The Homemade God had me gripped from the start - maybe because I was reading it on holiday in Italy? Very different to some of the author's previous novels, this one revolves around the family of a rather bohemian artist , Vic, (Jack Vettriano's work came to my mind as I read) who, after the early death of his wife, is left to raise four children. Which he sort of does, in some extraordinary ways, that create a strong bond between the four siblings, who even as adults after Vic's death share a bedroom in the Italian island house they've known all their lives and where Vic eventually dies.

But it all began to unravel, when the seventy something year old Vic married a twenty something young girl, Bella-Mae, whom the siblings instantly distrust. She is an elusive figure for much of the book, and difficult to imagine.

I found the three girls each to be somewhat extreme of their kinds, and as grown women, not easily likeable. Goose (Gustav) their brother, is shadowy at first but then becomes very central to the story, and his final chapters are then inevitable and very woke.

The book was enjoyable, especially as I was on holiday in Italy, and it made easy reading and was gripping enough to sustain me through reading it in just two sittings. And I definitely preferred it to Miss Benson's Beetle. But Italy in January had sufficient damp afternoons of being indoors that I needed something to read! Without that, I think I would have not been so gripped; and as soon as the sun re-emerged, I was happily off to do other things.

A nice book, but not in my top favourites, I'm afraid.

With thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for an ARC.

Unlike the other books I have read by this author, this one is rather a slow burn, particularly at the start to establish characters and background. However, it is well worth the initial patience required to become immersed in the book. I found the characters rather unlikeable at first, though with the context of their gradually revealed unconventional upbringing and parenting, they become more understandable. It is only when they find themselves on the Greek Island of their family holidays that the characters begin tp unravel and evolve, thanks largely to the catalyst of Bella-Mae.

I really enjoyed the book, once I had negotiated the somewhat dense beginning, and especially liked the interaction of the siblings on foreign soil. An ultimately satisfying and well-written family saga, which delves a little deeper than most into the rammifications of a disrupted, uneven childhood.

Goose and his sisters are the children of a famous artist, Vic Kemp. Vic recently married a much younger woman then went to the family’s holiday home in Italy to finish his masterpiece. Now Vic is dead in suspicious circumstances. The siblings rush to Italy to try to find the truth and, of course, the painting. This was very different from the other Rachel Joyce books I’ve read and I found it much darker. As with all her books, the characters were brilliantly written, although not always likeable. It was a wonderful study of what happens to a family when one dominant force appears to have been holding them together. Also an interesting exploration into the nature of art.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for review access.

Rachel Joyce does not disappoint with this book. It’s like a family saga with a whole lot more. I was hooked from the beginning and thought the characters were fantastic. Each one of them was so different and though they had a lot of problems and issues, they were all very likeable.
I loved the setting on the Italian lake and felt it fitted well with the characters and the story. No spoilers but a very enjoyable read, devoured very quickly. 5⭐️

This is a surprising book from Rachel Joyce, I feel. It wasn't what I was expecting from her, having read all of her previous novels, I think.

Goose and his three sisters have all been worried about their father, a famous painter, who has embarked on a new relationship with a much younger woman who they have yet to meet.

They are distressed when he suddenly announces that he has married and moved to Italy to finish what he has called his masterpiece.

Then they are told he has died suddenly, drowned in Lake Orta.

They decamp to Italy where there is no sign of the painting he was working on. Their suspicions grow regarding the motives and culpability of their father's new wife. The siblings respond differently as they seek answers and as the summer goes on they come to discover things about themselves, their father and their stepmother which will transform all their lives.

I was intrigued by the book - Rachel Joyce is an excellent storyteller, of course, but there was a melancholy and a bleakness about this and the fractured relationships depicted that I found quite tough. It didn't have the life-affirming, inspiring, uplifting tone or message that I associate with her. But a good read!

