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The Homemade God
Family is everything, even when it falls apart.
After the sudden death of a renowned artist, his four adult children travel to Italy to sort out his affairs with his much-younger wife, in this moving novel from the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
World-famous artist Vic Kemp has relied on his four children ever since their mother died when they were young. Netta, the oldest, is a litigator who often serves as co-parent to her siblings; Susan, a housewife who cooks and cleans for both her husband and her father; Goose's own thwarted artistic ambitions have left him resigned to a job in Vic's studio; and Iris, the baby, drops everything the moment her father calls.
When Vic summons the siblings with the promise of big news, they hope their father is about to tell them he has finished the mysterious masterpiece he claims will be the capstone to his career. Instead, he announces he’s getting remarried. Bella-Mae, his wife to be, is apparently beautiful, a fellow artist—and twenty-seven to his seventy-six years. When his children dare to express concern, Vic decamps with Bella-Mae to his summer home in Italy. Six weeks later, he is found dead. There is no sign of his will, or his promised final painting.
Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris gather at the house on Lake Orta to piece together what happened and prepare to bring their father’s body home. They spend the summer in a waiting game, living under the same roof as Bella-Mae, and forced to confront Vic's legacy and the buried wounds they have incurred as his children. So who is Bella-Mae? Is she the woman their father believed her to be? Or is she the force that will destroy the family for good? How long can their old bonds hold?
With sparkling wit, compassion and tender insight, The Homemade God explores memory, identity, grief, healing, and the bonds of siblinghood—what happens when they splinter, and what it might take to find a new way forward.
After the sudden death of a renowned artist, his four adult children travel to Italy to sort out his affairs with his much-younger wife, in this moving novel from the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
World-famous artist Vic Kemp has relied on his four children ever since their mother died when they were young. Netta, the oldest, is a litigator who often serves as co-parent to her siblings; Susan, a housewife who cooks and cleans for both her husband and her father; Goose's own thwarted artistic ambitions have left him resigned to a job in Vic's studio; and Iris, the baby, drops everything the moment her father calls.
When Vic summons the siblings with the promise of big news, they hope their father is about to tell them he has finished the mysterious masterpiece he claims will be the capstone to his career. Instead, he announces he’s getting remarried. Bella-Mae, his wife to be, is apparently beautiful, a fellow artist—and twenty-seven to his seventy-six years. When his children dare to express concern, Vic decamps with Bella-Mae to his summer home in Italy. Six weeks later, he is found dead. There is no sign of his will, or his promised final painting.
Netta, Susan, Goose, and Iris gather at the house on Lake Orta to piece together what happened and prepare to bring their father’s body home. They spend the summer in a waiting game, living under the same roof as Bella-Mae, and forced to confront Vic's legacy and the buried wounds they have incurred as his children. So who is Bella-Mae? Is she the woman their father believed her to be? Or is she the force that will destroy the family for good? How long can their old bonds hold?
With sparkling wit, compassion and tender insight, The Homemade God explores memory, identity, grief, healing, and the bonds of siblinghood—what happens when they splinter, and what it might take to find a new way forward.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2025
748 people are currently reading
19567 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Joyce
40 books3,349 followersRachel Joyce has written over 20 original afternoon plays for BBC Radio 4, and major adaptations for both the Classic Series, Woman's Hour and also a TV drama adaptation for BBC 2. In 2007 she won the Tinniswood Award for best radio play. She moved to writing after a twenty-year career in theatre and television, performing leading roles for the RSC, the Royal National Theatre, The Royal Court, and Cheek by Jowl, winning a Time Out Best Actress award and the Sony Silver.
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June 30, 2025
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I loved Rachel Joyce's Harold Fry Series (books one and two), so I jumped at the chance to read her newest release. This one takes us to Italy after four siblings lose their artist father; they travel there to help sort out his estate with his wife, who happens to be 50 years younger than him. Netta is the oldest and is a litigator, Susan is a stay-at-home wife, Goose is an artist like his dad (well, not like his dad as he is a failure) and is his dad's assistant, and Iris is a little daddy's girl and the youngest. Bella-Mae is the father's wife. She's 27, and he is 76. A mere 6 weeks after their wedding, he is dead, his will is missing, and so is the painting he was working on. the four siblings try and figure out what the heck is going on and who is this new wife really?
The Homemade God is a very slow-burn, character-driven story, and the premise was certainly a good one with the mysterious way too young window who can't find the will or the masterpiece her dead husband has painted. Rachel Joyce wrote the atmosphere very well, I could feel the tension, resentment and secrets. She also writes about Italy very descriptively, and it's a place that's always been on my bucket list. (The history, art, architecture, cuisine and fashion!)
I hated Vic so much. He is anything but a father. He is a great painter and has plenty of charm, but his kids have nothing but painful memories. He is Narcissistic, neglectful and selfish. I had a hard time believing in all the grief his kids were suffering from, or feeling sorry that he died. All four of the kids were wonderfully written, but the rest of them felt flat. And the plot is more of a did-she-do-it than a whodunit, and the pace was too slow. It was more psychological than mysterious and turned into a mess of confrontations that felt repetitive. Overall, this was just a mixed bag for me. It is a well-written story with some excellent insights into a family, but the slow pace and my hatred of some of the characters prevent me from rating it higher.
P.S. I love a good family drama and the toxic and complicated relationships that comprise a dysfunctional family. This one is about a Dad who was not a good man, and maybe it just hit too close to home for me, as my own not-a-good-man dad died not too long ago, and as much as I hated the step-mother Bella-Mae character, I hate my own (way too young) step-monster even more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
I loved Rachel Joyce's Harold Fry Series (books one and two), so I jumped at the chance to read her newest release. This one takes us to Italy after four siblings lose their artist father; they travel there to help sort out his estate with his wife, who happens to be 50 years younger than him. Netta is the oldest and is a litigator, Susan is a stay-at-home wife, Goose is an artist like his dad (well, not like his dad as he is a failure) and is his dad's assistant, and Iris is a little daddy's girl and the youngest. Bella-Mae is the father's wife. She's 27, and he is 76. A mere 6 weeks after their wedding, he is dead, his will is missing, and so is the painting he was working on. the four siblings try and figure out what the heck is going on and who is this new wife really?
The Homemade God is a very slow-burn, character-driven story, and the premise was certainly a good one with the mysterious way too young window who can't find the will or the masterpiece her dead husband has painted. Rachel Joyce wrote the atmosphere very well, I could feel the tension, resentment and secrets. She also writes about Italy very descriptively, and it's a place that's always been on my bucket list. (The history, art, architecture, cuisine and fashion!)
I hated Vic so much. He is anything but a father. He is a great painter and has plenty of charm, but his kids have nothing but painful memories. He is Narcissistic, neglectful and selfish. I had a hard time believing in all the grief his kids were suffering from, or feeling sorry that he died. All four of the kids were wonderfully written, but the rest of them felt flat. And the plot is more of a did-she-do-it than a whodunit, and the pace was too slow. It was more psychological than mysterious and turned into a mess of confrontations that felt repetitive. Overall, this was just a mixed bag for me. It is a well-written story with some excellent insights into a family, but the slow pace and my hatred of some of the characters prevent me from rating it higher.
P.S. I love a good family drama and the toxic and complicated relationships that comprise a dysfunctional family. This one is about a Dad who was not a good man, and maybe it just hit too close to home for me, as my own not-a-good-man dad died not too long ago, and as much as I hated the step-mother Bella-Mae character, I hate my own (way too young) step-monster even more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
July 27, 2025
Rachel Joyce has done it again with The Homemade God, a novel that is as emotionally rich as it is atmospheric.
This captivating story weaves together themes of art, family, and the intricate ties that both bind and divide us. Set against the backdrop of a sweltering Italian summer at a lakeside villa, the novel centers on four estranged siblings who reunite after the sudden death of their father—a celebrated yet deeply flawed artist. Together, they must unravel the mysteries he left behind, including his unfinished final masterpiece and his mysterious young widow, Bella-Mae.
