Well, I very much enjoyed meeting Mara Lynch, the very engaging lead character in Homesick. This is the debut novel from Silvia Saunders and it’s a look at how Mara navigates her life, as a 26 year old woman living in London. The perfect blend of poignant and funny, I found it a delight to read.
Opening sentence: I become an heiress overnight.
The ups and downs of relationships
Mara has been with her boyfriend, Tom since university. They don’t live together as they have jobs (him a teacher, her a librarian) on opposite sides of the city. When Mara’s mum decides it’s time to give her her inheritance to buy a flat with, Mara hopes this will be a new – more grown up – era for her and Tom. However, Tom is going through a lot and Mara has to navigate this difficult time in her relationship.
‘He doesn’t talk to me anymore.’ As this comes out of my mouth, it dawns on me that this is the most painful part of the whole ordeal for me.
We follow Mara as she has a tricky time finding a flat in budget, then developing her relationships with her new neighbours (who form a key part of your life whether you like it or not when in a tight flat space in London) Jerry, Adele and Baz.
Her relationships with her mum, best friend and work colleagues are also explored. I really liked how this is a character-driven novel, there are no huge plot dramas in Homesick but it never feels slow. It’s a celebration of real life, where the drama comes from interactions and relationships.
What makes a home?
Ultimately, Homesick is a story of discovering what makes a place home. From buying your first one, to the people you surround yourself with to make you feel truly comfortable. Or seeing how relationships evolve and knowing when to take a step back to remove them from your home-space.
Mara is a highly relatable character and Silvia Saunders’ writing style perfectly blends really funny lines with emotional ones (the last line of the book actually made me cry!) – loved Homesick, highly recommend.
Going to end by giving a moment for the beautiful cover too.