The Way Back Home

by Freya North

The unforgettable, poignant new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Freya North.

Born and brought up in an artists’ commune in Derbyshire, Oriana Taylor had freedom at her fingertips in a home full of extraordinary people. The Bedwell brothers, Malachy and Jed, shared their childhood and adolescence with Oriana. In the rambling old house and tangled grounds, their dreams and desires could run free.

But too much freedom comes at a price. Something happened the summer they were fifteen. And now, having been gone eighteen years, Oriana is back.

This is their story.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Womens Fiction

433 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Freya North is the author of many bestselling novels which have been translated into numerous languages. She was born in London but lives in rural Hertfordshire, where she writes from a stable in her back garden. A passionate reader since childhood, Freya was originally inspired by Mary Wesley, Rose Tremain and Barbara Trapido: fiction with strong and original characters. To hear about events, competitions and what she’s writing, join her on Facebook, Twitter and her website.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, so, so disappointed! Freya North is my one and only reliable, feelgood, well written but easy reading pleasure (suggestions welcome for anyone similar?). When I see she has a new book it's the treat of the year but about a third into this I was struggling. Oriana isn't anywhere near as likeable as the usual Freya heroines. She just mopes around for the first half of the book. The tales of her bohemian childhood gets really repetitive. The big mysterious what-happened theme is completely predictable. The only relief was the reappearance of Cat and Django. This just didn't work for me at all. I can see other people had a better time with it, I wish so much I could have said the same...

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love every book that Freya North writes. The Way Back Home beautifully evokes a sense of the powerful summers of one's teenage years, particularly that cusp between fifteen and sixteen, when you're no longer a child but not yet an adult.
The heroine Oriana Taylor has never forgotten that time. Eighteen years later, she returns home to try to make sense of it.
The Way Back Home is wistful and poignant it is an unputdownable read about how our past shapes us. An addictive read that encompasses the stuff life is made of love, sex, fidelity and above all, friendship.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and I hate writing horrible reviews. The trouble is, this thing that happened that is alluded to throughout the book I found frustrating. I even flipped to the end to find out what it was. There are a lot of books that do this to keep you reading, but in this case I didn't really want to read the book, I just wanted to know. I apologise to the author, but this book wasn't really for me.

[Shona Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first novel by Freya North and it will not be my last. There was something comforting about her style of writing, that feels completely familiar, like I've read this book before. Even in the first chapter when we first meet Oriana and I wasnt sure if I was going to like her, or the story she had to tell, I just knew that I had to keep reading. Which led to me reading almost 3 quarters of the book in just one sitting.

This story isn't told in a straight line. We get glimpses into Oriana's past of who she was then as we watch her find her way in the world today and learn about who she is now. For me, Oriana was a great character, the embodiment of so many of us. With her strong façade yet filled with a deep loneliness. Forever searching for her place to be.

As events begin to unfold, as her story is told I found myself wanting to shield Oriana from her past, yet at the same time, I sat perched on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened to her. To all of them.

[Madridblade · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this as a summer read simply because it mentioned Derbyshire on the back blurb.
I nearly didn't get past page one as it was so painfully forced but I decided to plough on.
Some of the writing is actually quite good but every now and again there are toe-curling moments which make you want to toss it to one side. The most excruciating is the reference to Tess of the D'Urbervilles which made me howl! Even Hardy was criticised for this contrived device so to rework it using a text message on a mobile was just too much and with far more trivial content which we never actually get to read anyway.
As a Sheffielder I found some of the references to my hometown quite puzzling so readers who know nothing about it may struggle even more.
I was particularly intrigued to discover what the amazing twist was but there isn't one. It's obvious from very early on what has happened so there isn't really an ending as such. Undoubtedly this book is encouraging for all unpublished authors out there but if you want an entertaining read look elsewhere.

[Gervy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tedious.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this - it was trying to be mysterious and just succeeded in being boring, by the end I didn't care what she'd done and the reactions of those around her didn't add up either.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't care for Oriana

[Paula Sealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much I've read it twice now! The characters are endearing, storyline enticing and the writing detailed and engaging. It's firmly in the 'Will read again' section of my Kindle.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't put my finger on it, but I just couldn't get on with this book. I tried to like it, but it was just a bit bleak. I wanted to shake the main character Oriana and tell her to pull herself together, make up her bloody mind and get on with things. There was supposed to be an unexpected twist according to the blurb so I stuck with it, (although to be honest I'm ashamed to say I skim read a lot of it) I was fooled. I had guessed quite early on as to the 'accident' and it turned out to be no twist at all, so don't be fooled! I wasn't even moved by the happy neat ending. Yawn!

[Rebecca tedder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't often leave bad reviews so will just explain why this book didn't hit the mark for me.

I didn't feel like this book had any get up and go, it felt long winded with very shallow characters. I really did not like Oriana who, despite having reasons for her behaviour, seemed to be far from a strong character.

I also found the book very predictable and was not surprised at all in the last 30 pages or so.

