In a fairy tale experience, Lev dreams of opening his own restaurant in his home town - which is no under threat from a dam being built. I found myself sympathising with him at the beginning, then hating him oftener that I thought possible, and partly understanding him by the end of the novel. He eventually gets a job and a place to stay but faces many hurdles due to his obvious lack of fitting in with the local culture, such as his accent, manner of dress, and unfamiliarity with local customs. The storyline inspires empathy in the plight of an immigrant trying to adapt to many changes all at once.

The Road Home | novel by Tremain | Britannica The Road Home | novel by Tremain | Britannica

Yet they are generally depicted in the media as a burden on society – “undesirables” who clog up resources and hog public services. Although the 'best' word I've found to describe the prose is 'stiff' and the story is drawn out, it's a book that makes you sit up and consider your own prejudices as you increasingly want Lev to win through, to overcome the miseries and disadvantages dealt to him and those he loves, for his sacrifices to be worth the effort.The reader spends most of the book in Lev’s head and he is likeable until one act which feels very out of character and is difficult to reconcile with what has gone before. Here's the thing about fiction: I could read for hours about the plight of immigrants and still not know what it felt like to BE an immigrant. However, he is very attached to his homeland and experiences extreme anxiety about alienation in a foreign country, coupled with his nostalgic remembrances of a lost home. Rudi got out, wearing only his trousers and boots and checked shirt, and when he slammed the driver's door behind him, the remaining hinge broke and the door fell off into the snow.

The Road Home: From the Sunday Times bestselling author

After a while, he tells her that while his English isn’t bad, his pronunciation is not good, and asks her if she can help him with the right pronunciation. As is the experience of the majority of the immigrant population, Lev is sceptical of his destination and is emotionally attached to his own country, which he thinks will continue to be the place where his heart is. I went out yesterday to get a couple of new audio books plus I bought a new book, to prepare myself for finishing this book today.Sophie the Gorgeous and Sexy Vixen ends up being just as treacherous as Christy the Bitter Irishman had predicted.

The Road Home - Rose Tremain

Her influences include William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 1967 novel 100 Years of Solitude and the magical realism style. Lydia asks him what kinds of work he can do, and he answers that he will do any work available, as he has a family waiting at home who needs the money to survive.I maintained my interest throughout, though it probably could have been shortened without losing much. He also remembers sleeping on the hard linoleum floor next to his wife Marina’s hospital bed, when she was dying.