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When Rosa Came Home
When they open the door for their wayward daughter, Rosa's parents are not prepared for who else turns up at the Ambrosio family vineyard.
....the spirit of a poet, nurses who crochet magical rugs, a beautiful bearded lady, elephants from the dreamscape, a médecin sans medicine and his dancing python, a jealous stable-hand, acrobatic pirates of the dark web, a sleeping beauty with a secret or two, and a young girl who longs for a new sister....
Angelita Ambrosio narrates the stories of her secret sister’s time on the road, and yearns for adventures of her own. Amid precious tales, graciously shared by Rosa's eclectic friends, a fractured family is reunited.
Not everyone is pleased to see Rosa return - peril lurks in dark places. Fear with a sprinkling of cosmic dust, a cloud of sawdust and a touch of magic, a new dawn will bloom - now that Rosa has come home.
Karen Wyld has created a captivating first novel. Borrowing elements of literary fantasy, magic realism and vintage storytelling, this contemporary novel is unashamedly whimsical, allegorical, frivolous and thought-provoking.
....the spirit of a poet, nurses who crochet magical rugs, a beautiful bearded lady, elephants from the dreamscape, a médecin sans medicine and his dancing python, a jealous stable-hand, acrobatic pirates of the dark web, a sleeping beauty with a secret or two, and a young girl who longs for a new sister....
Angelita Ambrosio narrates the stories of her secret sister’s time on the road, and yearns for adventures of her own. Amid precious tales, graciously shared by Rosa's eclectic friends, a fractured family is reunited.
Not everyone is pleased to see Rosa return - peril lurks in dark places. Fear with a sprinkling of cosmic dust, a cloud of sawdust and a touch of magic, a new dawn will bloom - now that Rosa has come home.
Karen Wyld has created a captivating first novel. Borrowing elements of literary fantasy, magic realism and vintage storytelling, this contemporary novel is unashamedly whimsical, allegorical, frivolous and thought-provoking.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2013
1 person is currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Karen Wyld
7 books44 followersKaren Wyld is an author and freelance writer living on the coast, south of Adelaide (Australia).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 30, 2013
Here we have a fantastical, allegorical, literary ensemble piece about a family in a far off country with a gentle but terrible secret. Relayed through the eyes of, and with the (literally) breathless words and images of a little mute girl, ‘Angelita,’ the story unfolds with its title. When Rosa does indeed come home she reenters in a comatose state. Angelita comes to know the mysterious daughter of ‘Momma’ and ‘Poppa’ not through them, but through the various characters who enter the home and the story, their entrances and exits occurring like acts in a circus. It’s an appropriate analogy, because those same characters once shared the spotlight with Rosa, and many know parts of the awful secret.
If a book’s first obligation is to entertain, When Rosa Came Home is a highly successful, endearing book indeed. It has everything: A set of red headed twins who bustle about; a dancing cat named Professor Aker; a majestic horse named, what else, Majestico. In a kind of reverse Garden of Eden symbol, the serpent, a python named Salvador, assumes the role of family dog intervening and protecting. With oblique fairy tale references we have talking, dancing animals on a par with Wind in the Willows, an witch-like, vindictive woman ala The Wizard of Oz and even a mean older sister such as in Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty makes an appearance as well, but that gives away too much so I let the reader decide how that’s resolved.
Wyld’s imagery and ‘showing’ create a magical world of starlight and shadow, sumptuous smells and tastes and a kind of Edenic panoply in a bucolic, wine-country setting that avoids sentimentality, but takes readers into a realm where anything can happen. The writing is rich and satisfying, as when birds “...cleared their throats, readying for their daily dawn choir” and when she writes that “...time spins at a different rate for children” and when she turned “...to see a rainbow of wings.” This is beautiful stuff.
There are a few disappointments in the book, but very few. For one, wherefore art thou Hettie? One of the book’s true villains is left unexplained. The first person voice and delivery of the narrator is strong throughout, until chapter 24 when a completely different voice, third omniscient, begins the chapter, then changes back to Angelita’s first person again. There may be a few too many characters and subplots for some readers, and the family energy conspiracy theme seems a bit strained and stretched till this reviewer wondered if it was necessary.
All in all a wonderful, vivid and imaginative first novel. As any first effort must, When Rosa Came Home hits all the necessary points—narrative arc, tension, character and climax followed by a satisfying denouement. It even has a flash forward kind of epilogue, which portends a sequel in the making. As the jacket says, whimsical, allegorical & thought provoking. The book takes for granted the emerging reality of thriving, wholesome same-sex relationships, a subject near and dear to this reviewer’s progressive heart. Ms Wyld, keep scribbling; we look forward to the next effort. Well done!
