Let's Go Home, Son

by Ivica Prtenjača, David Williams (Translator)

A mother, a father and a son face illness and the new restrictions of a declared pandemic in the context of their native Croatia. The dream of returning as a family to the sun-soaked terrace of their home in Dalmatia is what inspires them to face - and conquer all. Ivica Prtenjača is a quiet novelist at ease in his craft, restrained in his narrative voice, while confident that his characters and their meandering fates will do their work on the reader. Let's Go Home, Son has got everything it needs. Family values, loss, guilt, shame, love, disappointment and cautious hope.

166 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2023

Reviews

[V.ya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

This book is difficult to follow in the beginning, hopping from the present to the past and back, using vague references to people I don’t know. It gets better later, and through all the bits and pieces I can see the gripping love of a son, a mother, and a dad who’s fighting for his life.

[Michael Godwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's Go Home, Son is a quietly powerful and emotionally resonant novel about family, illness, uncertainty, and the enduring hope of returning home.

Set against the restrictions and uncertainty of a declared pandemic in Croatia, the story follows a mother, father, and son as they confront circumstances that force them to reconsider what home, family, and togetherness truly mean. Their dream of returning to their sun-soaked terrace in Dalmatia becomes more than a destination—it becomes a source of hope and a reason to keep moving forward.

What makes the novel particularly moving is its restraint. Rather than relying on dramatic exposition, Ivica Prtenjača allows the characters and their individual struggles to gradually reveal the emotional landscape of the family. Illness, loss, guilt, shame, disappointment, and love exist alongside moments of cautious optimism.

The story's intimate scale gives its themes considerable weight. The pandemic setting provides an atmosphere of uncertainty and restriction, while the family's desire to return home creates a deeply human emotional thread that runs throughout the novel.

For readers interested in translated fiction, contemporary European literature, family stories, literary fiction, pandemic narratives, and emotionally subtle explorations of love, loss, and hope, Let's Go Home, Son offers a thoughtful and affecting reading experience.

[Agnese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclamer: My opinion is subjective

Rep: Croatian literature
Tropes/genre/subgenre: Piece of life
CWs: Illness
Personal category: Objectively good
Note: 4.5

When I travel, I tried to find a small local author’s book. Not always easy because I want it to be small ( to read it fast not in years) and I need it to be translate in one of languages I know.
So this one I found in Croatia. Traveling there in the heat of summer, enjoying nice seaside walk.

This book was like a walk in a foggy autumn day near ocean. When you feel the heavy thing installing on your heart and somehow tears are trying to escape, this nostalgic sad feeling is overwhelming. But at the same time, you are happy and honoured to see this beautiful landscape. When you can breathe fully because of the fresh air, but at the same time you are missing breath because of this all-present melancholy.

We are following a story of a family, facing illness in the most heartwarming and heartbreaking way.

[dre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in Zadar, and finished reading it on a beach south of Rovinj. These characters could be my family, my inlaws - but the story would resonate with any adult child caring for their parents. This book also stings a little with the reminders of how we all suffered in covid lockdown times. The memory of [his] "...my sovereign, adult voice" was unforgettable. I loved this book. Hvala Ivica and David! ❤️

[Ellie DeLyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touching and maybe a bit disorienting. