The Homemade God: A Novel Audiobook

Quotes

• Sparkling and addictive . . . Rachel Joyce is so incredibly good and wise on families and siblings, pacing out a story’s secrets so that you have to read one more page. I couldn’t love it more.

  — Harriet Evans, author of The Stargazers

• The Homemade God is an enthralling, thought-provoking, layered novel, seamed with a delicious dark humour. And, as in all the best redemptive stories, through the rubble of grief glimmers hope, acceptance and love. Truly wonderful.

  — Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

• Lyrical, shrewd and, ultimately, as indecently satisfying as a four course Italian lunch, The Homemade God tells of four siblings surviving an artist father none can admit is a talentless monster and how the fallout of his death obliges each to shatter and rebuild their life. My life is a little emptier now it's over.

  — Patrick Gale, author of A Place Called Winter

• A new novel by Rachel Joyce is always a cause for celebration and this was no exception. This terrific novel absolutely refused to be cozy and provided all sorts of misdirections and a sense of foreboding throughout. At first I could hear echoes of My Cousin Rachel and feel my anxieties and sympathies being expertly manipulated as I tried to work out who I was rooting for, but it was so much more subtle than that—none of the characters are wholly good or bad or dislikeable, because Rachel always shows us why they behave as they do. The missing picture was a neat image of the siblings’ struggles to see their childhood with any kind of clarity. Another triumph of insight and empathy!

  — Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures

• The Homemade God is a beautiful portrayal of family, art and the things we inherit from our parents, both creative and emotional. Joyce writes with great emotional acuity about the complexity of sibling relationships in a richly woven family drama, with all Joyce’s trademark compassion and insight. It’s a wonderful piece of storytelling.

  — Hannah Beckerman, author of The Forgetting

• Rachel Joyce’s latest novel is an absolute humdinger. Gripping, atmospheric, psychologically rich storytelling that gets to the absolute heart of parental love and loss. It’s also very funny. I haven’t been able to put it down.

  — Emily Howes, author of The Painter’s Daughters

• Lyrical, shrewd and, ultimately, as indecently satisfying as a four-course Italian lunch, The Homemade God tells of four siblings surviving an artist father none can admit is a talentless monster and how the fallout of his death obliges each to shatter and rebuild their life. My life is a little emptier now that it’s over.

  — Patrick Gale, author of A Place Called Winter

• The Homemade God is a beautiful portrayal of family, art, and the things we inherit from our parents, both creative and emotional. Joyce writes with great emotional acuity about the complexity of sibling relationships in a richly woven family drama, with all of Joyce’s trademark compassion and insight. It’s a wonderful piece of storytelling.

  — Hannah Beckerman, author of The Forgetting

• With humor and compassion, Joyce paints a complex portrait of a family with all of its baggage, eccentricities, charm, and heartbreak. Her novel is about the universal longing to express our artistic selves, to be loved and accepted. Beautiful.

  — Eowyn Ivey, author of Black Woods Blue Sky

• Powerful and complex . . . I have never read a novel with such a fearless depiction of the true nature of sibling relationships. I loved it.

  — Clover Stroud, author of The Red of My Blood

• A novel full of insights about family, and the need to break free of the past and be your own person. The Italian villa by the lake is one of the most dreamy settings, so vivid I was swimming in that lake.

  — Georgina Moore, author of The Garnett Girls

• Brilliantly drawn characters, an incredibly atmospheric setting, and the most gripping plot: The Homemade God is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature and purpose of art and probably the wisest and most insightful study of sibling rivalry I’ve ever read.

  — Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

• The Homemade God makes you identify with every family member, in their loves, struggles and pain, just as their author-creator shows her own beautiful heart and joyful talent. What a grown-up delight.

  — Laline Paull, author of The Bees

• Joyce’s clever narrative lured me out onto this tightrope from the first few pages and kept me teetering, deliciously, until the end. The Handmade God does everything you want a novel to do: it moves and touches and challenges you; it grips you tightly in your reading chair while dinner waits just a little longer to be cooked.

  — Sarah Leipciger, author of Moon Road

• The Homemade God is an enthralling, thought-provoking, layered novel, seamed with a delicious dark humour. And, as in all the best redemptive stories, through the rubble of grief glimmers hope, acceptance and love.

  — Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

• Lyrical, shrewd and, ultimately, as indecently satisfying as a four-course Italian lunch . . . My life is a little emptier now that it’s over.