What unfolds is a deeply moving and intricately layered exploration of grief, love, and identity. As the siblings grapple with their father’s legacy, long-buried resentments and painful truths rise to the surface. Joyce’s talent for creating complex, fully fleshed-out characters is on full display here. Each sibling is vividly portrayed, carrying their own scars and secrets as they navigate the weight of their shared past. The story unfolds with a slow-burning intensity, revealing its truths with the precision of an artist carefully layering paint on a canvas.
Joyce’s prose is exquisite, capturing the raw, messy emotions of family dynamics with remarkable clarity. The Homemade God is the kind of novel that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s not just a story about what we inherit from those who came before us, but also about how we find the strength to move forward when the past refuses to release its grip.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this resonant women’s fiction novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This captivating story weaves together themes of art, family, and the intricate ties that both bind and divide us. Set against the backdrop of a sweltering Italian summer at a lakeside villa, the novel centers on four estranged siblings who reunite after the sudden death of their father—a celebrated yet deeply flawed artist. Together, they must unravel the mysteries he left behind, including his unfinished final masterpiece and his mysterious young widow, Bella-Mae.
What unfolds is a deeply moving and intricately layered exploration of grief, love, and identity. As the siblings grapple with their father’s legacy, long-buried resentments and painful truths rise to the surface. Joyce’s talent for creating complex, fully fleshed-out characters is on full display here. Each sibling is vividly portrayed, carrying their own scars and secrets as they navigate the weight of their shared past. The story unfolds with a slow-burning intensity, revealing its truths with the precision of an artist carefully layering paint on a canvas.
Joyce’s prose is exquisite, capturing the raw, messy emotions of family dynamics with remarkable clarity. The Homemade God is the kind of novel that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s not just a story about what we inherit from those who came before us, but also about how we find the strength to move forward when the past refuses to release its grip.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this resonant women’s fiction novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium.com
February 11, 2025
Rachel Joyce is a genius at creating complex, real, fractured characters and relationships. I didn’t just read about the four Kemp siblings, I became one of them, and I’m bereft now I’ve left them behind. The Homemade God is the most moving, beautiful and brilliant book I’ve read in a long time. Read it. You won’t regret it.
May 21, 2025
3.5
I truly enjoyed The Likely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye. I was excited to read this new book by Rachael Joyce.
This was book was not what I thought it would be. I expected more of a mystery thriller. It turned out to be a complex family drama about four adult siblings and how they dealt with the untimely death of their father.
Vic Kemp was a 76 yr old man who was an artist and was about to create his “masterpiece.”. He lost his wife, the mother of his children many years ago and raised his young children himself. He informs them that he is marrying Bella Mae a much younger woman, in fact she is even younger than his youngest child. Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris are shocked.
Vic and Bella travel to Lake Orta in Italy, Vic’s summer home. The children have never met Bella. Suddenly they are told that their beloved father has died. They travel to Italy to investigate what happened. They believe Bella must have something to do with his death. They do not trust Bella.
This is a slow burn story that went on and on. I found it hard to engage in the story. The setting in Italy was beautiful.
The writing was very good but too drawn out for me.
It is a story of family drama, grief and healing.
If you like family drama you will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Dial Press for this advanced readers copy.
I truly enjoyed The Likely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye. I was excited to read this new book by Rachael Joyce.
This was book was not what I thought it would be. I expected more of a mystery thriller. It turned out to be a complex family drama about four adult siblings and how they dealt with the untimely death of their father.
Vic Kemp was a 76 yr old man who was an artist and was about to create his “masterpiece.”. He lost his wife, the mother of his children many years ago and raised his young children himself. He informs them that he is marrying Bella Mae a much younger woman, in fact she is even younger than his youngest child. Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris are shocked.
Vic and Bella travel to Lake Orta in Italy, Vic’s summer home. The children have never met Bella. Suddenly they are told that their beloved father has died. They travel to Italy to investigate what happened. They believe Bella must have something to do with his death. They do not trust Bella.
This is a slow burn story that went on and on. I found it hard to engage in the story. The setting in Italy was beautiful.
The writing was very good but too drawn out for me.
It is a story of family drama, grief and healing.
If you like family drama you will enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/Dial Press for this advanced readers copy.
August 8, 2025
"Once you start, time will have to keep spooling backwards, reversing everything that has happened. Because in truth so much had already been put in to place before he even heard Bella-Mae’s name.
A new Rachel Joyce book is always worth looking forward to.
The Homemade God is a fascinating addition to Rachel Joyce's collection. Her books focus on the small details between family and friends - the minutiae- the everyday details and actions of life - that build to form the bigger /greater emotions and reactions.
This is a story of four siblings- Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris. Having lost their mother at a young age, they were 'raised' by their father - a renowned artist of questionable skill and fame but with a larger than life personality and a joie de vivre for wine an women. The four children vie for his attention, love and recognition.
When their father in his seventies announces he is love with a woman in her late twenties (Bella-Mae), the brother and sisters are baffled- especially as they don't get to meet her. The four try to find out more about this elusive figure.
When their father travels to the family home on a small island on Lake Orta in Italy with his new love (where the children spent childhood holidays) to paint a ' new masterpiece ' they discover he is married and then shockingly and mysteriously is found dead in the lake.
Initially, the book feels that it will be a murder mystery - was Bella-Mae a killer? Who was the cousin who was with her on the island?
But this novel is much more subtle and nuanced.This is a story of a family in meltdown, unsaid thoughts and feelings and the illusions that families create between themselves.
The first half of the novel builds the dynamic of the siblings and their relationship with their father and the unseen damage within their supposed' ideal lives'.. but it is when the brother and sisters go to meet Bella-Mae on the island the story really explodes. Four different personalities and perspectives on life and events - that have never been confronted.. Things unsaid..
After an initial reservation as to whether the book would be enjoyed where it was leading(actually what genre is it?), the reward is in the second half - as the facades are peeled away and truths are revealed.
There will be a television executive wanting to create this for the screen- no question - and it would work well.
Rachel Joyce's talent as an author take the reader once again in to the frailties of the human condition but also gives hope - love should conquer all.
A new Rachel Joyce book is always worth looking forward to.
The Homemade God is a fascinating addition to Rachel Joyce's collection. Her books focus on the small details between family and friends - the minutiae- the everyday details and actions of life - that build to form the bigger /greater emotions and reactions.
This is a story of four siblings- Netta, Susan, Goose and Iris. Having lost their mother at a young age, they were 'raised' by their father - a renowned artist of questionable skill and fame but with a larger than life personality and a joie de vivre for wine an women. The four children vie for his attention, love and recognition.
When their father in his seventies announces he is love with a woman in her late twenties (Bella-Mae), the brother and sisters are baffled- especially as they don't get to meet her. The four try to find out more about this elusive figure.
When their father travels to the family home on a small island on Lake Orta in Italy with his new love (where the children spent childhood holidays) to paint a ' new masterpiece ' they discover he is married and then shockingly and mysteriously is found dead in the lake.
Initially, the book feels that it will be a murder mystery - was Bella-Mae a killer? Who was the cousin who was with her on the island?
But this novel is much more subtle and nuanced.This is a story of a family in meltdown, unsaid thoughts and feelings and the illusions that families create between themselves.
The first half of the novel builds the dynamic of the siblings and their relationship with their father and the unseen damage within their supposed' ideal lives'.. but it is when the brother and sisters go to meet Bella-Mae on the island the story really explodes. Four different personalities and perspectives on life and events - that have never been confronted.. Things unsaid..
After an initial reservation as to whether the book would be enjoyed where it was leading(actually what genre is it?), the reward is in the second half - as the facades are peeled away and truths are revealed.
There will be a television executive wanting to create this for the screen- no question - and it would work well.
