Et cetera : What We're Reading: The Homemade God

This weekend I read 'The Homemade God,' the latest from the talented Rachel Joyce. We meet four adult siblings, shocked to learn their father plans to marry a woman he just met. Should they intervene? Why has he lost so much weight? And what exactly is in the tea he keeps drinking? Their long-established family dynamics get shaken to the core when their father dies unexpectedly, and they travel to their childhood vacation home to meet his new widow.

Catherine Newman, author of 'Sandwich,' says "'The Homemade God' has all the flexed, pacey tautness of a thriller, even though at its heart it is a quiet story about grief. I don't understand how Rachel Joyce does it. She is a wonder."

I was already a fan of Joyce's after reading 'The Music Shop' years ago, but this book has elevated her to a new level of talent for me. I'm already picturing the book as a movie; my pick is Wes Anderson as director and Florence + The Machine on the soundtrack.

Happy reading!

~Kelly