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A review by serendipitysbooks
Homesick by Jennifer Croft
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Homesick is probably the book on the Women’s Prize longlist with the most complicated publishing history. It was first written and published in Spanish. Then rewritten - not translated - by the author and published in the US as a memoir, albeit one where none of the characters shared the author’s name. The US version included photos taken by the author. Three years later it was rejigged again, with the photos removed and possibly some rewriting, before being released in the UK as a novel and thus eligible for the Women’s Prize.
It’s the story of the two sisters, Amy and Zoe, the close bond between them, and how that is impacted by Zoe’s illness. It’s also a complicated coming of age story one that involves a crush, a suicide, early university attendance, self-harm, a breakdown and travel disasters. It’s also a story that examines expression and creativity through words and through images. It is sparse and tightly structured, unfolding via a series of short vignettes which allowed the author to hone in on pivotal events. Some of the prose was gorgeous, perfectly capturing moments and meaning. “Every picture is a portrait of Zoe because Amy’s intention as a photographer has never wavered…what she’s always wanted is to capture and fix forever the presence of her sister, to contain her, to never let her go, or break, or even change.”
Generally speaking this was an intimate and personal book, the author clearly interrogating her own interior - thoughts, memories, motivations. However, I was frustrated by what wasn’t included. Potentially important and interesting parts of the story were simply not there - How did Amy feel after her hospital stay? Why didn’t Zoe visit? Obviously an author gets to choose what to include in their book, especially one based on their own life. Yet as a reader as felt I was left hanging a little.
I can see what motivated the judges to include this on the longlist. For me it fall in the middle of the pack and, while I still have a few books to read, I’m not sure it will make my personal shortlist.
It’s the story of the two sisters, Amy and Zoe, the close bond between them, and how that is impacted by Zoe’s illness. It’s also a complicated coming of age story one that involves a crush, a suicide, early university attendance, self-harm, a breakdown and travel disasters. It’s also a story that examines expression and creativity through words and through images. It is sparse and tightly structured, unfolding via a series of short vignettes which allowed the author to hone in on pivotal events. Some of the prose was gorgeous, perfectly capturing moments and meaning. “Every picture is a portrait of Zoe because Amy’s intention as a photographer has never wavered…what she’s always wanted is to capture and fix forever the presence of her sister, to contain her, to never let her go, or break, or even change.”
Generally speaking this was an intimate and personal book, the author clearly interrogating her own interior - thoughts, memories, motivations. However, I was frustrated by what wasn’t included. Potentially important and interesting parts of the story were simply not there - How did Amy feel after her hospital stay? Why didn’t Zoe visit? Obviously an author gets to choose what to include in their book, especially one based on their own life. Yet as a reader as felt I was left hanging a little.
I can see what motivated the judges to include this on the longlist. For me it fall in the middle of the pack and, while I still have a few books to read, I’m not sure it will make my personal shortlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide