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There are currently 8 member reviews
for Going Home
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Patricia M. (Brunswick, GA)
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Writing students are often taught to show, don't tell. In Going Home author Tom Lamont does just that. Rather than dolling out adjective laced descriptions, he deftly shows the reader how each of his rich and varied characters handles the complex issues they meet and how their individual actions impact each other. While an initial summary of this novel - three unprepared men and a rabbi come to care for a young orphan - may call to mind a bumbling comedy, Lamont delivers a funny, empathetic, and poignant story of family, friendship, and unconditional love. Going Home unfolds by melding readers to Téo Erskine, his ailing father, Vic, his erstwhile friend, Ben, his somewhat reluctant rabbi, Sibyl, and an utterly endearing child, Joel. The author is so effective at investing the reader in the story and characters that an audible gasp escaped me when one of the characters commits a terrible blunder that threatens to destroy relationships and lives. Going Home is first rate literary fiction, offering well defined characters and a propelling plot.
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Kathleen Q. (Quincy, MA)
You really can go home
Going home, demonstrates not being a good parent doesn't have to be blood related. Also it demonstrates that you really can go home. When the unthinkable happens to a single mom, Lia, leaving her toddler, Joel, motherless, one of her closest friends. Teo becomes Joel's guardian, more or less by default. The story follows the next year of Joel and Theo's journey, navigating the newly structured family with the help of friends and family, particularly Teo's, dad. It's a story about fathers and sons, and how it really does take a village to raise a child. It is a heart warming and thought-provoking story. I definitely would recommend it
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Jamie K. (Berkeley, CA)
Growing up in the Age of Parenthood
When single mother, Lia, takes her own life and leaves raising her toddler, Joel, up for grabs, four unlikely caregivers join forces to share in his upbringing. The learning curve is hard, but love does its magic until a mistake in judgment threatens to tear apart everything they have built.
Going Home is told in alternating characters' points of view. Joel's POV is only at the beginning, but this is his story, and his toddler behavior, quirky language style, and acceptance of his revolving caretakers made me want to reach into the book and hug him—other characters' behavior made me want to grab them and scream, "Grow Up!" These are just two examples of author Tom Lamont's talent for creating well-developed characters.
Funny, sad, sometimes improbable, Going Home is always heartfelt. The one difficulty I had with the book was believing that a mother who adores her son would choose to abandon him. But then I looked through Lia's eyes and realized she knew her son would be in good hands. Once I bought into this mindset, I immersed myself in Joel's life and watched as four imperfect, well-intentioned friends learned to look beyond themselves and find love in unexpected places.
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Susan W. (Berkley, MI)
Would you be able to do the right thing?
I enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the Scottish countryside were lovely. The characters were very interesting, although at times tiresome. I think Ben's character development was inconsistent; he went from irresponsible to the other extreme. Are we to assume his character didn't change, he just used his unlimited wealth? How does he really feel about Joel? I would like to know more about the Rabbi (not to give away more plot). Is she meant to be only a secondary character? It doesn't feel like it. I ask if you would be able to "do the right thing" wondering if each of the adults in the book can/have.
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Katherine P. (Post Mills, VT)
Parenting Is Not Innate!
Lia is gone but she's left a 21/2 year old toddler behind. Teo was babysitting Joel when Lia was discovered and so by default he becomes his temporary guardian. But what does a 30 year old bachelor know about taking care of a kid in diapers who speaks his own private toddler language? Not much, as it turns out. What does Teo want to learn about taking care of said child? Not much, either. No one seems to know who Joel's father is so therefore finding him is problematic. For the time being child services think Joel is in good hands--Lia trusted Teo to baby sit after all, Teo is stable with a good job from which he can get leave, and has a home with his father, Vic, for the duration. He can go back to his London flat when either Joel's family or a foster family can be found for him. Preferably, Jewish since Joel and Lia were Jewish. Teo doesn't practice but his father a Scot Catholic, widowed from a Jewish wife, has been active in the local synagogue.
Teo is surrounded by his old group of school friends to which Lia belonged -the only female. His best friend, Ben, is rich, unemployed and lives in a mansion that has been his since his 18th birthday. Whenever Teo came home he fell right back into the care-free card playing, drinking, partying, clubbing lifestyle they've shared since they emerged from childhood. Their relationship is old and fraught with the stresses that familiarity and established roles that over time have developed. Ben is the star, the leader, the jock and Teo is the shorter, quieter, steadier follower. He is also the one of the group that has broken free of the hometown--he's moved to London and only comes home once a month to visit his sick father, Vic. A toddler certainly changes the dynamic.
I loved the book because, despite the circumstances, a child alters everything about the life led by its caretaker before its arrival. It is funny, having had a child, to see the situation from the aspect of a male in charge. Though people think women are born knowing exactly how to raise children that isn't true. What is true, however, is that women from early on are more involved with children--younger siblings, cousins, and as teens babies for whom we babysit, then as we get older our friends' or older siblings new babies--we just are around them all the time and usually are interested in them even in their earliest stages. Men just don't pay that much attention and so if they find themselves in charge, they are really at sea. To see Vic attempt to make up for what he sees as shortcomings in his role as Teo's father, and Teo try to determine how much TV is acceptable and Ben try to avoid the whole situation is fun but serious, too.
In the end, since everyone cares about Joel and wants him to be safe and happy all three of them figure it out and somehow a new life develops for them all.
Interwoven with the questions of parenting are also the concepts of faith, jew vs jewishness and the process of maturing from our foot in adulthood 20's into 30 year olds with a touch of awareness of one's future.
One of the characters, new to the community,is the young rabbi, Sybil. Her affluent family considers themselves to have assimilated in the English community and are upset at her choice of career. This was only mentioned in passing but it was an idea that was a bit jarring, especially in the present time with the worldwide problems in nations finding themselves dealing with an influx of immigrants. She, too, as the religious leader becomes involved in the question of what to do with Joel. Also, being close in age to both Teo and Ben, she becomes involved in their relationship as well.
Closing the book brings with it a sense of satisfaction that the characters are on a path of success leading to lives filled with possibility.
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Mary L. (Greeley, CO)
Toddler Upends Four Adults
Any reader who loves complex character development will be immersed in this novel as one toddler challenges each of four major characters as well as their relationships with one another. While I enjoyed that aspect, the detailed emphasis was just a bit slow for my taste. Since the novel is from a British perspective and set in a smaller town that may be the difference for me. It is a novel with great heart and both the turmoil and joy one little boy brings to these four adults makes it well worth a read.
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Gwen C. (Clearfield, PA)
Going Home
This book grew on me. Teo's and Ben's up and down friendship-with its occasional hostility was hard for me to grasp. Teo was good and Ben was obnoxious it seemed. Sybil was intriguing )I loved "she was a glanced when it came to mirrors.") as was Joel's dead mother Lia. Vic was the easiest one for me to understand. I'm not that familiar with the Jewish religion and learned a lot. I admired Joel's language and what the author went through to invent it. By the end of the book I was crying for Vic and cheering for the others. Although I had difficulty initially warming up to the characters the book was a good, worthwhile read. I particularly liked the rather open ended ending leaving us free to finish the novel as we see fit.
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