I have read all the books by Libby Page, and “The Island Home” is easily my favourite. Written from the perspectives of two very different women, the book is an exploration of family dynamics, friendship, grief, love and a need to belong. Set on a fictional Isle of Kip, this is a story of family divided by past tragedies, trying to rebuild their trust, with the healing help of a community and the island itself. Lorna Irvine returns to the remote Kip after almost twenty years away. Alice arrived on the island as a young woman and now treats Kip as her home and its inhabitants as her closest friends. Will Lorna’s return mend the rift in her family, or will past secrets prevent scars from healing?
“The Island Home” is a feel-good story, with Libby’s trademark compassionate and uplifting storytelling. This is a book about friendship and communities, something Libby wrote so well about in her debut, “The Lido”. But I think that there is also a maturity in her writing, in the ways in which she speaks about the fragility of the island, the uncertainty that is a part of life there. The bonds between the islanders are strong and the characters in the book are unique and interesting, but no one is infallible. The beauty of the island is also tenderly described, and the reader gets a distinctive sense of place when Lorna and her daughter explore the location.
The story of Lorna’s life, conflicts and secrets from her past, compel you to stay with the story and find out more – and although there are some difficult choices to make and heart-breaking moments, there is also a hopeful and positive feel about the story, something that the reader might find comforting and reassuring.

Well, what can I say about this book? Well I think it’s best to start with, Libby Page you’ve done it again!

‘The Island Home’ is the third title from Libby and, after loving ‘The Lido’ and ‘The 24 Hour Cafe’ (two of my favourite books that I read last year) I was over the moon to receive an advanced readers copy of this latest book from her - although typically started reading in a week when I was limited with reading time annoyingly!

It tells the story of Lorna and her daughter Ella, who live quite independently in London. After being brought up on a remote island in Scotland, city life couldn’t be any different but Lorna’s childhood on the island was something she didn’t want to remember. When there is a need to return to the island for a family bereavement there is a definite reluctance to return to the community that she felt treated her as an outcast when she was a child. With Ella excited to meet her new cousin and family she never knew existed, Lorna is apprehensive about what lies ahead...

I absolutely adore Libby’s style of writing and I wasn’t disappointed by this latest book. She has a unique way of connecting you with the characters without you even noticing, before you know it you end up emotionally involved with all storylines, feeling as if you know these people and their lives, a true testament to a great writing style for sure.

This book makes you think about the simple things, makes you realise not to take everything at face value, realise how important people and communities can be to everyday life. Over the last year with the pandemic I think we’ve all probably evaluated our lives more than ever before and this feel-good read definitely highlights some issues a lot of people will have thought about, encountered etc and, most vitally, the importance of ‘home’.

Thank you to Libby, NetGalley and Orion Books for the advanced readers copy (just a few spelling and spacing issue with the copy received but not sure if this is due to the e-reader format and am sure will be sorted before publication!), I can’t recommend this book enough - or her other two either! Already counting down to her next one!

I enjoyed this book on the whole. It wasn’t as gripping or quite as special as The Lido, which I really enjoyed. It felt a bit more like a run of the mill book, which didn’t make it any less enjoyable just a bit disappointing when I’d expected something a bit more.

It’s the sort of book you’d enjoy on the beach or on a long journey - good escapism.

Lorna's world is small but safe. She loves her daughter, and the two of them is all that matters. But after nearly twenty years, she and Ella are suddenly leaving London for the Isle of Kip, the tiny remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up. Alice's world is tiny but full. She loves the community on Kip, her yoga classes drawing women across the tiny island together. Now Lorna's arrival might help their family finally mend itself - even if forgiveness means returning to the past. So with two decades, hundreds of miles and a lifetime's worth of secrets between Lorna and the island, can coming home mean starting again?

I knew this would be a beautiful, cosy read but I had no idea how much. Page has such a warm, welcoming style which I adore. Starting one of her books is like getting ready to meet new friends, with every book I find myself falling for the characters. From start to finish, the book is heart-warming and just a joy to read.

This book takes us between London and a remote Scottish island, an aspect which made this different to Page's other books. I loved the setting of the island, it was remote, stunning and solitary. The island provided the perfect atmosphere to reflect Lorna's life and personality. Page vividly describes the island so it felt like I was there as well and it was so enjoyable to get to meet the islanders and read about their lives.

Lorna and Alice are our two central characters and I just loved them. They are so strong, incredibly likeable and very realistic; the ultimate combination. They both have a great story to tell, I found Lorna's more emotional but that does not render Alice's any less important. Together they have a wonderful story to tell and you will love it as much as I did.

'The Island Home' is a beautiful read that will warm your heart. There might not be any twists or shocks but who needs those when a read is this cosy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for an advance copy.