  — Patrick Gale, author of A Place Called Winter

• A new novel by Rachel Joyce is always a cause for celebration and this was no exception. This terrific novel absolutely refused to be cozy and provided all sorts of misdirections and a sense of foreboding throughout. Another triumph of insight and empathy!

  — Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures

• The Homemade God is a beautiful portrayal of family, art, and the things we inherit from our parents, both creative and emotional. It’s a wonderful piece of storytelling.

  — Hannah Beckerman, author of The Forgetting

• Gripping, atmospheric, psychologically rich storytelling that gets to the absolute heart of parental love and loss.

  — Emily Howes, author of The Painter’s Daughters

• Powerful and complex . . . I was left almost breathless by Joyce’s depiction of the way grief changes us, and specifically changes the shape of a family. I have never read a novel with such a fearless depiction of the true nature of sibling relationships. I loved it.

  — Clover Stroud, author of The Red of My Blood

• A novel full of insights about family and the need to break free of the past and be your own person. The Italian villa by the lake is one of the most dreamy settings, so vivid I was swimming in that lake.

  — Georgina Moore, author of The Garnett Girls

• Brilliantly drawn characters, an incredibly atmospheric setting, and the most gripping plot: The Homemade God is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature and purpose of art and probably the wisest and most insightful study of sibling rivalry I’ve ever read. In short, it’s a masterpiece.

  — Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

• The Homemade God makes you identify with every family member, in their loves, struggles, and pain, just as their author-creator shows her own beautiful heart and joyful talent. What a grown-up delight.

  — Laline Paull, author of The Bees

• Joyce’s clever narrative lured me out onto this tightrope from the first few pages and kept me teetering, deliciously, until the end. The Handmade God does everything you want a novel to do: move and touch and challenge you. It grips you tightly in your reading chair while dinner waits just a little longer to be cooked.

  — Sarah Leipciger, author of Moon Road

• The Homemade God has all the flexed, pacey tautness of a thriller, even though at its heart it’s a quiet story about grief.

  — Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich

• It’s all here, dear readers. Art. Beauty. Pain. Redemption. Rachel Joyce’s masterful skill and emotional scope is dazzling. Brava!

  — Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone

• With humor and compassion, Joyce paints a complex portrait of a family with all of its baggage, eccentricities, charm, and heartbreak. Beautiful.

  — Eowyn Ivey, author of Black Woods Blue Sky

• Powerful and complex . . . I was left almost breathless.

  — Clover Stroud, author of The Red of My Blood

• Brilliantly drawn characters, an incredibly atmospheric setting, and the most gripping plot: The Homemade God is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature and purpose of art and probably the wisest and most insightful study of sibling rivalry I’ve ever read.

  — Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

• Joyce’s clever narrative lured me out onto this tightrope from the first few pages and kept me teetering, deliciously, until the end. The Handmade God does everything you want a novel to do: move and touch and challenge you.

  — Sarah Leipciger, author of Moon Road

• Sparkling and addictive . . . Rachel Joyce is so incredibly good and wise on families and siblings, pacing out a story’s secrets so that you have to read one more page.

  — Harriet Evans, author of The Stargazers

• The Homemade God is an enthralling, thought-provoking, layered novel, seamed with a delicious dark humour.

  — Sarah Winman, author of Still Life

• Another triumph of insight and empathy!

  — Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures

• It’s all here, dear readers. Art. Beauty. Pain. Redemption. Rachel Joyce’s emotional scope is dazzling. Brava!

  — Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone

• Who would have thought a book about four neurotic siblings and their impossible father could be so engaging, intriguing and satisfying?

  — Prue Leith

• The Homemade God is an exquisite and beautifully written exposé of a family torn apart by tragedy and almost destroyed by love. Joyce’s evocative and visceral description of the strange and alluring Italian island on Lake Orta made me feel like I was eavesdropping on her complex but endearing characters as their world falls apart. It made me laugh, it made me cry and I couldn’t put it down. If you are a fan of Maggie O’Farrell, you must read this.

  — Louise Minchin

• Rachel Joyce is a genius at creating complex, real, fractured characters and relationships. I didn’t just read about the four Kemp siblings, I became one of them, and I’m bereft now I’ve left them behind. The Homemade God is the most moving, beautiful and brilliant book I’ve read in a long time.

  — Clare Pooley, author of How to Age Disgracefully

• The renowned artist—the emotionally starved children—what an inspired subject! Joyce writes with her trademark vitality and compassion and there is such color here. So much at stake. I couldn’t put it down.

  — Esther Freud, author if Hideous Kinky