Probably a hit for fans of Freya North, but not a book for me.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all Freya North books they read superbly well, she can conjur up images and moods with ease that never feel contrived. In a way then I'm sad to only give this three stars as I have really enjoyed her books in the past, but for me this book was a little too dark and teenage into adult angst. The plot is fairly simple, and, without giving the game away, the 'thing' which happened was quite easy to spot. When we finally get to the scene where this is revealed, which is very late on in the book, I felt relieved to have finally got it out the way rather than gripped by a plot twist.

Although the names of her main characters Oriana and Malachy fit completely with the people, place and theme of the book, I'm ashamed to say I found them a little irritating, very shallow of me I know but I found it didn't connect me with the characters enough.

I do feel a little mean giving this a lower rating than I would have liked, it is very well written and the exploration of its themes is also well portrayed, it perhaps just wasn't the right time for me to read it.

[Anne Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeper, more introspective novel than usual from accomplished author, Freya North. Thirty-something Oriana returns to her childhood home after many years in the States and following a disastrous relationship. The house was once a commune with children in and out of each other's apartments. She grew up more a part of the Bedwell, Malachy and Jed, brothers' family than her own and she is still bound to them as a result of a horrific accident when she was fifteen. I didn't find this as absorbing as her previous novels but it was good to meet up with old friends, Django and Cat.

[Dorothy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The heroine is haunted by Something Awful that happened when she was 15. That's the hook, the mystery that's supposed to keep us reading through the soporific early chapters. Trouble is, I didn't like the heroine enough to care, and I had a feeling it would turn out to be an anti-climax anyway.

I had mentally pigeonholed Freya North as an author to be avoided on the strength of this reading, but I see from other reviews that it's not like her other novels. So I will try again.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and easy read after all the darkness Gillian Flynn made me descend into - old story of a girl, two brothers and both being in love with her. Background of a Bohemian type of lifestyle with famous artists visiting their childhood home - adds character to the story and why she is the way she is.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely loved this book.The characters were interesting & I really cared what happened to them.Despite Oriana's extremely strange upbringing,the love of two brothers helped her through it & I loved the dynamic between them all.
A really good read that I couldn't put down.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book :) full review to follow :)

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!
I read a few Freya North books years and years ago and loved them then too.
Within a few pages, I was drawn back in to the way she writes and (when able to) flew through the pages.
Oriana has returned to Windward, since leaving to live in the U.S, when she was 15.
She catches up with people from her past including her cold, distant mother, uninterested father and the Bedwell brothers - Malachy and Jed, who are both in love with her.
But something terrible happened 18 years ago, that has shaken all her childhood memories of Windward and Oriana isn't sure she'll ever be able to move on.
Such a beautifully written book where you feel connected to all of the characters and the area they live in.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Way Back Home is the first Freya North novel I've read and although I enjoyed the writing, I found the plot rather slow-moving. I suppose I've become accustomed to less wordiness and more action. The slow-pace may not have been quite what I was expecting. However, the author's use of language and ease at which it flowed was very impressive.

Thirty-something Oriana returns home after 18 years in America. Born and raised in an artists' commune in Derbyshire, she had an unconventional upbringing and formed close childhood bonds. But a tragic event one summer shattered her world and was the catalyst that led to her new life in America. What happened all those years ago and can Oriana mend the friendships that were broken?

The Way Back Home certainly hasn't put me off reading more of this author's novels. On the contrary, next time will be when I'm in a slower-paced frame of mind and looking for a beautifully written book.

Book Source: Purchased copy

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Pam Hutley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable easy read - which is compelling. The story tells of an eccentric set of characters who emanate from an artists commune in the 1970s … there are some huge figures who shaped the life of protagonist, Oriana. Some are her peers and others the equivalent of parent/ grandparent ( though no one quite held the role they ought . ) there is a glamour portrayed in the freedoms of the characters young lives and yet within this something disturbing in what in later times would clearly have been termed neglect. We are forced to hate the histrionic mother. We grow to like the boring Bernard. We feel desperate for the time it takes for the two primary characters to say how they feel and to come clean about the past events that forced an 18 year separation in their lives. It is clearly miraculous that they all did so well in their lives and that the mental anguishes in the younger ones were able to be recovered , on forgiveness and acceptance of the past. I fear that in 2021 they would have been on life long medication!
Freya North has got a wonderful imagination, creating completely unlikely characters and improbable situations but wrapping them all up in her lovely descriptive prose.

[Julie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to get round to reading this book by Freya North. It was published in 2015 and, being a huge fan of Freya since I first read Sally and always buying her books on publication, it has been sitting on my TBR since then. I have read The Turning Point, which was published last year. I am wondering if I have been subconsciously pushing this down my TBR because of some unfavourable reviews it has been given on Goodreads. If so, it was a mistake – this is Freya North at her best. My apologies, Freya: after all the years we’ve spent together, I should have had more faith in you.

This is the story of Oriana, her childhood growing up in an artists’ colony in Derbyshire, her childhood friendship with two brothers, and the tragic event which drove them apart. Anyone expecting a light, sugar-sweet romance, or a psychological thriller with a twist in the tail would undoubtedly be disappointed in this book. It is neither of those things because that is not, and never has been, what Freya’s writing is about.