Rachel Joyce's talent as an author take the reader once again in to the frailties of the human condition but also gives hope - love should conquer all.
April 25, 2025
3.5 Stars
Rachel Joyce has been a favorite author of mine since reading some of her past work like Perfect and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. In this offering, four adult siblings grapple with the death of their 70-ish father Vic- a renowned artist. In the last months of his life he was planning a phenomenal painting, and this widower of decades drops a bomb on his kids that he's marrying again- someone named Bella Mae who was in her twenties. Of course the kids were alarmed at this news, wondering if their father had lost his marbles or was being scammed by some gold digger after his money. When he dies soon after the marriage, the kids coalesce and descend upon Lake Orta in Italy, to their late father's ramshackle but idyllic lakefront home. The kids consist of Nella, the eldest- a driven lawyer; Susan, a wannabe chef; Goose, a former watercolor artist who now assists his father in the painting studio; and Iris, the youngest, most fragile- a woman who works at inconsequential jobs and buys clothes from thrift stores.
When I got about 20% into the book I seriously considered DNF-ing it at that point. I had trouble keeping track of the four siblings and their significant others, and thought a particular incident involving the son Goose in an art gallery was absurd. However, my admiration for this author made me give it another go and I managed to finish the book. I'm glad I did, because I just had to know about this mysterious Bella Mae character who was kept at bay for at least a third of the book where you wondered if you'd ever get to "meet" her. The characters fleshed out and enmeshed themselves in my mind, and I was able to keep track of them. The story was actually pretty interesting, with a good dose of mystery and suspense, romance, and delightful descriptions of Italian cooking.
Thank you to the publisher Random House / The Dial Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Rachel Joyce has been a favorite author of mine since reading some of her past work like Perfect and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. In this offering, four adult siblings grapple with the death of their 70-ish father Vic- a renowned artist. In the last months of his life he was planning a phenomenal painting, and this widower of decades drops a bomb on his kids that he's marrying again- someone named Bella Mae who was in her twenties. Of course the kids were alarmed at this news, wondering if their father had lost his marbles or was being scammed by some gold digger after his money. When he dies soon after the marriage, the kids coalesce and descend upon Lake Orta in Italy, to their late father's ramshackle but idyllic lakefront home. The kids consist of Nella, the eldest- a driven lawyer; Susan, a wannabe chef; Goose, a former watercolor artist who now assists his father in the painting studio; and Iris, the youngest, most fragile- a woman who works at inconsequential jobs and buys clothes from thrift stores.
When I got about 20% into the book I seriously considered DNF-ing it at that point. I had trouble keeping track of the four siblings and their significant others, and thought a particular incident involving the son Goose in an art gallery was absurd. However, my admiration for this author made me give it another go and I managed to finish the book. I'm glad I did, because I just had to know about this mysterious Bella Mae character who was kept at bay for at least a third of the book where you wondered if you'd ever get to "meet" her. The characters fleshed out and enmeshed themselves in my mind, and I was able to keep track of them. The story was actually pretty interesting, with a good dose of mystery and suspense, romance, and delightful descriptions of Italian cooking.
Thank you to the publisher Random House / The Dial Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
July 5, 2025
This novel is a beautifully layered exploration of identity, family, friendship, and the quiet complexities of human connection. The author’s prose is lyrical and evocative, capturing emotions and memories with a tenderness that feels both nostalgic and deeply personal. It reads like a timeless melody, rich, warm, and full of heart.
There’s a meditative quality to the storytelling that invites reflection. Whether it’s unpacking the nuances of relationships or tracing personal growth, the narrative offers something meaningful for every reader. It’s the kind of book best enjoyed slowly—with a glass of wine, a bit of jazz in the background, and an open heart. A thoughtful, rewarding experience—highly recommended.
There’s a meditative quality to the storytelling that invites reflection. Whether it’s unpacking the nuances of relationships or tracing personal growth, the narrative offers something meaningful for every reader. It’s the kind of book best enjoyed slowly—with a glass of wine, a bit of jazz in the background, and an open heart. A thoughtful, rewarding experience—highly recommended.
May 16, 2025
It took me a while to get into this book - I could not really connect to the characters and felt like the attention between the four perspectivrd was very unevenly divided. But the slow unravelling of the sibling bond was well done and the mystery at the heart of this book kept me reading!! A perfect summer beach read
July 8, 2025
"Family is everything, even when it falls apart.
After the sudden death of a renowned artist, his four adult children travel to Italy to sort out his affairs with his much-younger wife, in this moving novel" from bestselling author Rachel Joyce.
This novel is a true work of art where Joyce is the artist, and this is her masterpiece. The four adult Kemp children and their father are intricately layered throughout the novel, stirring emotions in you to the point where you feel what they are feeling. The prose is lyrical, evocative, and hauntingly beautiful. Time and place are fully immersive, and I felt as if I was stepping off the page and into a watercolor masterpiece where every sentence was an essential brushstroke. It transported me to Lake Orta and the Villa Carlotta.
After Vic Kemp's death and finding his mysterious young new wife, the siblings are left reeling, and themes of identity, grief, and family are explored. The fracturing of sibling relationships that had been so close for decades is beautifully examined. The novel is reflective, thought-provoking, and leaves the reader with a sense that family relationships can fracture and mend and that unexpected challenges can be the road map to a beautiful future. Fans of literary fiction and family sagas do not want to miss this one. These characters and masterful storytelling will stay with me for a long time. This will be one of my favorite books for 2025.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - The Dial Press, and Rachel Joyce for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
After the sudden death of a renowned artist, his four adult children travel to Italy to sort out his affairs with his much-younger wife, in this moving novel" from bestselling author Rachel Joyce.
This novel is a true work of art where Joyce is the artist, and this is her masterpiece. The four adult Kemp children and their father are intricately layered throughout the novel, stirring emotions in you to the point where you feel what they are feeling. The prose is lyrical, evocative, and hauntingly beautiful. Time and place are fully immersive, and I felt as if I was stepping off the page and into a watercolor masterpiece where every sentence was an essential brushstroke. It transported me to Lake Orta and the Villa Carlotta.
After Vic Kemp's death and finding his mysterious young new wife, the siblings are left reeling, and themes of identity, grief, and family are explored. The fracturing of sibling relationships that had been so close for decades is beautifully examined. The novel is reflective, thought-provoking, and leaves the reader with a sense that family relationships can fracture and mend and that unexpected challenges can be the road map to a beautiful future. Fans of literary fiction and family sagas do not want to miss this one. These characters and masterful storytelling will stay with me for a long time. This will be one of my favorite books for 2025.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - The Dial Press, and Rachel Joyce for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 17, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press for the much-anticipated ARC of 'The Homemade God', by Rachel Joyce. I had read her most popular book, 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry', and my favourite, Miss Benson's Beetle. These books were enjoyable, entertaining reads with pleasant characters. The characters here are flawed and complex, and I could not engage with the three sisters. I had a lot of sympathy for the brother who felt his art, consisting of still-life (apples), to be a resounding failure. I became more fascinated with his character as the story progressed.
The Homemade God explores tight family relationships and how they became fractured when their past is examined. This dark, emotional, character-driven family drama focuses on grief, love of family, resentment, and identity. The book also explores the power of art and how it resonates in their lives and with the general public, who may not discern popular subject matter from art that displays great talent and originality. This also applies to individuals who produce works of art and how they are viewed by themselves and others.
Vic Kemp, the father, a widower, has made money with his art, allowing his offspring to live comfortably. The adult children had felt neglected as Vic was a womanizer, drank heavily, and spent much of his time painting. He owned a summer home at Lake Orta in Italy. His offspring have happy memories of time there, lounging in the sunshine, swimming, and spending time together as a family. He was popular with the public for his paintings of nudes and with non-pornographic sexual themes. His publicist, an older man, does a great job publicizing his paintings. He announced that he is working on his masterpiece, a large painting of a different subject matter, that will raise him to higher esteem in the art world. The story was repetitive and more prolonged than necessary.