Lorna fled her home, the Isle of Kip, almost 20 years ago and has never looked back. She lives a quiet life in London, just her and her daughter Ella. However events unfold that lead Lorna and Ella to leave London to return to the remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up. Alice meanwhile lives a full and happy life on the island but has always had questions about her husband’s family. Can Lorna’s return finally help mend the damage to their family?

Libby Page has a real talent for creating characters that are relatable and authentic. Her characters have flaws and find themselves in realistic situations which give the novel a real sense of authenticity. I also love how the author isn’t afraid to explore some quite upsetting themes such as abuse and anxiety, yet manages to do so in a way that isn’t too distressing for the reader.

The Island Home is a story of family, friendship and community, and the power of forgiveness. I really enjoyed it.

You can find my full review at https://mmbbookblog.com/the-island-home-by-libby-page-book-review/

Lorna and her daughter Ella are going back to the island of Kip where she grew up but hadn't been back to for over 20 years. Lorna left her younger brother Jack after the way her parents had treated her. She is going back for their funerals and doesn't know how her brother will be. Loved this book

At the age of eighteen, Lorna left the remote Scottish island where she grew up, never to return. Or at least, not for over twenty years, when teenage daughter Ella presents her with a bit of a fait accompli, having been secretly in touch with her cousin Molly, daughter of Lorna’s younger brother Jack.

It’s an intimidating prospect for Lorna, now a teacher in London but whose childhood on the island, along with the circumstances of her leaving, was far from ideal. She hasn’t seen Jack since she left, and it’s not going to be easy to reconnect, and to face up to a past she’s tried hard to bury.

I loved Libby Page’s previous novels, The Lido and The 24 Hour Cafe. The Island Home is an enjoyable read but didn’t grab me to quite the same extent as those others.

The story is told from the viewpoints of Lorna and of Alice, her brother’s wife. Because both Lorna and Alice’s narratives are in the first person present tense, I occasionally became confused as to who was speaking.

The story was readable and engaging, but a tiny bit predictable (for instance, it’s blindingly obvious from the moment one character appears that he’s going to be a love interest for Lorna), the island a little romanticised and the ending a little too neat, though I did like the diverse cast of characters. Lorna herself and Alice are relatable characters, though the way the teenage girls spoke (speaking as the mother of a similarly-aged one) didn’t always ring true.

Despite a few caveats though, it was an enjoyable and warm-hearted read, rather in the vein of Jenny Colgan’s stories set on a similar Scottish island.

The Island Home ⛴⚓️🌊

I was kindly given this e-arc by @orionbooks & @netgalley to read and review before the book’s publication on 24th June. ☺️

This book tells the story of Lorna and her daughter Ella, focusing on what happens when they return to Lorna’s childhood home on the Isle of Kip, after 20 years of Lorna being away...

What first attracted me to this book was its focus on mother-daughter relationships, because I’m so so close to my own mum! I started this book expecting it to be an easy read, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, which is exactly what I wanted right now. And it turns out it was all this, but so much more as well! 👌🏻

Whilst remaining at its heart an uplifting and easy read, Libby Page also deals with themes of family and separation, childhood trauma and abuse, as well as cases of gaslighting and sexual harassment. These are woven into the story so delicately and thoughtfully and I was sad to get to the end of the book tbh, even though I was happy with the way the story ended! 📖🥺

I loved the mother-daughter relationships depicted in this book, but I also love Lorna’s relationship with her brother Jack. It was heartwarming to see them reconnecting after so many years apart and the book finished with a lovely sense that the future was going to be much brighter for Lorna and her re-found family. 💛

I would really recommend this book because it was such an easy and lovely book to read, despite some of the heavier topics it discusses. I’ll definitely see what else Libby Page has written, as I loved her writing style and narrative voice! 👏🏻

Make sure to check this book out if you have NetGalley, or if not be sure to pick up a copy when the book is published later this year! 😄

QOTD: Do you use NetGalley? What’s the best thing you’ve been able to read on there?
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(REVIEW COPIED FROM MY OWN BOOKSTAGRAM PAGE @myselfandmybookshelf)

Reading this was a trigger for so many emotions. There are some sad themes in the book such as cancer and abuse and it all made it very sad. Homecomings can be happy or sad and this was a mix of the two overall but it wasn't the feel good book I was expecting. Think this lockdown is getting to me. This book was not one to help my emotional state. I do love Libby's writing however so I will be picking up the next one.

I received an advance copy of, The Island Home, by Libby Page. I really like Libby Pages' other book, and this is great too. The characters are well drawn out, the setting is beautiful, and I liked the plot.

Thai is the first book I have read by this author & I will read more of her books. I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the publishers for the chance to read & review this book.