Homecoming

By Luan Goldie Harpercollins, 384pp, £12.99

The action in Luan Goldie’s new novel flashes from past to present and focuses on four characters: Yvonne and Emma, two best friends from university who drift apart, Lewis, the father of Emma’s baby who has an on-again, off-again relationship with Yvonne, and Kiama, the child. In the present day, 18-year-old Kiama visits his mother’s home country of Kenya to come to terms with her death. Goldie is skilled at drip-feeding information to keep the reader in the dark and desperate to know what actually happened. However, with Emma being white and from Kenya, Lewis black and from London and Kiama mixed race, it feels like there are a wealth of issues around identity that are just not touched upon.

Homecoming is a gripping read, but you’re left wanting more.