Fictionophile 's Reviews > Forever Home

4.5 stars rounded up

"Forever Home" was a compelling and interesting blend of literary fiction and mystery. The author expertly and empathetically delved into the complications and intrinsic complexity of step-families while simultaneously offering up a murder mystery linked to long hidden family secrets.

Carol Crottie, a divorced English teacher and mother of a grown son, grabs her second chance at happiness by moving in with Declan Barry, a man several years her senior. Declan's two children are cold and hostile toward Carol. Their mother abandoned them years ago, and they don't like the idea of Carol moving in and replacing their mother in Declan's affections. Skip forward years and Declan's children have left the nest. Declan himself is showing distinct signs of Alzheimer's and Carol quits her job to care for him. When events (set in motion by Declan's children) put Declan into a care facility, they heartlessly throw Carol out of the house and put it up for sale.

Carol is distraught. She loves Declan, and the double blow of losing him to his illness and losing her home as well, is devastating. She is now forty-eight years old and is forced to move back in with her parents. Carol's mother, Moira feels for her daughter and wants to right the injustice of her situation. Carol's father sets in motion something that will impact all of the people in both families. A family secret is revealed, and an almost farcical crime caper is the result.

Neither of Declan's children were particularly likeable. The youngest, Sally, is single and hasn't got much of a life. She has an undemanding job, lives alone in her own personal squalor, and her only social life is online. Killian and his husband are thinking of having a baby via a surrogate. Killian seems to not really know what he wants and treats those in his life with a callousness that deems him intrinsically selfish.

Carol's parents, in particular her mother Moira, was a force to be reckoned with. She added a lot of the humour to the book and was a typical small town Irish matriarch.

The author's writing is skilled and displays an innate understanding of human nature. His story encompasses many poignant moments and serious themes interspersed with his trademark humour. Although this novel was very readable and I did enjoy the story very much, I did feel that some of the character's actions stretched credibility. Believe me, if I was Carol, there is no way I would have reacted as she did...

At the end of the day, I cannot help but highly recommend "Forever Home". On balance, its very readability and interesting characters enhanced the book such that my quibbles with Carol's reactions were outweighed by my pleasure reading it. I look forward to reading more of Graham Norton's writing.