I have enjoyed every one of Rachel Joyce’s books so far but this one took me completely by surprise. It is much darker and quite different to her previous novels.
The story revolves round a popular artist and his sudden decision to marry a much younger wife. However he unfortunately dies unexpectedly. I initially thought this was going to turn into a straight forward “who dunnit” but this is definitely not the case.
Vic is a larger than life character whose wife dies at an early age leaving him with four children to bring up on his own. They live a very bohemian existence and all of the children fight to get his attention and love.
On the surface they all seem to lead relatively uncomplicated lives and have a very strong family bond. However under the surface their lives are very different.
It takes their father’s death, at his summer home on an island in Lake Orta, to reveal the cracks in their family.
They all travel to Italy to discover how their father died. He had married a girl in her late twenties and the term “gold digger” runs through the reader’s mind. None of them had ever met her and she was a mystery to them. As was her mysterious cousin who was living in the holiday home with her.
I loved Rachel Joyce’s description of the hot summer days and the lazy ways in which they filled them. I could imagine myself there in the heat.
As the story develops each character has to face the truth about their very supposedly close family relationship.
Joyce draws all the threads together at the end for a very satisfactory ending. My feelings towards each character changed considerably as their stories unravelled.
I did enjoy reading the book but not as much as her previous novels.
My thanks to the publishers for supplying an early reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read by Rachel Joyce, and wow what a beautiful place to start. The story here unfolds like a beautiful bloom, intricately interwoven as the siblings deal with their father's death in their own ways.

The story is beautifully atmospheric - you can practically taste every meal that Susan prepares in the back garden, and hear the wine being uncorked for Netta. The split perspectives of them all mean that the reader is oftentimes convinced that one opinion must be the correct one, with a constant sense of foreboding that it's all about to fall apart like a house of cards.

The novel's slow unravelling of hidden truths, written in poignant tones, drew me in and kept me captivated for its duration. A few chapters likely could've been dropped just to keep the pace alive, especially when calling for a perspective shift and reframing - that could have come a bit sooner.

Overall, though, I can't wait to recommend this book to anyone about to embark on an Italian vacation this summer (or sitting on their sofa as rain pours down and they need a bit of escapism).

I chose this as I loved the Harold Fry trilogy. As many other reviewers have commented, this is a very different book from Rachel Joyce. I hope this doesn't mean that others may not read it, because they would be missing out.
I was drawn in from the first page and just wanted to keep reading. The beautiiful setting, I could smell it, I could hear the voices and oh, how I wanted to eat the food.
The disintegration of the family is painful to follow.
A fabulous book. Thanks to Netgalley.

The Homemade God is a captivating and emotionally resonant book that explores the complexities of family, legacy, and the fragility of relationships. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Lake Orta in Piedmont, Italy, the story unfolds around Goose and his three sisters, who gather at their father's home after his death. Their father, a celebrated artist, had recently remarried a much younger woman and moved to Italy to complete his magnum opus, only to leave behind no sign of his wife and no evidence of his work.

As the siblings arrive to make sense of their father's life and untangle the mysteries of his final years, they are confronted with the reality of their fractured family dynamic. Each of them is grappling with their own version of grief, anger, and unresolved trauma, which inevitably leads to conflicts between them. Joyce's portrayal of these deeply flawed characters is both raw and compelling. While some of the siblings may be more likeable than others, they are all vividly realised and wonderfully complex, with their struggles rooted in their shared past of loss and their complicated relationship with their father.

The central theme of The Homemade God revolves around the fragility of family ties. The Kemp children, once incredibly close due to the loss of their mother and their shared upbringing under a difficult father, find themselves unraveling as they confront not only their father's death but also the painful truths that have been hidden beneath the surface for years. The long-simmering rivalries and deeply buried emotions quickly resurface, revealing that the family bond, while seemingly unbreakable, is more fragile than they ever imagined.

Set within the world of art, the story also delves into the themes of legacy and the quest for artistic meaning. The father's final masterpiece, which remains a mystery, becomes symbolic of the larger search for identity and the struggle to reconcile with one's past.

Joyce's writing is thoughtful and evocative, allowing the reader to deeply empathise with each character’s journey. The pacing of the book keeps the reader engaged while also offering space for reflection on the deeper emotional themes at play. The exploration of family dynamics, grief, and personal identity is beautifully executed, making The Homemade God a book that will resonate long after it’s finished.

