Book Review: Forever Home by Graham Norton

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from HarperVia, via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

The internationally bestselling author and host of The Graham Norton Show returns with a tense and darkly comic novel that casts a caustic light on the relationship between mothers and daughters and truth and self-preservation.

Synopsis:

Where do secrets live?

Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging—and sparks a flurry of speculation. What does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned him and his children all those years ago? Carol and Declan know their relationship is the talk of the town, but the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer.

When Declan becomes ill, their relationship falters. His children are untrusting and cruel, and Carol is forced to leave their beloved home, with its worn oak floors and elegant features, and move back with her parents.

Carol’s mother is determined to get to the bottom of things—she won't see her daughter suffer this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan's past, strange rumors that were never confronted, and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance that affects them all.

Review:

I really shouldn't be surprised by now with how well Graham can craft a tale-a.he's Irish, b.he has inherited story teller genes (see a.) and C. he's a great entertainer. Yet again, I found myself racing through another of his books (almost all in one sitting!), and surprised yet again! The book is at times tragic, hysterical (Carol's mother is a HOOT), chick lit, dysfunctional family 101, and yet always entrancing! Once we get to really KNOW Carol and her parents, we see why she acted like she did, and how Declan's children got over on her. But Declan was keeping secrets and those secrets are about to break through and affect the past and the future that Carol thinks she is about to set out for herself. A tale meant to remind us of what is truly important in life, this book will leave you smiling!

About the Author:

Graham Norton is the author of the novels Holding, which was a New York Times bestseller and won the 2016 Irish Independent Popular Fiction Award, and A Keeper. One of the UK's best loved broadcasters, Graham has won eight BAFTAs and is the host of The Graham Norton Show on BBC1 and BBC America, has a weekly show on BBC Radio 2, and writes a column for the Telegraph. Born in Dublin and raised in West Cork, he now lives in London.