Byron Edgington, author of The Sky Behind Me: A Memoir of Flying & Life
If a book’s first obligation is to entertain, When Rosa Came Home is a highly successful, endearing book indeed. It has everything: A set of red headed twins who bustle about; a dancing cat named Professor Aker; a majestic horse named, what else, Majestico. In a kind of reverse Garden of Eden symbol, the serpent, a python named Salvador, assumes the role of family dog intervening and protecting. With oblique fairy tale references we have talking, dancing animals on a par with Wind in the Willows, an witch-like, vindictive woman ala The Wizard of Oz and even a mean older sister such as in Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty makes an appearance as well, but that gives away too much so I let the reader decide how that’s resolved.
Wyld’s imagery and ‘showing’ create a magical world of starlight and shadow, sumptuous smells and tastes and a kind of Edenic panoply in a bucolic, wine-country setting that avoids sentimentality, but takes readers into a realm where anything can happen. The writing is rich and satisfying, as when birds “...cleared their throats, readying for their daily dawn choir” and when she writes that “...time spins at a different rate for children” and when she turned “...to see a rainbow of wings.” This is beautiful stuff.
There are a few disappointments in the book, but very few. For one, wherefore art thou Hettie? One of the book’s true villains is left unexplained. The first person voice and delivery of the narrator is strong throughout, until chapter 24 when a completely different voice, third omniscient, begins the chapter, then changes back to Angelita’s first person again. There may be a few too many characters and subplots for some readers, and the family energy conspiracy theme seems a bit strained and stretched till this reviewer wondered if it was necessary.
All in all a wonderful, vivid and imaginative first novel. As any first effort must, When Rosa Came Home hits all the necessary points—narrative arc, tension, character and climax followed by a satisfying denouement. It even has a flash forward kind of epilogue, which portends a sequel in the making. As the jacket says, whimsical, allegorical & thought provoking. The book takes for granted the emerging reality of thriving, wholesome same-sex relationships, a subject near and dear to this reviewer’s progressive heart. Ms Wyld, keep scribbling; we look forward to the next effort. Well done!
Byron Edgington, author of The Sky Behind Me: A Memoir of Flying & Life
February 5, 2014
I loved this book. Let me just say that right upfront.
Little Angelita Ambrosio knows it's going to be a special day as soon as she wakes up and looks out her bedroom window: "Breathing in, I was greeted by a heady mix of lavender, sandalwood, rose attar, buttery-popcorn and sawdust and, despite the ocean being many miles away, salted air." And then Rosa -- the sister Angelita never knew she had -- is brought home.
Rosa had been estranged from her family for many years, and she arrives now in a coma-like state. So it's left for her many visitors to fill in the details of her extraordinary life. Circus performers, a sea captain, a sort of voodoo doctor, a snake, a horse, and twin nurses who crochet magic blankets all tell their tales, after their own fashion, and all within Angelita's earshot. Eventually, we learn why Angelita's eldest sister is so sullen, and why Angelita never knew Rosa existed until the day she came home.
This is very much a work of magic realism. Wyld deftly weaves magic into the world of her charming story and makes it seem as natural as the grass or sky. Think of Marquez without the heavy symbolism, or Like Water for Chocolate without the heavy breathing. I guessed the family secret long before Angelita cottons on to it, but never mind that. In this book, the journey to the little girl's discovery is half the fun.
***
Originally published at hearth-myth-rursday-reads.blogspot.com.
Little Angelita Ambrosio knows it's going to be a special day as soon as she wakes up and looks out her bedroom window: "Breathing in, I was greeted by a heady mix of lavender, sandalwood, rose attar, buttery-popcorn and sawdust and, despite the ocean being many miles away, salted air." And then Rosa -- the sister Angelita never knew she had -- is brought home.
Rosa had been estranged from her family for many years, and she arrives now in a coma-like state. So it's left for her many visitors to fill in the details of her extraordinary life. Circus performers, a sea captain, a sort of voodoo doctor, a snake, a horse, and twin nurses who crochet magic blankets all tell their tales, after their own fashion, and all within Angelita's earshot. Eventually, we learn why Angelita's eldest sister is so sullen, and why Angelita never knew Rosa existed until the day she came home.
This is very much a work of magic realism. Wyld deftly weaves magic into the world of her charming story and makes it seem as natural as the grass or sky. Think of Marquez without the heavy symbolism, or Like Water for Chocolate without the heavy breathing. I guessed the family secret long before Angelita cottons on to it, but never mind that. In this book, the journey to the little girl's discovery is half the fun.