What this book is, is typical of Freya’s novels. It is a beautiful and honest portrayal of human emotion, human relationships and human failings. It is bittersweet, moving, genuine–and totally engrossing if you let yourself connect with these characters, who are damaged and far from perfect, but totally real and believable. One of the comments I have read was that people could not relate to the characters because they weren’t totally likeable, particularly Oriana. I think that is part of the genius of Freya’s work – making us care about characters who maybe aren’t immediately warm and cuddly and someone that you would want as a best friend, but are totally plausible and, if you give them time and try and see what Freya is showing you about why they are as they are, you will find that connection with their humanity.

This book is a slow burn, and it is an insight into the minds, thoughts and feelings of the three main protagonists. I guess some people may not appreciate this style of story-telling but it is what gives you that insight into, and connection with, their emotional story. I have seen complaints that the ‘twist’ is too obvious and there is no ‘big reveal’. I think that misses the point. I don’t believe Freya ever meant for the novel to be some big build up to a shocking conclusion, that isn’t her stock in trade. In fact, it is refreshing to read something currently that isn’t hingeing on that particular device to sell itself. This book requires a bit more effort, a bit more emotional involvement on the part of the reader to get the most from it.

I recently read a comment by the author Jane Green, in answer to a question she was asked about the best bit of writing advice she had ever been given. Her reply was that the best advice had been given to her by Freya North and it was to get to know her characters and let them tell the story. Freya obviously practices what she preaches as she writes people as well as, if not better, than almost any writer out there. Her characters are always totally three-dimensional and fully developed and, likeable or not, they are completely authentic in everything they do. And I have never known anyone write such honest sex scenes (although my friends took me to task for a long while after I made this comment and they then read the one involving clowns in Pip, but I stand by my assertion. And no, I won’t go into any more detail, you will have to go and buy it and read it yourselves!). You know these people. If you let yourself invest in their story, you will be rewarded with an intense emotional journey that will leave you wanting to know what happens to them but also not wanting the story to end.

I loved this book. It made me cry twice. It made me stay up until 1 am on a weeknight when I had to be up at 6.30 am the next day because I had to know the end. And it made me wish I had not left it so long before I read it. I can’t give a book higher praise than that. Go and read it immediately. Then read The Turning Point, because it’s even better.

Having read Freya’s work from the very beginning, I can see how it has matured as the years have passed, much as she and I have done (we are a similar age) and I cannot wait to see what is coming next.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

My second book of choice for the November reading challenge. Section 1 a book, or authors first or last name starting with the first letter N. I decided to read 'The way back home' by Freya North. I always find Freya's books a pleasure to read. I find that they suck you in at the beginning of the story and don't let you out of its vice like grips until the very end. This book is no exception. Oriana has come home after living in America for a long time. Claiming that she thought it was time to return after splitting up with her fiancé. Although Orriana holds a dark secret that she has been blaming herself for, for a very long time. It has been haunting her dreams and stopping her living and enjoying life to the full. Orriana is also neglecting her love life and after being in love with the same person since childhood have these feeling changed and does the other person still feel the same? A good book full of intrigue, mystery, love and romance

[Daisy White · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few interesting plot lines, but it did feel as though the whole thing needed for excitement. I was very keen to find out what dramatic event drove a girl from her home at fifteen, but the build up was better than the actual event. I loved Chloe, but none of the other Freya North books seem to match that novel. Nothing majorly wrong, just not something I would read again.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Freya North books she has a way of drawing you in to the places they are set. This is the Story of a summer 20 years ago when something happened to change the lives of those who lived in an artists commune in Derbyshire. Oriana is 15 when she is sent away from them all, and now almost 20 years later she has returned. In places it is slow but the emotions are all still there.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just O.K.

Not my favorite Freya North novel but not a bad book either. It just did not seem to be the same level as Pillow Talk or Secrets. I wish they would have told us “the horrible thing “ at the beginning - then I might’ve had more sympathy for the main character. I realize now she was going through some kind of depression.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freya North is a dependable author. She always delivers a fantastic piece of escapism to lighten your mood. This is a lovely light summery read, perfect for the beach. The characters are well written and likeable; the men are fanciful and unrealistic but always entertaining. Cat is my favourite Freya North novel so I enjoyed the reoccurrence of the character in this book.

[nickiknackinoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

This story was easy to read and not all that exciting. I love this author but it didn't grab my attention straight off like some books do. It was starting to warm up when the extract ended so it may have gotten much better as time went on which I think it probably would!!!

[Katie Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to finish this and even read something else in the middle which I never do. I felt that nothing much happened very slowly and the 'surprise' was hardly surprising. Disappointing as I loved The Turning Point which was why I sought out her later books.

[Charlotte Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy

This is a good easy to read book but I guessed the twist, I thought it was a but obvious. I also hate whiny characters so I struggled withe the main one here. You'll definitely enjoy it if you have read other Freya north books about Django and the McCabes, as I did.