Homecoming by Eleanor Wells Narrated by Hope Mercugliano

Rating: 5 star rating

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Homecoming by Eleanor Wells, and narrated by Hope Mercugliano. I just need to talk about how good it was. It is a historical fiction story set in the summer of 1950. If you are into family dramas or coming of age books about healing after a major loss, you are going to want to add this to your TBR list.  

The main plot follows a sixteen year old girl named Rosalie Hastings. Her family used to have an great life in New York, but everything completely fell apart when her dad was killed in World War II. They ended up moving to Chicago for a fresh start, but by 1950, they are all basically drifting apart. 

Her older brother, Sean, gets married to his long-term girlfriend and moves out, which leaves Rosalie feeling totally alone. To keep herself busy, she joins her high school newspaper, discovers she loves writing, and even starts falling for the editor in chief. But as winter gets closer, the memory of her dad's death starts hitting everyone hard again. 

Her mother begins to seriously withdraw into the past, Sean's quick marriage starts tracking toward a breakup, and Rosalie has to figure out how to step up and hold her family together. I liked how the book ended because it gave such a realistic sense of closure. It does not give you some magical, happy ending, but it feels genuine. Rosalie finally learns to handle her own grief and finds her independent voice, and you get the feeling that the family is actually going to be okay and move forward together.  

Hope Mercugliano did an amazing job narrating the audiobook. She captures Rosalie's quietness and shyness perfectly without making it sound too overly dramatic or sappy. The absolute best part is that the whole audiobook is less than three hours long. It is the perfect length for a busy weekend or listen to on a long drive, and I highly recommend picking it up.

Thank you, NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and author Eleanor Wells and narrator Hope Mercugliano for this free audiobook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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This is a review of the audiobook.