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Book Review of The Thing About Home

The Thing About Home
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 601 more book reviews


"The thing about home is, it's not a place. It's a feeling.â
- The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight

It was perfect timing to read The Thing About Home in May as it includes being connected to the land and growing food. This is the first novel I've read by this prolific author.

Casey B is a 30-something woman whose entire life has been lived publicly, first as a child model and then as a very popular social influencer. She's Black in two ways - it's her last name and her race/heritage. In a moment that should be filled with love and joy, her entire life crumbles for all the world to see. Readers follow Casey on her journey to figure out the rest of her life, which begins with a trip to South Carolina's Lowcountry.

The Thing About Home is a story of contrasts:
- urban NYC vs rural SC
- family of 2 vs family of many
- intensely public vs fiercely private
- materialistic vs spiritual
- current time vs 1800s

This felt very relevant for a novel from a Christian publisher, which I appreciated but other readers may not. The plot pulled me right in, but then it dragged after the first couple of chapters. But I'm glad I kept reading because I really enjoyed the rest of the story. I liked the characters; Nigel is VERY swoonworthy, and I loved Granna, even though she functioned incredibly well for age 99. And the faith elements emerged organically in the story.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing and NetGalley for a review copy of this novel.