While the characters may not be universally likeable, they are undeniably strong, and their journey toward self-understanding is poignant and relatable. This book is a profound meditation on the complexity of familial love and the scars that can persist long after the loss of a loved one. The Homemade God is one of those books that stays with you, not just for its gripping story, but for the emotional depth of its characters and the quiet power of its themes.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I loved Mrs. Benson's Beetle, so I was excited to read the latest from Rachel Joyce, and this is very different indeed.

Focussing on sibling relationships after the death of the father, the siblings have always been close, but as they search for answers, will it drive them apart or bring them together?

I absolutely love Rachel Joyce's books but unfortunately this fell a little flat for me. I couldn't fully engage with the sisters or their fathers and felt they were verging on being caricatures rather than full developed characters. Beautifully written as always though.

Rachel Joyce is such an accomplished author, her books are often so different from one another, but almost share the same expert hand writing them.
The Homemade God concerns four siblings and how they deal with the sudden and completely unexpected death of their father, their Homemade God, and added into the mix is an equally suddenly and completely unexpectedly, acquired new wife, now widow.
How the four siblings travel to a far clearer understanding of themselves, and their relationship with their father is the driver of this novel, and as we progress through their journeys, we learn much about how often we know so little about even those we are closest to. Rachel Joyce has a very light touch and there are often amusing scenes or comments throughout the story, so the reader never feels too bogged down by emotions or, indeed, the tragedy of losing a father
I have often recommended Rachel Joyce as an author to readers in the library, and I will be very happy to recommend this title in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an earc of this title

I loved this clever, funny, heartfelt novel about family, sibling love and rivalry, parental neglect, trust issues, I could go on! Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris were all so much fun, in their own dysfunctional ways. the story, though on the face it quite simple (four siblings dealing with the fallout of their father’s suspicious and untimely death and his young, suspiciously new ex-wife) was so expertly crafted, I never quite knew where Rachel Joyce was going next. She evokes the love and lunacy of family so well.

A wonderful story of a close knit but dangerously close to fracture family and the events leading to its fall. Vic, the father is marrying a younger woman and when he suddenly dies, the siblings rush to his villa in Italy. Accusations and revelations ultimately divide them. The writing is magnificent - the main character is really the only son, Goose, whose own fractured relationship with Vic comes to light. What a wonderful book, it'll stay with me for a long time.
Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC.

There is something Learish about this story of three sisters and a slightly mad brother who lose their ageing and eccentric artist father – twice!

First, despite all their devotion and a kind of adoration he shacks up with a younger woman, Bella-Mae, and then, second, he goes for a swim and drowns in the mist. The rest of the book is about the unravelling of their relationships with him and with each other. It’s complicated!

The first complication is that it is the sisters’ mutual adoration of the father which binds them together and provides a role for the brother. It seems that the father, Vic Kemp, is their major point of shared discussion and these repeated discussions have determined their pecking order and areas of expertise.

The second is that the father lived on a Greek island where the children had regular holidays and where he owned a villa until his death. And, he married the girlfriend and never left a will. But, that’s only the start of it…

Also, like King Lear, Vic Kemp may not be as all-powerful and excellent as the daughters think he is. The girlfriend may not be as conniving and manipulative either. There’s a lot going on.

It makes for an entertaining and compelling read. The embroidered and colourful setting of the Greek island and its locals adds to the story, and Rachel Joyce evokes it, conveying the slow pace of the island and contrasting it with the immediate determination of the sisters to get things settled and the ways in which they find themselves changed forever by the experience.

The title of the book it exactly right. Vic Kemp is no deity and it is his daughters and son who have invented him. It’s a great read!

A literary work of art! Think blank canvas with a centrepiece of a larger than life father surrounded by three daughters and a son - make them as colourful, vibrant and lifelike as is possible then bring them to life in the pages that follow! Vic Kemp is a successful artist, not brilliant but good enough to own a beautiful villa on Lake Orta in Italy. His children adore him, each one of them vying for his attention. They are a close knit quartet in constant touch with each other until Vic becomes embroiled with a female younger than his forty something children! His death is a dreadful shock especially under suspicious circumstances. What follows is a beautiful, intriguing tale of sibling rivalry, revelation, growth and a wonderful sense of justice. I absolutely loved it!