The siblings are shocked when their 76-year-old father tells them he is marrying Bella-Mae, age 27,
and the couple departs for the summer home in Italy. They are sure that the young woman is a gold digger with hopes for the benefits of inheriting Vic's wealth and property.
The siblings are Netta, age 40, an intense lawyer who has made herself the head of the others, always expressing strong opinions.
Susan, age 39, is a housewife with two young stepchildren. She is married to Warwick, a good man she considers dull, and longs for more excitement in her life. She loves to cook and clean for her family, and her ambition is to head a TV cooking show.
Gustav (G00se) is a brother, age 38, who painted still-life (apples) and was made to feel he lacked talent. He works looking after his father's art studio.
Iris, 33, works at a series of low-paying jobs and buys secondhand clothing. She was babied by the others, is quiet and almost invisible, and has a secret romantic relationship.
The siblings regarded the news of their father's marriage to a woman younger than them as suspicious. Vic has stopped drinking alcohol, and she provides him with homemade tea. Maybe she is poisoning him? He has lost a lot of weight. Now they receive news that shatters them. Six weeks after their marriage, Vic drowned while swimming in the lake. He was a powerful swimmer, and the siblings couldn't believe he drowned. They rush to the summer home in Italy, hoping to find a will where they are beneficiaries and the masterpiece he was painting. They are to wait for the results of an autopsy.
They meet Bella-Mae and her cousin, the attractive Laszlo, at the summer home. They attempt to expose Bella-Mae in a plot leading to their father's death. They share memories, and anger and resentment are expressed as their past is examined. The relationships become fractured, and their conversations and behaviour are inappropriate. The kinship falls apart, and the siblings depart, not speaking to each other. They find their father's final painting, leading to a staggering, mind-altering conclusion.
A concluding chapter describes the outcome for all involved. The follow-up about Gustav was enjoyable. The last chapter seemed like an afterthought, called 'The Homemade God', a modern and unique work of art not previously mentioned, probably to show that interesting art can take various forms.
Recommended for readers who enjoy a complicated, emotional family drama and the power of art to transform and clarify.
The Homemade God explores tight family relationships and how they became fractured when their past is examined. This dark, emotional, character-driven family drama focuses on grief, love of family, resentment, and identity. The book also explores the power of art and how it resonates in their lives and with the general public, who may not discern popular subject matter from art that displays great talent and originality. This also applies to individuals who produce works of art and how they are viewed by themselves and others.
Vic Kemp, the father, a widower, has made money with his art, allowing his offspring to live comfortably. The adult children had felt neglected as Vic was a womanizer, drank heavily, and spent much of his time painting. He owned a summer home at Lake Orta in Italy. His offspring have happy memories of time there, lounging in the sunshine, swimming, and spending time together as a family. He was popular with the public for his paintings of nudes and with non-pornographic sexual themes. His publicist, an older man, does a great job publicizing his paintings. He announced that he is working on his masterpiece, a large painting of a different subject matter, that will raise him to higher esteem in the art world. The story was repetitive and more prolonged than necessary.
The siblings are shocked when their 76-year-old father tells them he is marrying Bella-Mae, age 27,
and the couple departs for the summer home in Italy. They are sure that the young woman is a gold digger with hopes for the benefits of inheriting Vic's wealth and property.
The siblings are Netta, age 40, an intense lawyer who has made herself the head of the others, always expressing strong opinions.
Susan, age 39, is a housewife with two young stepchildren. She is married to Warwick, a good man she considers dull, and longs for more excitement in her life. She loves to cook and clean for her family, and her ambition is to head a TV cooking show.
Gustav (G00se) is a brother, age 38, who painted still-life (apples) and was made to feel he lacked talent. He works looking after his father's art studio.
Iris, 33, works at a series of low-paying jobs and buys secondhand clothing. She was babied by the others, is quiet and almost invisible, and has a secret romantic relationship.
The siblings regarded the news of their father's marriage to a woman younger than them as suspicious. Vic has stopped drinking alcohol, and she provides him with homemade tea. Maybe she is poisoning him? He has lost a lot of weight. Now they receive news that shatters them. Six weeks after their marriage, Vic drowned while swimming in the lake. He was a powerful swimmer, and the siblings couldn't believe he drowned. They rush to the summer home in Italy, hoping to find a will where they are beneficiaries and the masterpiece he was painting. They are to wait for the results of an autopsy.
They meet Bella-Mae and her cousin, the attractive Laszlo, at the summer home. They attempt to expose Bella-Mae in a plot leading to their father's death. They share memories, and anger and resentment are expressed as their past is examined. The relationships become fractured, and their conversations and behaviour are inappropriate. The kinship falls apart, and the siblings depart, not speaking to each other. They find their father's final painting, leading to a staggering, mind-altering conclusion.
A concluding chapter describes the outcome for all involved. The follow-up about Gustav was enjoyable. The last chapter seemed like an afterthought, called 'The Homemade God', a modern and unique work of art not previously mentioned, probably to show that interesting art can take various forms.
Recommended for readers who enjoy a complicated, emotional family drama and the power of art to transform and clarify.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
... and then some extra stars.
What a novel!
The story centres around the Kemp family - Vic is the father - a widower and artist; Netta , the eldest girl and a lawyer who is the undoubted head of the family; Susan, married to Warwick and a stay at home step-mother of 2 boys; Goose (Gustav), only boy and failed artist who looks after his father's studio; and Iris, who never knew her mother and has had a string of non-jobs while she is babied by the rest of the family.
Into this tight family group a bomb is dropped in the form of Bella-Mae, her father's latest girlfriend. But there's something different this time - Vic is in love, so he says - but he's quit drinking, he's lost weight, he's trying new things and he's stopped painting. And the really strange thing is that Bella-Mae seems very reluctant to meet them.
The uncertainty around this new obsession reaches fever pitch when Vic announces they are getting married at the family home on Lake Orta in Italy. Then a phone call - Vic Kemp is dead.
The horrified siblings eventually arrive at the lake where they spent so much of their childhood, to find Vic's body gone, Bella-Mae missing and her "cousin" Laszlo at the villa. Just what is going on? How did their father die? Where is his new wife? And what happened to the masterpiece of new work that Vic had been promising?
As events at the lake unfold and the children learn the truth of their past their solidity as a unit begins to unravel and then when the final secret is out it will blow them apart.
I'm still a little breathless after finishing this excellent novel. I liked Miss Benson's Beetle but Homemade God blows it out of the water. This entire novel is held together by the characters of the children and their shared history. But then tiny explosions occur that alter their perceptions of each other and, more importantly, their beloved father. The ripples spread further and further outwards and you're just getting used to that reality when another bomb is dropped.
I loved this book. I tried reading it slowly but it is impossible. I found myself racing to discover what happened next. And the characters are so exquisitely done. It's what Rachel Joyce excels in. The plot is driven entirely by the actions and reactions of Bella-Mae and the four siblings.
It really is an extraordinarily good novel and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a really well-plotted, character-driven, tour de force of a book. Definitely going to be a highlight of this year's reading.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
What a novel!
The story centres around the Kemp family - Vic is the father - a widower and artist; Netta , the eldest girl and a lawyer who is the undoubted head of the family; Susan, married to Warwick and a stay at home step-mother of 2 boys; Goose (Gustav), only boy and failed artist who looks after his father's studio; and Iris, who never knew her mother and has had a string of non-jobs while she is babied by the rest of the family.
Into this tight family group a bomb is dropped in the form of Bella-Mae, her father's latest girlfriend. But there's something different this time - Vic is in love, so he says - but he's quit drinking, he's lost weight, he's trying new things and he's stopped painting. And the really strange thing is that Bella-Mae seems very reluctant to meet them.
