A review by parklandmom
The Color of Home: by Kit Tosello

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Read: September 2024

Format: Digital Advanced Reader Copy via Net Galley
Challenge Prompt: CNL’s #8 of 50 - “featuring a character with grey hair” 

Book #92 of 2024: 
This is a debut novel that releases 9-24-24. I definitely believe that there will be more books to come from this author! From the homey and cozy cover to the many beautiful passages, this book took me on a journey. I felt I was there in the quaint and caring town, with a hot beverage, a book, and just taking it all in. 

This is a novel about finding our HOME. Not just our physical home but where we shine brightest and feel truly connected. Is it a place or a setting? Is it where we think we should be, or is it where our heart is? Maybe it is where we are truly happy, can find peace and a purpose to serve others with intention, wherever that may be. Moreover, our ultimate home is our eternal destination. 

I found this novel prompted me to be very introspective. What do we do with our “woundedness?” Do we carry it with us everywhere or use it to help others with theirs? What is grief and how can we view it a little differently? Why are we our own worst critics? Do we use terms like “at risk (fill in the blank)” or do we see such people as full of promise and opportunity? How can we use our talents and gifts to help others AND ourselves? What are our real dreams that truly count at the end of the day? 

There are so many lovely passages in this book that fill my senses and imagination. The author has a way with words that had me highlighting my digital copy often. Nature, baked goods, hot coffee or tea, the many colours of paint, decor, birds and other animals, etc. The love for color and design shone by the author shone through. (By the way: Is she available for a kitchen consultation???). 

I appreciate the references to equine therapy and mentor programs. Both are such really good and lasting contributions to anyone who needs them and society as a whole. 

I narrowed down my many highlighted passages to two of my favourites: 
 - Loc. 2633: And as dust motes dance in a wide beam of golden light spilling from the window, I’m left afterward to ponder a quote she dropped on me, something from Henri Nouwen, one of her favorite writers. “The main question is not ‘How can we hide our wounds?’ . . . but ‘How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?’”
- Loc. 3265:  Grief isn’t something you move past, ever. It’s something you learn to carry. That ache, the one that won’t ever quit, that’s how you know for sure it meant something in the first place. It mattered then, and it still matters. So we pick it up and carry it every day. And honey, we have got to allow our disappointments to draw us closer to God, not give us an excuse to drift further away.”

*** Many thanks to #NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced reader copy. This book releases September 24, 2024. I highly recommend #TheColorOfHome