new book but was left so disappointed. Netta, Susan, iris and Goose's famous father Vic Kemp is a famous artist who is eccentric but adored by his children. He lives in the family home on a Greek island with the new love of his life Bella Mae. None of the children have met her, she is much younger than Vic and the siblings are naturally suspicious of her intent. Sadly, Vic drowns whilst swimming before they can meet her and what follows is the rising to the surface of buried tensions, complicated family resentments and relationships. I found the family dynamic tiresome and the characters shallow, immature and spoilt. I never really engaged with the story or the characters. However, O do appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

Very nearly 5 stars but the first few chapters let it down and I began to doubt that I would finish it; however once the story took off it was totally gripping. The characters in this dysfunctional family came alive and I was completely immersed in their lives, their tragedies, their joys and above all their need for each other. As they live through the blisteringly hot days in their father's Italian villa his new wife becomes the catalyst for their future and the family splits apart, secrets emerge and everything changes. Excellent!

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce is a family saga, and what a family. I emersed myself in the life of the Kemp family for days and didn’t want to come up for air. I was so sad when I finished it, and I am now in the middle of a sizable book hangover. Always the sign of a special book.
This is a story of loss, neglect and trauma, but also of love and identity. The four siblings are all so different. All damaged and demanding, but relatable and likeable. Their determination to be loved by and recognised by their father is at the centre of the book.
I am a big Rachel Joyce fan, and I have loved all her books. Although this one was quite different to the others she has written, it is added to the list. It would make a really good book club pick - with so much to devour and discuss. I recommend it.

This story looks at the family of a famous painter and what happens to them after he suddenly dies in his holiday home in Italy by drowning. He’d recently married a very much younger woman which causes problems when it comes to settling his estate. His adult children consist of three daughters and a son all of whom have had difficult and different relationships with their father from childhood particularly when their mother dies tragically young leaving a very young family led by a father who really can’t cope
I have read one of this authors previous novels the unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry and enjoyed it so when I saw this novel on NetGalley UK I grabbed It Up
I love the authors writing style. It’s clean clear and easily read a novel is a very enjoyable read.
The majority of the book is character lead rather than story lead and the author has the ability to describe my new details in the character that makes so much difference to how real they seem to you at the end of the novel. I also love the way that the characters interact with each other right from the start.
Setting a large percentage of the novel in a large Lakeside crumbling Italian mansion adds an important element to the novel almost another character.

My first impressions of this novel are that I’ve read quite a lot of similar books recently some feeling of familiarity to it as a start to read . However I realised at the end of this book has greater depth than a lot of family novels that might look similar on the surface. There’s more to this book then a good summer Read

There are some very emotional portions in the novel, particularly towards the end Oh my goodness, I’m in little blubbing bits at the end
I read any copy of the novel on NetGalley UK and return for an honest review. The book is published in the UK on the 7th of April 2025 by random house UK Transworld publishers/double day.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com
After publication, it will also appear on Amazon UK

Sorry I just couldn’t get into this book so did not finish. I didn’t care bout the story or the characters

Four siblings and their father. Artist Vic Kemp loved his children, Netta, Susan, Iris and son Goose, but found them hard to cope with after his wife died. This book is mostly about the dynamics between his children and how they developed as adults. I preferred the author’s earlier book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, though this was quite readable.

When popular artist Vic kemp drowns in a lake near his holiday villa in Italy with his new much younger wife Bella Mae. His son and three sisters arrive to find the will and the last painting he painted. Also meet the wife the children have never met. They think that she only married their father who is in his seventies for his money and without no will, she gets everything. So, they arrive at the villa, but they get more than they bargain for. Not only do they meet Bella Mae, but they learn about each other. We doesn’t go down well.
I am a big fan of the book Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the other books in the series by Rachel Joyce, So I was thrilled to receive a copy of her new novel The Homemade God.
But I was quite surprised that this is a completely different writing style darker than her other books. I found this interesting storyline, but it was rather slow, and the subject matter is not that original as I have read several other books with this similar storyline, and I was confused at the last twenty percent of it took a completely different turn. It was like another story entirely. To be honest I was quite disappointed. 3 stars.

The fascination with dreadful men who make art never seems to die, although this one is interesting because his art didn’t sound that great either, but what a dreadful man. This is about a family of four children who have never managed to move beyond their father’s influence. When he dies, following a hasty marriage to a woman none of his children have met, the family make their way to his holiday house to investigate and somehow try to move past him. This is a cast of grotesques, which must have been fun to write because frankly, they’re all pretty dreadful people, which can make you feel happier that you don’t know any of them.

As a Wendy Greenberg observed in her review this topic has been covered before. A father with a large-than-life opinion of himself has his four children dancing to his wishes. There are some interesting observations about the relationships between all the characters. There are lots of hints about the infatuation and death of their father which are not really followed up.
At the end of the novel there is a strange section giving a second view point of the relationships which seemed odd stuck in the final chapters.