Finding Home by Lauren Westwood : Book Review

Finding Home by Lauren Westwood felt like the book I might relate to as I have been always interested in the vintage aspects of homes, places and things.The older the ‘period piece’ the more intriguing is the story associated. Hence, I opted for Finding Home and here is an honest review of the same.

Book Title: Finding Home

Author: Lauren Westwood

Version: Kindle edition

Publishers: Aria

An ‘Old Home’ Romance

Blurb

The title and the blurb rightly entices a book lover to opt for the book, as it promises an exciting time, unravelling the ‘forbidden’ associated with the ‘Rosemont Hall’.

“A month ago, Amy Wood had her perfect home, her perfect boyfriend and her perfect job in London. Now she’s broken-hearted, living in her parents’ tiny bungalow, and working in a local estate agents in Bath.  At least her new job keeps her busy. Rosemont Hall is a crumbling mansion riddled with woodworm, dry rot – and secrets.

As Amy searches for the perfect owner to restore the house to its former glory, she begins to uncover pieces of the past that some people would rather remain hidden.  In her battle to save Rosemont Hall, Amy will encounter scary housekeepers, evil property developers and mysterious American heirs – and will discover whether the secrets of the past can bring her closer to the future of her dreams…”

Book Cover

The book cover of Finding Home by Lauren Westwood could have been much better, as it does not support the antiquity associated with the book. It is too simple to be captivating.

The revamped book cover of Finding Home by Lauren Westwood looks splendid!! I am glad the author is responsive to reviews and the feedback given by her readers 🙂

Story / Plot

The story starts with Amy Wood’s house hunting around London, her career and personal life description.The twist at the very beginning of Finding Home by Lauren Westwood is quite interesting.Amy’s shift to her parents’ home and descriptions of her new job assignments are sure to strike a chord with working women.

The happenings at the Real estate office bring forth the ‘work atmosphere’ which almost every working woman faces at some point or the other in her career.The crooked boss, the apprehensiveness associated with every client, some ‘not-so-enthusiastic-yet-jealous’ colleagues at the workplace have all been described so realistically, that a reader is bound to relate to Amy’s feelings.

Characterization

Finding Home by Lauren Westwood is a sort of Bildungsroman. The character ‘Amy’ matures as a person and with her, the secrets associated with the ‘Rosemont Hall’ too unravels, as the story moves forward.The characterisation of Jack, Mr.Kendall, Mrs.Bradford, Claire is apt and help the story to progress and support Amy to grow as a person.

However, I could not relate to the characterisation of ‘Amy’s parents’. Maybe because being an Indian my perception of ‘how parents should be and behave’ differs from the West.

Language/Style

The style of writing is simple yet effective and humorous, especially when describing situations and people.The following lines from the book are here to support my observation:

“I felt like a little plant uprooted from my plot of earth and plopped into a plastic pot in a DIY store”

‘Mr Bowen-Knowles frowns so deeply you could almost germinate seeds in his brow‘

My Take on Finding Home by Lauren Westwood

One cannot overlook the similarities and inspirations from the works of Jane Austen and Carole Mathews in Lauren’s writing.Be it the literary nuances, humour or architectural descriptions, Finding Home by Lauren Westwood reminds one of the old world writers.

Yes, Finding Home is the story of and about ‘Rosemont Hall’, but, strong references to Feminism and other Women’s fiction cannot be ignored. The story sends out a sturdy message against the mindless destruction of heritage marvels to pave way for ‘Resorts and Amusement Parks’ in the name of development and modernisation!

I am glad…

Apart from the minute details of the furniture and conditions of the house to the architecture of ‘Rosemont Hall’, Lauren Westwood has been successful in celebrating the goodness and charm of the old English world.

The debut writer ought to be lauded for the humour and positivity induced by the character ‘Amy’ even when Amy is in a soup.The below lines of Amy, sort of fits the condition of her, as well as Rosemont Hall in the story:

‘Sitting here, I feel like one of the many nameless women that history has forgotten –without any sort of meaningful status or occupation’.

I wish…

At times when reading the book, I felt the story should have been pacier and intriguing and not a drag.The character of ‘Jack’ should have been introduced a little earlier and exploited much more, to cover up for the sagging storyline in the mid-chapters. Because the story becomes too hurried at the end, as a reader I could not fathom the sudden change of events so very quickly and abruptly. 

Parting Words 

This literary work of Finding Home by Lauren Westwood isn’t a quickie. One needs to relish the architectural nuances and charm of the good old world at a slow pace. Go for it if you are an admirer of old classics, mysteries and subtle romance. A wonderful literary work for a debut novel!

I give this book a rating of 4 / 5!

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