Louis Satriani has the perfect life in Edinburgh or so he thought, it only took a second to discover it was a lie. Forced to readjust to the shifting events that have rocked his world he confronts the secret and deception that will change his life for ever.
A moment of crisis can offer new directions and escaping his past he travels through Greece, an experience he hopes will afford him opportunities to reconstruct his life and rediscover a sense of normality, by burying his torment and establish a reason to be in control of the choices and decisions he makes. Will the lure and sanctuary of a Greek island, Zakynthos, erase the loss of the hopes and dreams that once galvanised his life? Will it offer a refuge and reconciliation with his past? Louis is offered a sanctuary, Maria, a local tour guide. The ghosts of Louis’ past are never far and the circumstances that have brought Louis and Maria together embroil them in conflicting emotions forcing them to face and confront their feelings for each other opening old wounds of the past and suppressed hopes that resonate in the present.
Passion blossoms in a voyage of love, doubt and self-discovery. But can there love survive life changing events and the unfolding of a secret that can only be resolved by a homecoming, forcing Louis to choose between his heart and head. The Homecoming encapsulates love, loss and reconciliation, set against the backdrop of Edinburgh, mainland Greece and an Ionian island.
Passion blossoms in a voyage of love, doubt and self-discovery. But can there love survive life changing events and the unfolding of a secret that can only be resolved by a homecoming, forcing Louis to choose between his heart and head. The Homecoming encapsulates love, loss and reconciliation, set against the backdrop of Edinburgh, mainland Greece and an Ionian island.
In a past life Dougie has been a musician and song writer, playing in several bands, performing live and recording music. He has a degree in Learning Disability nursing and a post graduate diploma in autism. He is a children and young person’s learning disability nurse with a specialist interest in autism. Dougie lives in Dunfermline, Fife, with his wife, teenage daughter, older son and golden retriever. The Homecoming is his first novel, inspired by a love of all things Greek, her islands, people, landscapes, sea, light and ambience all of which are important themes and symbols in his writing.
Author Links :
Dougie @facebook.com/www.dougiemchale
Twitter: Dougie McHale @dougiemchale
Twitter: Dougie McHale @dougiemchale
My Review
I was immediately attracted to this book by its premise and of course, it's set partly in Greece which is always an added incentive for me. The opening is quite sad and at first the book seems quite disjointed as we move into the present day with different characters. Throughout the book the reader is left wondering about the connection but it is all tied up very neatly at the end.
I love the descriptions of Greece, the writer is obviously a Hellenophile, as am I, and I felt the urge to go back and sit in the places our hero Louis sits as he gazes out to sea. There are some wonderful characters including his landlady and I really got into the story once Louis met Maria and finds himself on Zakinthos. The descriptions of Edinburgh are also brilliant. Parts of the plot, however, seemed unnecessary and didn't add much to the story, such as his encounter with the thugs. His reason for leaving Scotland was sufficient I felt without him needing to go on the run although that is merely my opinion as I wanted him to get to Zakynthos earlier!
All in all, an enjoyable story that has tragedy and a love affair at its core. I liked the book and feel that Dougie McHale is a gifted storyteller. Not wishing to be too pedantic, I think a good editor or proofreader would get rid of the irritating typos and grammar mistakes and tighten up the plot to make this into what could be a VERY enjoyable story.
4/5
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