***
Originally published at hearth-myth-rursday-reads.blogspot.com.
February 27, 2015
When I first read this author, Karen Wyld, describe herself as having red dirt in her veins, ocean at her feet, stars in her eyes, and stories on her tongue, I felt a hypnotic pull to read more of her magic with words. I had to have her book!
And I was not disappointed, for magical it is! It is achingly moving, loving, written with a pace that allows the reader to slowly dissolve its beauty, charm, and mystery like a piece of chocolate melting in your mouth, and you not knowing what surprise the centre will reveal to your taste buds, as happens with the plot.
Narrated by the thoughts of a mute child, this book contains an original mix of characters who are inspirational, oddly sophisticated, and spell-binding. Through Wyld's imaginative creations, the visual impact of people, animals, and surroundings is an offering - which is a blend of fairy-tale, and realism for adults. 'Sleeping beauty' in a trance. Find out why.
This book is about family, who love, make mistakes, and if you suspend your disbelief as one does in theatre you will be utterly enchanted.
Wyld has drawn Salvador and Majestico as amazingly clever and beautiful creatures - my favourite characters - especially since they are not even human, yet behave as though they are.
Just fantastic!
Wyld is a born writer!
And I was not disappointed, for magical it is! It is achingly moving, loving, written with a pace that allows the reader to slowly dissolve its beauty, charm, and mystery like a piece of chocolate melting in your mouth, and you not knowing what surprise the centre will reveal to your taste buds, as happens with the plot.
Narrated by the thoughts of a mute child, this book contains an original mix of characters who are inspirational, oddly sophisticated, and spell-binding. Through Wyld's imaginative creations, the visual impact of people, animals, and surroundings is an offering - which is a blend of fairy-tale, and realism for adults. 'Sleeping beauty' in a trance. Find out why.
This book is about family, who love, make mistakes, and if you suspend your disbelief as one does in theatre you will be utterly enchanted.
Wyld has drawn Salvador and Majestico as amazingly clever and beautiful creatures - my favourite characters - especially since they are not even human, yet behave as though they are.
Just fantastic!
Wyld is a born writer!
April 1, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful story
One after one, exotic characters, each with a miraculous tale to tell, come to visit comatose Rosa and her troubled family. Many of these visitors are circus performers or former circus performers. Some are human; some not. The Ambrosia family home is a remote vineyard and becomes yet another magical character -- reacting to and affecting the actions set there. It trees and gardens fall into shadows when trouble prevails, and burst with light and life when joy arrives.
In the framework tale Angelita is a little girl when the events in these stories occur, but grows up and her knowledge and perspective designate her to be the story teller. She sees the world through a child’s eyes, and everything is possible.
Fairy tale? Fantasy? Magical Realism? When Rosa Came Home draws from several traditions to build a narrative that carries the reader back to when the world was a magical place and everything was possible.
One after one, exotic characters, each with a miraculous tale to tell, come to visit comatose Rosa and her troubled family. Many of these visitors are circus performers or former circus performers. Some are human; some not. The Ambrosia family home is a remote vineyard and becomes yet another magical character -- reacting to and affecting the actions set there. It trees and gardens fall into shadows when trouble prevails, and burst with light and life when joy arrives.
In the framework tale Angelita is a little girl when the events in these stories occur, but grows up and her knowledge and perspective designate her to be the story teller. She sees the world through a child’s eyes, and everything is possible.
Fairy tale? Fantasy? Magical Realism? When Rosa Came Home draws from several traditions to build a narrative that carries the reader back to when the world was a magical place and everything was possible.
December 28, 2013
A great first novel and hopefully the first of many by the author. I really enjoyed this book. The elements of magic realism reconnect the reader with feelings of wonder which all too often are left behind in childhood. The storyline was easy to follow with new characters entering the story and adding depth to the content at regular intervals. I liked the circus connections and the relationships of people with animals. If you have read and enjoyed books such as 'Like water for chocolate', 'Chocolat' and 'Water for elephants' you will love this book.
August 10, 2016
When Rosa Came Home presents a vivid, story-telling adventure of a family life disrupted and then set aright by the sudden return of a comatose daughter. This book is highly recommended for the sentimental and comedy (like in the sense of a comedic victory, not like "haha" comedy) prone. Wyld paints a world in romantic and idyllic prose. Sometimes a lack of strong editing interferes with the story and stylistically, one might contend against the structure of the constantly-telling-stories approach that Wyld employs. But all in all When Rosa Came Home is a delightful tale and rewarding read.
