Homecoming

By Cathy Kelly

The Sunday Times No. 1 paperback bestseller.

…because it’s where the heart is.

Four women. Four lives. One place they call home.

Eleanor Levine left Ireland years ago with just a suitcase and her mother’s recipe book. And now, a lifetime later, she returns from New York for Dublin’s beautiful Golden Square full of hard-won wisdom. As she watches life unfold from her window, she is drawn into the lives of the women who live in the square…

Beautiful actress Megan Bouchier had fame and success in her grasp – then she made the wrong kind of headlines. Now she needs a place to hide.

Big-hearted teacher Connie O’Callaghan is approaching forty and has given up on love. Why does no man match the heroes in her romantic novels?

Rae is a loyal friend and wife, dispensing tea and sympathy from Titania’s Tea Room – until a secret threatens everything she holds dear…

Rae is a loyal friend and wife, dispensing tea and sympathy from Titania’s Tea Room – until a secret threatens everything she holds dear…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Sep 16, 2010
• ISBN: 9780007411016

Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly worked as a journalist before becoming a novelist. Her debut novel, Woman to Woman, became an instant number 1 bestseller and since then she has published 22 novels, which are loved by readers all around the world and have sold millions of copies globally. In addition to her writing, she is a Unicef Ambassador and lives in County Wicklow with her family and dogs.

Reviews for Homecoming

[annabel1954 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Teacher Connie helps Megan in the neighborhood & fids she meets then loves her neighbor and child.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in a small community in Dublin, this novel follows the lives of four very different women. There's an elderly woman seeking her roots, a young film star who is in hiding after doing something stupid, a delightful school teacher who feels she should give up on the idea of love, and a generous, hard-working woman who works in a tea-shop, but has a deep-rooted secret which threatens to destroy her peace of mind. It took me a couple of weeks to finish it because I was very busy with guests, and at times I had to skip back to remind myself who was whom; there are quite a few minor characters in the book, not all of them memorable. As with the first novel I read by Cathy Kelly, I was reminded several times of Maeve Binchy's style; it's a tad grittier, and the viewpoint leaps around rather too much for my tastes, but overall I enjoyed this very much. Two of the main characters were particularly sympathetic, and I liked the way that the four stories gently entwined as the women got to know each other, and started to share their hopes and wishes.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy the warmth and relaxation that Cathy Kelly's books offer. They are wonderful escapist reading and Homecoming is no exception. Kelly brings together a disparate group of people who reside around the Golden Square, featuring the stories of Eleanor who is mourning the loss of her husband, Megan who is hiding from the paparazzi after an ill-considered affair, Rae who is terrified of her lifelong secret being revealed and Connie who has given up on finding love, without neglecting an array of siblings, aunts, in laws, daughters, friends and husbands that these women interact with.Having recently read and reviewed Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner where I was critical of her stereotyped characters, Kelly could be accused of a similar failing, however I feel her characters are much more fleshed out than Weiner managed. Their lives are full with work, friends and family and it is easy to relate to both their worries and their happiness.One of the things I enjoyed most about Homecoming is the sense of community that Kelly invokes. I can just imagine sitting in the tearoom on the square, watching the children play in the park, chatting under the dryer at Patsy's hair salon. It's an idealised but comforting scenario when neighborhoods such as these have all but disappeared.Homecoming is a satisfying chick-lit novel from one of my favourite Irish writers of the genre. Curl up on the lounge with a few chocolates and enjoy this light and easy read.

[kiwifortyniner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a good holiday read.. The characters are likeable. They are easy to empathise with and their problems are believable. You could imagine you were there with them ( Eleanor, Rae, Connie, and Megan) in this small town in Ireland as their lives intersect and they get to know each other and their problems.. A good book to curl up in bed with!

[birdsam0610 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cathy Kelly is back on track in this latest heartwarming tale (is it just me or is she becoming more like Maeve Binchy as time goes on)? This is the type of book you can snuggle up with, a cup of tea and biscuits in one hand. It’s easy to read, the plot is interesting but not exceptionally brain-taxing and it’s fun.Like other Cathy Kelly novels, this book is set in Ireland and has several main female characters. There’s Eleanor, returning to Ireland after a life in New York; Rae, whose happy face hides a painful past; Megan, the movie star hiding from the papparazi and Connie, a kind hearted teacher who has all but given up on love.You know the drill. As all the characters are living in the same square, of course they meet up and become friends, helping to guide each other through problems. It’s a happy ending, but you knew that before you picked up the book, right?You may be thinking- why read this book then? Well, apart from some awkward sounding dialogue, it’s an easy read. The characters are well thought out and you can easily picture in your mind the square and Titania’s Tea Rooms. It leaves you with a warm, happy feeling that sometimes things just all work out (eventually). It’s also a quick read and would be ideal for a short break or just a cozy book before bed. It would also make a good present for your mum or grandmother.