I had never heard of “The Road Home” by Rose Tremain before I started collecting books in the Vintage 21 Rainbow set. It quickly became apparent that it was another immigration-themed novel, but unlike my last experience, this one is actually rather brilliant.
The story follows Lev, a recently widowed man who has left his mother and daughter behind in his home country (never specified, but suggested to be Eastern European) in search of work and a new life in London. While he’s there, he struggles with grief, homesickness, finding work, meeting people and envisioning a future for himself without his wife.
“The Road Home” is a great novel. There’s no question. Tremain has a real knack for observation, and weaves together all the pieces of her knowledge of people and places to create a work that is striking in its realism. Lev is a real antihero. He’s dreamy, he’s often inconsiderate, he’s aimless and he’s completely relatable. Every thought, every mistake, every little piece of humanity that he notices makes this book feel like it really is something that could have actually happened. The people that Lev meets are just as interesting, complex and human as he is with their own flaws and their own dreams.
Not a huge amount happens in this book, so if you’re looking for something fast-paced and action-packed, you won’t find it here. What you will find is an intricate, thoughtful book about identity, discovery and direction. It’s a book about being an adult and becoming an adult, which for some people can take a couple of decades longer than others. “The Road Home” was a real surprise, and would make a great holiday read or a great weekend book where you can give it a bit of time, savour it and step into someone else’s world for a while.
Tinted Edges 