February 26, 2014
This is an extremely colorful book, both in characters and description. Woven into the fantasy world of Rosa and her family are the many real life relationships that we can all relate to. Allow yourself to be taken on a 'ride of life' as friends and family share their own personal stories of Rosa with Angelita. Angelita comprehension of life, relationships are far beyond her years- but then again that is fantasy.. loved the story..loved it Denise
March 3, 2015
I just loved this book. A light adult fairytale or mature YA. It captured me from the beginning and I picked it up every chance I got. Strong sense of family and while it had fairy tale qualities it was believable due to Karen's good writing.
Want to read
December 22, 2013Mmmm...piratey...I decided I wanted to read this even before I saw the kick-ass cover :)
April 19, 2018
Beautifully written with a moving and touching story. It is exactly the right length and I didn't want to put it down while reading it.
September 10, 2025
Last year, for Indigenous Literature Week 2021, I read and reviewed Karen Wyld's most recent novel, Where the Fruit Falls (2020) which won the 2020 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript; was shortlisted for the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing and for the 2017 Richell Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript; and longlisted for the Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year in the 2021Australian Book Industry Awards.
This year, however, I've read her debut novel, When Rosa Came Home. It's very different. Where the Fruit Falls is a powerful family saga exposing the effects of racism and discrimination on generations of Indigenous people, whereas When Rosa Came Home isn't overtly about Indigenous issues or characterisation. Described on Wyld's website as a carnivalesque novel set in a vineyard suitable for 11 years old to adult, this whimsical YA novel was shortlisted for the People’s Choice Award, 2015 SA Readers and Writers Festival.
The story features a child narrator who is an elective mute and educated at home because of school refusal. This device enables the reader to share her naïve and confused journey towards understanding, while also making her an ideal confidante for secrets. People talk to her freely, confiding their stories, knowing that she will not repeat what she hears. Sometimes she is excluded from conversations deemed unsuitable for her ears, but she mostly manages to be in earshot anyway though she doesn't always makes sense of what she hears. There is a sense always that something needs to be known, just beyond her reach.
She is also a much-loved child:
Angelita Ambrosio's family are of Italian origin, running a vineyard in a land not that far away, in a time not that much different from now. When the story opens the house is preparing for the return of Rosa, a sister estranged for so long that Angelita didn't know she existed. Not everyone is delighted by Rosa's return and the attention she attracts: her presence is most unwelcome to Mona whose name fits her character perfectly.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/07/04/w...
This year, however, I've read her debut novel, When Rosa Came Home. It's very different. Where the Fruit Falls is a powerful family saga exposing the effects of racism and discrimination on generations of Indigenous people, whereas When Rosa Came Home isn't overtly about Indigenous issues or characterisation. Described on Wyld's website as a carnivalesque novel set in a vineyard suitable for 11 years old to adult, this whimsical YA novel was shortlisted for the People’s Choice Award, 2015 SA Readers and Writers Festival.
The story features a child narrator who is an elective mute and educated at home because of school refusal. This device enables the reader to share her naïve and confused journey towards understanding, while also making her an ideal confidante for secrets. People talk to her freely, confiding their stories, knowing that she will not repeat what she hears. Sometimes she is excluded from conversations deemed unsuitable for her ears, but she mostly manages to be in earshot anyway though she doesn't always makes sense of what she hears. There is a sense always that something needs to be known, just beyond her reach.
She is also a much-loved child:
Mother looked over at me and, seeing my obvious happiness, smiled. ‘I forget sometimes how inquisitive you are. How clever. It’s not fair that you miss out on so much, just because you are quiet.’ I walked over to her, and wrapped my arms around her. She put an arm around my shoulders, hugging me back. Leaning down, she planted a kiss on the top of my head. I knew that she understood my message; that I never feel as if I have missed anything. Not when I had her, and Poppa, in my life. ‘Ah Angelita, you bring so much sunshine to this house. (pp. 109-110).
Angelita Ambrosio's family are of Italian origin, running a vineyard in a land not that far away, in a time not that much different from now. When the story opens the house is preparing for the return of Rosa, a sister estranged for so long that Angelita didn't know she existed. Not everyone is delighted by Rosa's return and the attention she attracts: her presence is most unwelcome to Mona whose name fits her character perfectly.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/07/04/w...
January 10, 2015
Karen Wyld is a fellow writer on the Magic Realist Books Facebook Group and I was keen to read her new book, having seen her contributions to the group and the Magic Realism Blog Hop. I was not disappointed - the book is delightful.
