Home/Land: A Memoir of Departure and Return

This is a well-written book by an author who knows how to write but who is in search of a story. It is a personal account of the author’s return to her native England from her long-standing home in New York. She is fleeing the upset and chaos of the political climate in the United States in the hopes of returning to a more balanced and welcoming homeland. While her descriptions are well written and vivid, this reader was looking for any insight into what is essentially a non-event. It may very well be interesting to the writer’s associates and friends, but there is no story here.

I once took a class on how to “show, not tell” in a story. This book seems all show and no tell. After reading it, I still have no idea what the author thinks about her return trip and its impact on her family. A reader could read this book to enjoy the author’s obvious skill at observation, but this reader was in search of any clue as to what these people were like and how they felt. Ultimately, this book is well written but unsatisfactory.