The uncertainty around this new obsession reaches fever pitch when Vic announces they are getting married at the family home on Lake Orta in Italy. Then a phone call - Vic Kemp is dead.
The horrified siblings eventually arrive at the lake where they spent so much of their childhood, to find Vic's body gone, Bella-Mae missing and her "cousin" Laszlo at the villa. Just what is going on? How did their father die? Where is his new wife? And what happened to the masterpiece of new work that Vic had been promising?
As events at the lake unfold and the children learn the truth of their past their solidity as a unit begins to unravel and then when the final secret is out it will blow them apart.
I'm still a little breathless after finishing this excellent novel. I liked Miss Benson's Beetle but Homemade God blows it out of the water. This entire novel is held together by the characters of the children and their shared history. But then tiny explosions occur that alter their perceptions of each other and, more importantly, their beloved father. The ripples spread further and further outwards and you're just getting used to that reality when another bomb is dropped.
I loved this book. I tried reading it slowly but it is impossible. I found myself racing to discover what happened next. And the characters are so exquisitely done. It's what Rachel Joyce excels in. The plot is driven entirely by the actions and reactions of Bella-Mae and the four siblings.
It really is an extraordinarily good novel and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a really well-plotted, character-driven, tour de force of a book. Definitely going to be a highlight of this year's reading.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
May 4, 2025
2.5/5 Stars!!!
I'm not having good luck with books these days. This is my first Rachel Joyce book, and I've heard good things, but this latest will probably be my last.
What a giant cluster of words about four grown children, with a famous mainstream artist, taking place in London, and then on an island in Italy, where they spent much of their childhood in.
After the sudden death of their eccentric artist father Vic, they all gather around to mourn, and find out the mystery of his final piece of work, and why he would have run away to marry a woman 50 years younger than him.
The answer is fairly obvious as to why he would have married her, though instead of looking into it, they decide they don't need to, ignore his texts, and don't bother to look into his will. There's a lot of ridiculous choices being made by these siblings, who don't make the right ones, even after their father has passed. It’s like they love him, but hey let’s not google the words gold digger.
The four kids on question: Goose (short for Gustav), Iris, Susan, and Netta, all love their father very much, share that special sibling bond, and quite frankly, are all broken and immature in their own way. I was hoping this would have been a deep story about siblinghood, and the beautiful landscapes of Italy, but there wasn't a single character I liked.
I didn't need to know that one of them was able to cut his hair short, he's an adult, why make a whole page about this decision. I also didn't need the entire book to be a a cluster of story that was mundane and boring in many parts.
"That big bursting life, all gone". You would think sentences like these would be heartful, but instead they're just thrown into the mix.
I skimmed through the second half, only to know the word "turps" is used far too often and figuring out Vic's autopsy was not quite a mystery, nor did I care what happened.
So much anticipation for a giant mess of a book.
I'm not having good luck with books these days. This is my first Rachel Joyce book, and I've heard good things, but this latest will probably be my last.
What a giant cluster of words about four grown children, with a famous mainstream artist, taking place in London, and then on an island in Italy, where they spent much of their childhood in.
After the sudden death of their eccentric artist father Vic, they all gather around to mourn, and find out the mystery of his final piece of work, and why he would have run away to marry a woman 50 years younger than him.
The answer is fairly obvious as to why he would have married her, though instead of looking into it, they decide they don't need to, ignore his texts, and don't bother to look into his will. There's a lot of ridiculous choices being made by these siblings, who don't make the right ones, even after their father has passed. It’s like they love him, but hey let’s not google the words gold digger.
The four kids on question: Goose (short for Gustav), Iris, Susan, and Netta, all love their father very much, share that special sibling bond, and quite frankly, are all broken and immature in their own way. I was hoping this would have been a deep story about siblinghood, and the beautiful landscapes of Italy, but there wasn't a single character I liked.
I didn't need to know that one of them was able to cut his hair short, he's an adult, why make a whole page about this decision. I also didn't need the entire book to be a a cluster of story that was mundane and boring in many parts.
"That big bursting life, all gone". You would think sentences like these would be heartful, but instead they're just thrown into the mix.
I skimmed through the second half, only to know the word "turps" is used far too often and figuring out Vic's autopsy was not quite a mystery, nor did I care what happened.
So much anticipation for a giant mess of a book.
August 5, 2025
Aaah! Imperfect parents. Siblings. Dysfuntional families. Art. An italian villa on a lake.
A May - December romance.
Rachel Joyce brings all these things together to tell another of her one of a kind stories that make you love her characters and all of their foibles and faults and idiosyncrasies.
"I guess you think we're pretty insane."
"You're a family. They're all insane. But at least you have one."
A May - December romance.
Rachel Joyce brings all these things together to tell another of her one of a kind stories that make you love her characters and all of their foibles and faults and idiosyncrasies.
"I guess you think we're pretty insane."
"You're a family. They're all insane. But at least you have one."
August 1, 2025
A very in depth review about a family whose mother died when the 4 children were very young. The repercussions of the loss. This details how adverse childhood events effect you through adulthood. I did enjoy getting to know the characters. It was apparent through the tone of the writing that what was presented on the surface was not the entire story. The end was very explanatory-a lot of drama! So interesting how we find out the meaning of the books title in the very last paragraph. So much symbolism, such as flip flops, food, and art. The scenery is mesmerizing. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
August 12, 2025
(4.5) Joyce has really upped her game. I've somehow read all of her books - yes, all eight - despite often finding them, from Harold Fry onward, disappointingly sentimental and twee. But with this she's entering the big leagues, moving into the more expansive, elegant and empathetic territory of novels by Anne Enright (The Green Road), Patrick Gale (Notes from an Exhibition), Maggie O'Farrell (Instructions for a Heatwave) and Tom Rachman (The Italian Teacher). It's the story of four siblings, initially drawn together and then dramatically blown apart by their father's death. Despite weighty themes of alcoholism, depression and marital struggles, there is an overall lightness of tone and style that made this a pleasure to read.
Vic Kemp, the title figure, was a larger-than-life, womanizing painter whose work divided critics. After his wife's early death from cancer, he raised three daughters and a son with the help of a rotating cast of nannies (whom he inevitably slept with). At 76 he delivered the shocking news that he was marrying again: Bella-Mae, an artist in her twenties - much younger than any of his children. They moved from London to his second home in Italy just weeks before he drowned in Lake Orta. Netta, the eldest daughter, is sure there's something fishy; he knew the lake so well, and would never have gone out for a swim with a mist rolling in. Did Bella-Mae kill him for his money? And where is his last painting? Funny how waiting for an autopsy report and searching for a new will and carping with siblings over the division of belongings can ruin what should be paradise.
The interactions between Netta, Susan, Goose (Gustav) and Iris, plus Bella-Mae and her cousin Laszlo, are all flawlessly done, and through flashbacks and surges forward we learn so much about these flawed and flailing characters. The derelict villa and surrounding small town are appealing settings, and there are a lot of intriguing references to food, fashion and modern art.
My only small points of criticism are that Iris is less fleshed out than the others (and her bombshell secret felt distasteful), and that Joyce occasionally resorts to delivering some of her old obvious (though true) messages through an omniscient narrator, whereas they could be more palatable if they came out organically in dialogue or indirectly through a character's thought process. Here's an example: "When someone dies or disappears, we can only tell stories about what might have been the case or what might have happened next." (One I liked better: "There were some things you never got over. No amount of thinking or talking would make them right: the best you could do was find a way to live alongside them.") I also don't think Goose would have been able to view his father's body more than two months after his death; even with embalming, it would have started to decay within weeks.
You can tell that Joyce got her start in theatre because she's so good at scenes and dialogue, and at moving people into different groups to see what they'll do. She's taken the best of her work in other media and brought it to bear here. It's fascinating how Goose starts off seeming minor and eventually becomes the main POV character. And ending with a wedding (good enough for a Shakespearean comedy) offers a lovely occasion for a potential reconciliation after a (tragi)comic plot. More of this calibre, please!
Vic Kemp, the title figure, was a larger-than-life, womanizing painter whose work divided critics. After his wife's early death from cancer, he raised three daughters and a son with the help of a rotating cast of nannies (whom he inevitably slept with). At 76 he delivered the shocking news that he was marrying again: Bella-Mae, an artist in her twenties - much younger than any of his children. They moved from London to his second home in Italy just weeks before he drowned in Lake Orta. Netta, the eldest daughter, is sure there's something fishy; he knew the lake so well, and would never have gone out for a swim with a mist rolling in. Did Bella-Mae kill him for his money? And where is his last painting? Funny how waiting for an autopsy report and searching for a new will and carping with siblings over the division of belongings can ruin what should be paradise.
The interactions between Netta, Susan, Goose (Gustav) and Iris, plus Bella-Mae and her cousin Laszlo, are all flawlessly done, and through flashbacks and surges forward we learn so much about these flawed and flailing characters. The derelict villa and surrounding small town are appealing settings, and there are a lot of intriguing references to food, fashion and modern art.
My only small points of criticism are that Iris is less fleshed out than the others (and her bombshell secret felt distasteful), and that Joyce occasionally resorts to delivering some of her old obvious (though true) messages through an omniscient narrator, whereas they could be more palatable if they came out organically in dialogue or indirectly through a character's thought process. Here's an example: "When someone dies or disappears, we can only tell stories about what might have been the case or what might have happened next." (One I liked better: "There were some things you never got over. No amount of thinking or talking would make them right: the best you could do was find a way to live alongside them.") I also don't think Goose would have been able to view his father's body more than two months after his death; even with embalming, it would have started to decay within weeks.
You can tell that Joyce got her start in theatre because she's so good at scenes and dialogue, and at moving people into different groups to see what they'll do. She's taken the best of her work in other media and brought it to bear here. It's fascinating how Goose starts off seeming minor and eventually becomes the main POV character. And ending with a wedding (good enough for a Shakespearean comedy) offers a lovely occasion for a potential reconciliation after a (tragi)comic plot. More of this calibre, please!
July 1, 2025
I have come to appreciate Rachel Joyce’s talent after having read and enjoyed a few of her novels. I’m very pleased to say that The Homemade God has added to my appreciation. This novel took me unawares in a way; yes it is about an older man, an artist, his four children whose lives have been very much entwined with his since their mother died when the youngest was a baby, and this father’s apparent late in life decision to create a final masterpiece and to marry a 27 year old woman his children have never met. But The Homemade God is so much more.
As the story begins, we meet the children, all adults, though not all fully functioning at their age.
to be continued…..
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
As the story begins, we meet the children, all adults, though not all fully functioning at their age.
to be continued…..
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.
July 2, 2025
4.5 stars. Four siblings cope with the suspicion that their father’s untimely death in Italy may have been attributed to his much younger new wife. Mysteriously his will and the latest painting he was working on are also missing.. so who is this woman really? Disruption in their sibling dynamics follow, as does each adjusting to life after living a flawed childhood under their single father’s care. This is an all-encompassing character driven novel that I found truly captivating. Beautifully tragic, I had a time trying to keep my emotions in check as the story drew to a close. I’m telling you this will grab ahold of your heart and not let go. I am still reflecting back on this days after finishing. Pub. 7/8/25
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2025
The Homemade God tells the story of four siblings - Goose, Iris, Netta and Susan - and their tumultuous relationship with their father, Vic. Vic brought them up following the death of their mother, but their relationship with Vic was far from ideal. As a result, the siblings became very close and were each other's rock throughout their lives. However, despite their closeness and each one of them fully in the belief that they all tell each other everything, each one of them has secrets they've not shared with the others.
When Vic decides, in his 70s, to marry 26 year old Bella-Mae who he has only just met, the siblings become convinced that Bella-Mae is not all she says she is.
I am a huge Rachel Joyce fan and although The Homemade God is still a great study in character, I just didn't feel the huge emotional attachment I've had with Joyce's previous characters. The final few chapters did, however, give brilliant food for thought and the whole moral of the story is about the devastation that can be caused by jumping to conclusions when not knowing the full truth.
I'd still recommend The Homemade God but this is not my favourite Rachel Joyce book.
When Vic decides, in his 70s, to marry 26 year old Bella-Mae who he has only just met, the siblings become convinced that Bella-Mae is not all she says she is.
I am a huge Rachel Joyce fan and although The Homemade God is still a great study in character, I just didn't feel the huge emotional attachment I've had with Joyce's previous characters. The final few chapters did, however, give brilliant food for thought and the whole moral of the story is about the devastation that can be caused by jumping to conclusions when not knowing the full truth.
I'd still recommend The Homemade God but this is not my favourite Rachel Joyce book.
May 24, 2025
If dysfunctional families and their drama are your thing, this book will be right up your alley. I enjoyed the drama and messy bits of this. However, it's very slow moving and overly descriptive on parts you don't need, then lacking description in the parts I wanted more. While I found it a good read, it did drag on and didn't truly grip me. I was left wanting more and not ever getting that feeling fulfilled. It was okay, but the writing style isn't for me. It took a lot to continue reading and to eventually finish it.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and The Dial Press to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and The Dial Press to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
May 25, 2025
really enjoyed this latest offering of sibling relationships death and other matters can relate to the plot of this novel.
November 9, 2024
I think there is a whiff in the literature zeitgeist of svengali artist fathers who provide both lynchpin and destruction in their families. Thinking particularly of Charlotte Mendelsson (The Exhibitionist) and Marina Kemp (The Unwilding) but several more come to mind. As I read this novel I did feel like I had been here before and, sadly in more capable hands.
I found this an unexpected route for Rachel Joyce but do enjoy writers taking their readers in different directions. This is largely a family story of the fallout after the death of the patriarch. The main action takes place in Italy in the home Vic bought in the early years of his artistic success. From what was said. I imagined Vic as a Jack Vettriano style painter.
I enjoyed the development of the characters of the siblings - Netta, Susan, Iris and Goose, all of whom had deep problems but overlaid with privilege and entitlement. I think that if the narrative voice had been rotated rather than the omniscient, birds eye view, there would have been the space for the reader to inhabit the characters, whereas we end up being told the story.
The perspective does slightly shift when we are asked to "see" things another way. I had been wanting to see things differently long before this and, in my head, had already been doing this. It felt too little, too late, too third person for any impact.
Despite my misgivings, I did enjoy reading the book. I just think it could have packed a bigger punch if told in a variety of voices.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the opportunity to read and review
I found this an unexpected route for Rachel Joyce but do enjoy writers taking their readers in different directions. This is largely a family story of the fallout after the death of the patriarch. The main action takes place in Italy in the home Vic bought in the early years of his artistic success. From what was said. I imagined Vic as a Jack Vettriano style painter.
I enjoyed the development of the characters of the siblings - Netta, Susan, Iris and Goose, all of whom had deep problems but overlaid with privilege and entitlement. I think that if the narrative voice had been rotated rather than the omniscient, birds eye view, there would have been the space for the reader to inhabit the characters, whereas we end up being told the story.
The perspective does slightly shift when we are asked to "see" things another way. I had been wanting to see things differently long before this and, in my head, had already been doing this. It felt too little, too late, too third person for any impact.
Despite my misgivings, I did enjoy reading the book. I just think it could have packed a bigger punch if told in a variety of voices.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the opportunity to read and review
July 20, 2025
"The Homemade God" features members of the Kemp family, who live in London. Father Vic (age 76) is a self-made man who is a successful artist specializing in semi-nude paintings. Vic's wife died young and he raised their four children, largely with the help of revolving au pairs. He has a larger than life personality. Vic's now adult children love him dearly, overlooking his crater-sized faults (drinking and womanizing). The adult children are: Netta (short for Antoinetta), Susan, Goose (nickname for Gustav) and Iris. They are close-knit, talking with/seeing each other daily.
