Patricia_M

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.