Going Home
An exceptionally touching novel in multiple ways ... . The novel carefully shows the way the child’s very existence changes each of the other characters’ lives, all while perfectly encapsulating the frustration, boredom, anxiety and tremendous bursts of tenderness that come from raising a young one ... I’ll take a moment here to applaud Lamont’s human, heartfelt and nonjudgmental portrait of depression and suicide ... Made me cry on more than one occasion, and laugh out loud many more times. It’s a terrific reminder that what binds us to our loved ones isn’t blood but the care we take to keep them close, and our ability to show up for them when we screw it up on the first go-round.
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Skillful ... Lamont crafts a wholly engaging and frequently affecting tale about friendship, fatherhood, family ties, and finding the ability to love unconditionally ... A sure-footed first novel but it is not without the odd misstep. Some of Lamont’s scene-setting descriptions are overlong ... Fortunately, these quibbles are few and far between. Lamont...impresses on various levels. There are sharp observations on everything from London life to the relentless grind of child care ... Lamont shows himself to be a writer of great promise.
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This is the journalist Tom Lamont’s first novel, and it has the kind of plot that feels fine tuned and long thought out. A lot happens in a small space ... I can’t say I loved the tidiness of the ending, but I’ve read Going Home twice now and I still don’t feel as if I’ve tapped its power. Children seem to be more alive than adults, keener, less jaded, and this novel feels the same, pepped up and gorgeous, just bristling with life.
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