When the book opens, Vic gathers his children to tell them that he has decided to remarry. Who is the mysterious woman? Her name is Bella-Mae - a 26 year old that Vic has recently met through the internet. You can imagine the children's shock and consternation! The story unspools from there. What follows is an interesting, lively story which involves a mystery and fully getting to know the wonderfully drawn characters.
I will borrow author Eowyn Ivey's blurb about the novel. "Beautiful... With humor and compassion, Rachel Joyce paints a complex portrait of a family with all of its baggage, eccentricities, charm and heartbreak."
Additional Note: Much of the book takes place in Vic's beach house on Lake Orta in Italy. Here are photos of Lake Orta. https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/...
When the book opens, Vic gathers his children to tell them that he has decided to remarry. Who is the mysterious woman? Her name is Bella-Mae - a 26 year old that Vic has recently met through the internet. You can imagine the children's shock and consternation! The story unspools from there. What follows is an interesting, lively story which involves a mystery and fully getting to know the wonderfully drawn characters.
I will borrow author Eowyn Ivey's blurb about the novel. "Beautiful... With humor and compassion, Rachel Joyce paints a complex portrait of a family with all of its baggage, eccentricities, charm and heartbreak."
Additional Note: Much of the book takes place in Vic's beach house on Lake Orta in Italy. Here are photos of Lake Orta. https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/...
March 29, 2025
The novel is essentially about a dysfunctional family, focused on their patriarchal artist father whom weaves a string of controlling ties between all siblings. Everything is set off kilter when their elderly, successful ‘artist’ of a father meets, and then swiftly marries, a young woman, also an artist - and the obvious familial concerns that stem from this swift and questionable relationship.
The story is told largely in dialogue between the siblings and I think this format sadly added to the lack of character depth, and they all remained incredibly one or two dimensional at the most. There was also very little sense of time and place throughout. None of the characters had particularly likeable features, apart from perhaps Gustav/ Goose - and this was very unhelpful from a reader’s point of view, as I had very little positive feelings towards them and certainly couldn’t relate to the shenanigans.
Goodness, I didn’t think I’ve ever written such a scathing review. Not all novels are for everyone, that’s for sure, but I’m gutted that an author whom I’ve previously loved, so so much, could have penned this. I’ve held off reading other people’s reviews and will be interested in how other people have found it (perhaps it’s just me?), but I honestly can’t believe this was written by the same author as Miss Benson’s Beetle and the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. It took herculean effort to continue to read this right until the final pages; if it wasn’t by Rachel Joyce, I most certainly would have given up at 30% when I realised it simply wasn’t going anywhere. Sorry, Rachel Joyce!
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.
April 15, 2025
The Homemade God is the seventh novel by award-winning, best-selling British author, Rachel Joyce. When their seventy-six-year-old father, self-taught artist Vic summons the Kemp siblings to a noisy London noodle bar for a special announcement, their speculation is way off the mark: none of them guesses that he has found the love of his life, a title formerly bestowed only on their late mother.
They’re already surprised by his appearance: in a clean shirt with a funny goatee, drinking herbal tea made by his new love, Bella-Mae, instead of his usual chaotic style, covered with paint, so much paint it was in his ears, barking out insults and pouring too much red wine; and he’s lost weight. But the biggest shock is that Bella-Mae is twenty-seven, six years younger than his youngest daughter, Iris. They try to make their congratulations sound heartfelt.
This is so different from his usual liaisons: “You could say Vic Kemp was difficult, an alcoholic, a womanizer. You would be right on all counts.” His eldest, solicitor Netta, who takes care of his legals, is concerned. Second-born Susan, who looks after everything domestic for him, is suddenly redundant. Iris believes that Bella-Mae is good for his health, while Goose (Gustav), looking after his studio, predicts that Bella-Mae will be discarded just as Vic’s models are, when the current project, to be Vic’s masterpiece, is done.
Except that Vic claims that Bella-Mae is herself an artist, that she doesn’t really like his work, and that his masterpiece, on a huge canvas Goose has primed, will be different from anything else he’s done. None of them have met the elusive Bella-Mae.
Fast forward a few weeks, and Vic has taken Bella-Mae to the family’s Italian summer house, Villa Carlotta, on Isola San Guilio, where he will finish his great work. If Vic expects them to join the couple on the island, he hasn’t read their chagrin. But they’re really shocked when a text arrives a photo of them holding their marriage certificate. And nothing could have prepared them for the phone call telling them that Vic, a strong swimmer, has drowned in the lake.
So, eventually, it’s a grieving Bella-Mae they meet on the island, in the company of her protective cousin, Laszlo. Netta is convinced that Bella-Mae has poisoned their father, insists on an autopsy, and demands to know where Vic’s masterpiece is. The others, strangely, have mixed reactions and, soon enough, cracks appear in their strong sibling bond.
“She was dealing not simply with the loss of her father, but also her siblings turning into complete strangers… Even if they were behaving in ways that infuriated her, her siblings were all she had, and she really must not hate them.”
Of her art, Bella-Mae says “I like to see things in a different way. I kind of pull them apart to put them back together” and soon enough, the reader is wondering if that’s what she’s doing to the Kemp family. Each of them, she watches fixedly, as they deal with this monumental change in their lives. Goose “had to admit there was something about her he liked. Perhaps it was the intensity with which she listened.” Had she been drugging their father? Is she a rapacious sex-driven grifter, who has stolen his masterpiece and is about to help herself to their inheritance? Or is she a genuine, grieving widow?
What a wonderfully complex and layered tale Joyce gives the reader. her characters have depth and appeal, and there are twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing about the guilt or innocence of more than one figure. This brilliant novel might be Rachel Joyce’s best yet.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.
They’re already surprised by his appearance: in a clean shirt with a funny goatee, drinking herbal tea made by his new love, Bella-Mae, instead of his usual chaotic style, covered with paint, so much paint it was in his ears, barking out insults and pouring too much red wine; and he’s lost weight. But the biggest shock is that Bella-Mae is twenty-seven, six years younger than his youngest daughter, Iris. They try to make their congratulations sound heartfelt.
This is so different from his usual liaisons: “You could say Vic Kemp was difficult, an alcoholic, a womanizer. You would be right on all counts.” His eldest, solicitor Netta, who takes care of his legals, is concerned. Second-born Susan, who looks after everything domestic for him, is suddenly redundant. Iris believes that Bella-Mae is good for his health, while Goose (Gustav), looking after his studio, predicts that Bella-Mae will be discarded just as Vic’s models are, when the current project, to be Vic’s masterpiece, is done.
Except that Vic claims that Bella-Mae is herself an artist, that she doesn’t really like his work, and that his masterpiece, on a huge canvas Goose has primed, will be different from anything else he’s done. None of them have met the elusive Bella-Mae.
Fast forward a few weeks, and Vic has taken Bella-Mae to the family’s Italian summer house, Villa Carlotta, on Isola San Guilio, where he will finish his great work. If Vic expects them to join the couple on the island, he hasn’t read their chagrin. But they’re really shocked when a text arrives a photo of them holding their marriage certificate. And nothing could have prepared them for the phone call telling them that Vic, a strong swimmer, has drowned in the lake.
So, eventually, it’s a grieving Bella-Mae they meet on the island, in the company of her protective cousin, Laszlo. Netta is convinced that Bella-Mae has poisoned their father, insists on an autopsy, and demands to know where Vic’s masterpiece is. The others, strangely, have mixed reactions and, soon enough, cracks appear in their strong sibling bond.
“She was dealing not simply with the loss of her father, but also her siblings turning into complete strangers… Even if they were behaving in ways that infuriated her, her siblings were all she had, and she really must not hate them.”
Of her art, Bella-Mae says “I like to see things in a different way. I kind of pull them apart to put them back together” and soon enough, the reader is wondering if that’s what she’s doing to the Kemp family. Each of them, she watches fixedly, as they deal with this monumental change in their lives. Goose “had to admit there was something about her he liked. Perhaps it was the intensity with which she listened.” Had she been drugging their father? Is she a rapacious sex-driven grifter, who has stolen his masterpiece and is about to help herself to their inheritance? Or is she a genuine, grieving widow?
What a wonderfully complex and layered tale Joyce gives the reader. her characters have depth and appeal, and there are twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing about the guilt or innocence of more than one figure. This brilliant novel might be Rachel Joyce’s best yet.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.
June 22, 2025
I have very mixed feelings about this novel. It was well written and had a lot of drama but I honestly did not like the story. It is about four siblings who are dealing with the death of their father. Their father is a famous artist and he has been the fixture of their lives. Their mother died when they were young and their father really had no idea what he was doing. Before the father's death, he marries a much younger woman who is also an artist. The siblings don't meet her until after his death. I honestly thought she might not really exist at first. For part of the book I thought she might be the reason that the father died. Ultimately though, I just felt bad for all of the siblings. I wanted things to go right for them and for them to have better lives. Their father was not a great guy and that had a huge impact on them.
Even though I did not like this story I do think others will enjoy the complicated relationships. There is lots of drama and the setting in Italy was a good one. I do think this author writes well, but this story was just not for me.
Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Even though I did not like this story I do think others will enjoy the complicated relationships. There is lots of drama and the setting in Italy was a good one. I do think this author writes well, but this story was just not for me.
Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
April 22, 2025
This was a family drama surrounding four siblings and their father. Unfortunately, this didn't work for me. I feel like we're seeing a lot of fiction at the moment surrounding domineering, ego-centric artists and their suppression of loved ones who threaten their limelight and this was another in this particular deluge, but one which doesn't stand out for me.
I did not connect or care for any of the characters, they were not relatable and the eventual disentegration of the family unit was difficult to get immersed in. Even the cuckoo in the nest character, Bella-Mae was opaque and unrealistic - I could not get on board with her "wisdom" which seemed to display a maturity beyond her years and felt her behaviour was erratic and unexplained.
The pacing of this novel was centred around the grief-stricken siblings gathering and eventual collapse, but this felt slow and repetitive made other developmental parts of the plot feel rushed.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
I did not connect or care for any of the characters, they were not relatable and the eventual disentegration of the family unit was difficult to get immersed in. Even the cuckoo in the nest character, Bella-Mae was opaque and unrealistic - I could not get on board with her "wisdom" which seemed to display a maturity beyond her years and felt her behaviour was erratic and unexplained.
The pacing of this novel was centred around the grief-stricken siblings gathering and eventual collapse, but this felt slow and repetitive made other developmental parts of the plot feel rushed.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
April 5, 2025
Strange, but this latest work by Rachel Joyce did not engage me as completely as her earlier works, including those that made her famous. Enough has been revealed in the synopsis that I need not repeat details, but what put me off was this lacked the light touch she so brilliantly displayed in those other books. Much repetition, seemingly a lack of editorial input.
August 20, 2025
I found this novel to be extremely enjoyable. It is the story of four adult siblings and their father (in his mid-seventies), who live in England (their mother died years ago). In the opening scene the father announces to his children that he is in love with, and going to marry, a 27 year old woman he recently met on the internet. However, he never introduces his children to his wife to be (Bella-Mae), and they first meet her at the family’s vacation home in Italy, where their father has unexpectedly died by drowning. The father is a famous artist, is a drinker and a womanizer, and is deeply loved by his adult children. The oldest daughter is Netta (for Antoinetta). She is a typical oldest child – manages many things, is opinionated and believes Bella-Mae has murdered their father. Susan, the next daughter is a more passive personality and is married to a man who does not fulfill her life. Goose (for Gustav) wants to be an artist and struggles with his mental health. Iris, the youngest daughter, both makes the most of, and pushes back against, her role as the youngest child. Each character is a fully drawn and very human personality. Their interactions were (for me) extremely true to life. Of course each child has a different relationship with his/her father and each sibling has a different relationship with his/her other siblings – and they spend a lot of time and energy trying to sort it all out. Don’t we all do this? Enter a 27 year old enigmatic, mysterious woman and add the very unexpected death by drowning of an extremely good swimmer (Vick), and the relationships and conflicts get wonderfully more intense.
Vick is a famous artist, Goose tries to be an artist, and Bella-Mae claims to be an artist. Art and what artists are trying to achieve through their work is an underlying theme throughout the novel. The author also added a wonderful touch when the reader believes the story has ended - - but it has not! This was particularly effective in the audio version.
This is a story of families - from their deep love to their frustration, doubt and competition. It really hit home for me.
Vick is a famous artist, Goose tries to be an artist, and Bella-Mae claims to be an artist. Art and what artists are trying to achieve through their work is an underlying theme throughout the novel. The author also added a wonderful touch when the reader believes the story has ended - - but it has not! This was particularly effective in the audio version.
This is a story of families - from their deep love to their frustration, doubt and competition. It really hit home for me.
January 7, 2025
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.
Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC.
March 25, 2025
3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
The Home made God by Rachel Joyce tells the story of four siblings, the eldest being Netta, Susan, Goose (Gustav) and lastly Iris. This is a family drama filled with strong emotional depth, exploration, thoughtfulness, all beautifully and skillfully written. The four siblings gather in their old family home, their father a famous artist, has recently married a young woman and returned back to Italy from England to work on what he claims to be his final masterpiece of a painting. However he unexpectedly dies and there is no painting to be found, as the siblings spend more time in the beautiful old family home, with their fathers widow Bella Mae. Things begin to slowly unfold, secrets that were never shared amongst each other, and here the siblings thought they knew everything about each other.
The Homemade God is a very entertaining book, told in three parts, I honestly enjoyed it. I loved the writing style that Rachel Joyce went with, a narrator telling the story and breaking down the personality type of each sibling. I could have finished this book much earlier however after reading the plot twists I expected the conclusion of the book to be imminent, but the story went on. This lead me to procrastinate on it a bit, I feel the book could have ended much earlier and certain parts towards the end were unnecessary. But overall i can see why the author wrote, because at the end it does sum things up and conclude it in a heartfelt sort of way. The whole concept that "Family is everything, even when it falls apart" was lovely, I am a lover of family drama and sibling-father relationships. This book had and I honestly enjoyed it, so if you are a fan of family drama, with unexpected twists and good character development. Then I recommend giving this book a read, its a good one.
The Home made God by Rachel Joyce tells the story of four siblings, the eldest being Netta, Susan, Goose (Gustav) and lastly Iris. This is a family drama filled with strong emotional depth, exploration, thoughtfulness, all beautifully and skillfully written. The four siblings gather in their old family home, their father a famous artist, has recently married a young woman and returned back to Italy from England to work on what he claims to be his final masterpiece of a painting. However he unexpectedly dies and there is no painting to be found, as the siblings spend more time in the beautiful old family home, with their fathers widow Bella Mae. Things begin to slowly unfold, secrets that were never shared amongst each other, and here the siblings thought they knew everything about each other.
The Homemade God is a very entertaining book, told in three parts, I honestly enjoyed it. I loved the writing style that Rachel Joyce went with, a narrator telling the story and breaking down the personality type of each sibling. I could have finished this book much earlier however after reading the plot twists I expected the conclusion of the book to be imminent, but the story went on. This lead me to procrastinate on it a bit, I feel the book could have ended much earlier and certain parts towards the end were unnecessary. But overall i can see why the author wrote, because at the end it does sum things up and conclude it in a heartfelt sort of way. The whole concept that "Family is everything, even when it falls apart" was lovely, I am a lover of family drama and sibling-father relationships. This book had and I honestly enjoyed it, so if you are a fan of family drama, with unexpected twists and good character development. Then I recommend giving this book a read, its a good one.
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