This is a thought-provoking novel about the damage parents can do to their children. Living in the shadow of their successful, self-made, larger-than-life father (Vic Kemp) four siblings convene (following his death) at the family, lake-side, holiday home in Italy. The circumstances of Vic's death pose many unanswered questions and further challenge the relationship between the siblings, unearthing dark truths and forcing them to confront inner resentments and feelings. A sensitive exploration of the aftermath of growing up under the wing of a narcissistic parent with believable, well-developed, characters.

Artist Vic Kemp shocks his four adult children by marrying Bella-Mae, a woman 50 years younger. Soon after, Vic is found dead at his villa in Italy, and his children gather to uncover the truth about their father, his mysterious wife, and a missing painting.

This book is really about the siblings—Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris—and their complicated relationships. Growing up with a famous and difficult father left its mark on each of them. As they deal with their grief and anger, long-hidden feelings and rivalries come to the surface.

The story is emotional, with vivid characters and a mix of sadness and hope. While it’s not a happy or quick read, it’s beautifully written and leaves you thinking about love, forgiveness, and what truly brings families together.

I appreciate that Rachel Joyce is a well-regarded author but this is the first of her novels that I have read. I imagine that readers will interpret it in many different lights - for me, ‘The Homemade God’ is a study of childhood trauma and its lasting effect. The four adult siblings at the centre of this story lost their mother when they were very young and all feel her absence so keenly it has become part of their very natures. Add to this, a narcissistic father, a homemade god, famous self-taught artist Vic Kemp, whose children understandably regard as their whole world whilst he makes tremendous emotional demands on them, and fallout is inevitable.
We look on as this close-knit family grows more and more dysfunctional, all because of the unknowable Bella-Mae, a young woman with whom their father is obsessed. They marry hastily in Italy on an island by Lake Orta and, soon after, Vic drowns during an early morning swim. Distraught, the siblings rush out to claim their father’s body. Foul play is in their air and they want vengeance. What has the mysterious Bella-Mae done and where is Vic’s will?
Rachel Joyce cleverly dissects the siblings’ personalities, allowing the reader to understand why they all react so differently to their father’s death and his mysterious ‘child-bride.’ It’s a messy and sad experience. The possibilities explored in the novel’s final chapters reinforce the theme that much in life is down to chance and we react accordingly - as much because of our past as of our present. A thought-provoking read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I haven’t read all of Rachel Joyce’s previous books, but thoroughly enjoyed Miss Benson’s Beetle and was expecting something equally charming and quirky from her latest. Whilst I think there is charm and quirk aplenty in The Homemade God, it’s employed in a very different, much subtler and darker way and I loved it! This is a family saga about four adult siblings, Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris, and their father Vic Kemp, a larger than life, self-made, world-famous artist, notorious womanizer and alcoholic. Like planets revolving around a sun, each sibling has grown up in his shadow and has (both consciously and unconsciously) shaped their identity in relation to him and their place in the sibling pecking order. When their father tells them he is marrying Bella-Mae, a 27 year old around 50 years his junior, the siblings are shocked and furious. But in other news, he says his bride-to-be has cured his artist’s block and he’s about to commence a new painting – his best yet. However, when Vic elopes to his crumbling mansion on Lake Orta where the siblings spent much of their childhood, and is then found dead, the siblings suspect foul play, especially when neither the will nor the last painting can be found. They each rush to Lake Orta where grief swirls with heated passions. Secrets are revealed, but none of them are quite prepared to hear the truth.

Although the figure of Vic Kemp looms large in this book, it is really all about the siblings and their dynamics. I was kept enthralled by how each of the siblings have grown up and made choices that have shaped their characters, either to try to gain affection from their father or in competition with their other siblings which is really masterfully handled. They seem like a close coherent group at the start of the book, but the plot progresses, it peels back the fracture lines. It hits emotionally to see how easily the figure of Bella-Mae forces those gaps wider and the sibling dynamic disintegrates. This book made my heart ache, and I couldn’t wait to return to spend time with the characters who are so vividly drawn. I think the plot is deceptively simple, yet there’s so much more going un underneath the surface and even though I think the ending won’t work for everyone, I loved it and thought it was perfect. I can’t wait to press this book into the hands of friends and family!