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The Homemade God

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The Homemade God

By: Rachel Joyce
Narrated by: Rachel Joyce, Sarah Winman
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Family is everything, even when it falls apart.
Discover the brand-new novel from the multi-million-copy bestselling author.

AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!

Family is everything, even when it falls apart: discover the brand-new novel from the multi-million-copy bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Ann Patchett and Maggie O'Farrell.

There is a heatwave across Europe.

Goose and his three sisters gather at the family's house by Lake Orta in Piedmont, Italy.

Their father, a famous artist, has recently remarried a much younger woman and decamped to Italy to finish his masterpiece. Now he is dead and there is no sign of a painting.

Although the siblings have always been close, as they search for answers over that summer, the things they learn - about themselves, their father and their new stepmother - will drive them apart before they can come to any kind of understanding of what their father's legacy truly is.

Extraordinarily compelling, at heart this is a novel about sibling relationships and those hairline cracks that can appear within a family: what what happens when they splinter, and what it would take to mend them.

Featuring an exclusive interview between Rachel Joyce and bestselling author, Sarah Winman. Listen to the end for a fascinating insight into their writing processes and their experiences of narrating their audiobooks.

'A sharp, absorbing and emotionally intelligent novel.' Guardian

‘A beautifully written family drama ... Long after I finished the last page, I found I missed these characters – always the sign of a special book’ - GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'Joyce, who was an actor before she turned exclusively to writing, modulates her [tone] with immense delicacy. It’s impossible not to feel the comedy inherent in the siblings’ well-worn to and fro, nor the sorrow when their bonds begin to break down.' – Financial Times

©2025 Rachel Joyce (P)2025 Penguin Audio

 Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Italy

Critic reviews

THE BEST BOOKS OF 2025 SO FAR: Rachel Joyce has become known as an author of quiet, often older, lives.
In The Homemade God, she changes track – and it works.

(Robbie Millen)
The mysterious death of an artist causes havoc among siblings in a novel that astutely observes family dynamics ... Joyce is also exceptionally good at blending the big stuff of life with the small ... a sharp, absorbing and emotionally intelligent novel. (Joanna Quinn)
A masterly and deeply satisfying exploration of art, grief and familial bonds. (Hannah Beckerman)
Compulsive and darkly funny, Joyce’s books are a must-read for me and this did not disappoint. (Sarra Manning)
Woman's Weekly LOVES The Homemade God: As the simple story of a family falling apart unfolds, written in Joyce’s inimitable style, we ask whether some wounds are just too deep to heal. (Zoe West)
The Homemade God shares the characteristic generosity of Joyce's seven previous novels but there's something darker at play. (Erica Wagner)
Sparkling and addictive … Rachel Joyce is so incredibly good and wise on families and siblings, pacing out a story’s secrets so that you have to read one more page. [It’s My Cousin Rachel meets The Enchanted April.] I couldn’t love it more. (Harriet Evans, author of The Stargazers and The Garden of Lost and Found)
The Homemade God is an enthralling, thought-provoking, layered novel, seamed with a delicious dark humour. And, as in all the best redemptive stories, through the rubble of grief glimmers hope, acceptance and love. Truly wonderful. (Sarah Winman, author of Still Life)
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Fantastic work of fiction. Beautifully detailed characters and story. Terrible narration. Flat like a dictionary. Stick to what you're good at. She even says at the end that she had to give up acting because she can't act and can't do accents. Such a shame as it would have been brought to life with a different narrator.

Fabulous story bad narration

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loved that it was read by the author. she did it really well and held my attention through the whole thing

Great story

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This book started off really well but I think the story seemed a little far fetched and slightly disappointing, I loved all of the siblings characters but then it suddenly took a weird turn which seemed a bit unbelievable as did the young girl friend, maybe it was her name, just something felt irritating to be. Worth an easy listen though, not as good as the unlikely pilgrimage of Harrold Fry which I loved !

Not as good as Harrold Fry

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This book was heartbreaking, funny, beautiful and I just loved it. It is one of my new favourite books of all time. I found Rachel’s narration mesmerising and really suited the story and characters. I didn’t want any more inflection or drama in her voice than she gave as it made me listen and therefore understand the characters better. The whole thing was just exquisite, I’m so sad it’s finished.

This will stay with me for a little time

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Totally enchanting story in a beautiful setting. Intriguing, believably flawed characters skilfully crafted and brought to life by Rachel Joyce’s wonderful narration.

Fabulous!

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A more animated narrator would have improved this audio book considerably. Apparently Rachel Joyce was an actor before she started writing full time so one can only assume that her dreary monotone was intentional. However, the story is interesting and there are moments of sly humour that manage to fight their way through the gloom of the narration. Books with no congenial characters are always a bit more of a challenging read - it's harder to carry the reader along when there's no hero/heroine to root for. I wasn't entirely convinced by the family's extreme emotional fallout and the two least objectionable siblings were so pathetically wet that I wanted to give them a good shake. Verdict? Good in parts but maybe better to read the book rather than listen to it.

Spoilt by monotonous narration

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Rachel Joyce is one of my favourite authors and this book doesn't disappoint. Its full of intrigue with the story line slowly unfolding in a way I hadn't anticipated. The author very accurately depicts family tensions and sibling rivalry following the death of a parent and because the author narrates the book she beautifully encapsulates the personalities of each character making them totally believable. It was moving, gripping and I felt a little bereft when the book was finished! Highly recommend.

Absolutely Wonderful

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Nothing to dislike beautiful story. Everything came alive I have seen the photo of Lake Orta, it made the book so real.

Wonderful captivating story.

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Loved it all , fantastic story and loved her voice in the audible version. A rich tapestry to get lost in.

Characters were So vivid and dynamics so fascinating

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Beautifully read by the author whom I’m seeing next week. Plus an excellent interview between Rachel and Sarah Winman

Beautiful - both book and narration

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