February 2018 Book of the Month.
Romily, an author of mystery novels, returns home after a European promotional tour just shortly before her great love, Jack Devereux, somewhat her senior, falls ill and dies. He leaves three grown up natural children and his deceased younger brother’s girl, Allegra, whom he adopted. A motley bunch who all seem to dislike each other and squabble. They have to stay in the family house for a week if they wish to inherit. The widowed daughter was staying with her husband’s family in Germany when the Nazis started rounding up the Jews and has brought back a Jewish 14-month old girl to save her. This is 1939. War is declared. The boys disperse, the younger to join the RAF in Canada, the bullying elder to an Admiralty desk job (he is blind in one eye). Allegra’s husband has run off leaving her pregnant. All in all the women pull together and fair well, the men less so. Full of fascinating characters as one would expect from this lovely author, with great sub plots and lots of emotion and tragedy, this is one of the meatier of Erica’s romances. First rate.
| Primary Genre | Family Drama |
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Set between 1939 and 1940, it soon became compulsive reading, finding out who was where in the world and what they were doing. A really good well researched story.
This book really surprised me as it was full of elements that normally annoy but definitely not in this case. Based around a bizarre will set up to try and reunite his family, Jack Devereux’s sudden death creates a strange scenario for his much younger wife, Romily whom he had recently married. A capable, independent woman who wrote successful crime novels, she soon found nothing could have prepared her for the task in hand. Now adults, his two sons, daughter and a niece had to live amicably in their country house for a week before claiming their inheritance.
Set between 1939 and 1940, it soon became compulsive reading, finding out who was where in the world and what they were doing.... Read Full Review
I had somehow never come across Erica James before but after this example of her writing I will be seeking out her other books for sure!
I have unfortunately just finished reading ‘Coming Home to Island House’ by Erica James. I say unfortunately because I would have liked it to go on and on! The characters are so well portrayed that you feel you are reading a family history, and therefore as the book ends at Christmas 1940 that there must be more to tell! The story is in essence of a newly widowed crime writer who tries to fulfil her husband’s last wish of bringing his antagonistic family together in harmony, while coping with her own grief at losing the love of her life. There are though many other characters also involved with scenarios of village life interwoven.... Read Full Review
This will interest fans of Lucinda Riley – family relationships, conflicts and realisation that life is too short. Just a little light weight for me.
Jack has found love for the first time since losing his first love and wife over 40 years previous. Now married for the second time to a woman who is much younger, Romily, he has found someone he genuine loves, and the feelings are mutual.
His three children from his previous marriage, together with a niece who he adopted, have flown the nest having completely dissociated themselves from Jack based on his domineering parenting and aloofness. When Jack suffers a fata stroke, his siblings return to the family home to learn of the terms of the Will. And what they learn has significant implications on the relationships between themselves, with their new step-mum (who they see as a threat) and on what they understood was their relationship with their father and Uncle.... Read Full Review