The narrator is Angelita, a bright child who used to sing like an angel but who has become mute. The choice of this narrator provides both opportunities and challenges for the author (and therefore the reader). Angelita's muteness makes her the perfect listener, making her at times invisible to the adults around her and also meaning that they confide in her. As a succession of visitors to the sleeping Rosa reveal aspects of her life, the child listens and tries to piece together what happened to make Rosa leave and what she did afterwards. In this Angelita acts for the reader, but Angelita is a child so she is limited as an intermediary.
Angelita's childish innocence means that she doesn't always understand the significance of what she is hearing. Angelita believes that everything will turn out for the best, that Rosa will wake up, that the book's one antagonist will not hurt her. There is the opportunity here for the writer to use more dramatic irony to increase tension with the adult reader seeing potential danger, however the author seems to back away from doing so.
Over on my writer's blog, prompted by reading this book, I talk about some of the issues around using first-person narration. A lot happens off-screen in this novel. Most of the time that is part of the book's charm, but it felt unsatisfactory towards the end. I wanted to know more. It does seem to me that Karen painted herself into a bit of a corner by her choice of first-person narration.
The book has many strengths. There are some beautiful descriptions of a child's world in which magic really does exist and of the fascinating and fantastical beings that enter it. I particularly enjoyed the way that all Angelita's senses feature in those descriptions. The author draws on many traditions - myths, fairytales and of course magic realism. The realism lies in the family and sexual relationships that are revealed through the course of the book. Despite this realism there is a charming gentleness about When Rosa Came Home, a gentleness that stems from its exceptionally well-drawn narrator.
This is a lovely debut from a highly talented writer. I look forward to reading her next book.
This review first appeared on the Magic Realism Books Blog, where I review a magic realism book a week.
The narrator is Angelita, a bright child who used to sing like an angel but who has become mute. The choice of this narrator provides both opportunities and challenges for the author (and therefore the reader). Angelita's muteness makes her the perfect listener, making her at times invisible to the adults around her and also meaning that they confide in her. As a succession of visitors to the sleeping Rosa reveal aspects of her life, the child listens and tries to piece together what happened to make Rosa leave and what she did afterwards. In this Angelita acts for the reader, but Angelita is a child so she is limited as an intermediary.
Angelita's childish innocence means that she doesn't always understand the significance of what she is hearing. Angelita believes that everything will turn out for the best, that Rosa will wake up, that the book's one antagonist will not hurt her. There is the opportunity here for the writer to use more dramatic irony to increase tension with the adult reader seeing potential danger, however the author seems to back away from doing so.
Over on my writer's blog, prompted by reading this book, I talk about some of the issues around using first-person narration. A lot happens off-screen in this novel. Most of the time that is part of the book's charm, but it felt unsatisfactory towards the end. I wanted to know more. It does seem to me that Karen painted herself into a bit of a corner by her choice of first-person narration.
The book has many strengths. There are some beautiful descriptions of a child's world in which magic really does exist and of the fascinating and fantastical beings that enter it. I particularly enjoyed the way that all Angelita's senses feature in those descriptions. The author draws on many traditions - myths, fairytales and of course magic realism. The realism lies in the family and sexual relationships that are revealed through the course of the book. Despite this realism there is a charming gentleness about When Rosa Came Home, a gentleness that stems from its exceptionally well-drawn narrator.
This is a lovely debut from a highly talented writer. I look forward to reading her next book.
This review first appeared on the Magic Realism Books Blog, where I review a magic realism book a week.
March 19, 2014
Look at that cover: isn’t it gorgeous? It’s the reason I decided to read this fabulous feat of magic realism. Young Angelita didn’t know she had another sibling until Rosa was brought home, unconscious, mysterious and accompanied by a circus-load of friends (human and animal).
Angelita is the perfect narrator. She does not speak and is therefore an ideal listener, naturally allowing the soliloquies of the visitors to flow uninterrupted. Gradually, Rosa’s time away is pieced together.
It is gentle and warm, with the feel of a modern fairy tale. There are certainly the tropes of classic folk stories and a good deal of dramatic irony: a favourite technique of the Grimms et al.
I highly recommend this book.
Angelita is the perfect narrator. She does not speak and is therefore an ideal listener, naturally allowing the soliloquies of the visitors to flow uninterrupted. Gradually, Rosa’s time away is pieced together.
It is gentle and warm, with the feel of a modern fairy tale. There are certainly the tropes of classic folk stories and a good deal of dramatic irony: a favourite technique of the Grimms et al.
I highly recommend this book.
May 29, 2017
By the time I'd finished reading this book I felt like I had joined a family … a noisy, beautiful, loving family, and I don't mind admitting I cried when I finished it because i did not want it to end. It is categorised as magic realism but it is uniquely Australian, and the characters and their intermingling relationships drive the story.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews