Home Fire: A Novel

"Ingenious... Builds to one of the most memorable final scenes I've read in a novel this century." --The New York Times

WINNER OF THE 2018 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION

FINALIST FOR THE 2019 INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE

The suspenseful and heartbreaking story of an immigrant family driven to pit love against loyalty, with devastating consequences, from the author of Best of Friends

Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother's death, she's accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can't stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who's disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma's worst fears are confirmed.

Then Eamonn enters the sisters' lives. Son of a powerful political figure, he has his own birthright to live up to--or defy. Is he to be a chance at love? The means of Parvaiz's salvation? Suddenly, two families' fates are inextricably, devastatingly entwined, in this searing novel that asks: What sacrifices will we make in the name of love?

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288 pages

Average rating: 7.62

78 RATINGS

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3 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

Anilatac
Oct 28, 2024
10/10 stars
Reread for class. Love this book so fucking much. God it rips you open
Anonymous
Apr 07, 2023
8/10 stars
I cannot think of a book ending that has affected me so. Proper skin tingling!

An absolutely fantastic narrative - really brilliantly constructed with 5 different perspectives from interesting, flawed and interconnected characters. The book highlights themes around family, loyalty, forgiveness, identity, power and love. I’m conflicted about the rating because each of the narratives by themselves are missing something - however the power of the novel is how everything comes crashing together at the end.

I now understand it’s based on Greek mythology which I’ll have to investigate more. Highly recommended read!
FionaG
Jul 16, 2022
8/10 stars
I'm teaching this next year. I really enjoyed it as it challenges us to think about a different community's experience of the impact of post 9/11 and Iraq war world. 5 characters narrate picking up the narrative thread at different times and from different perspectives.

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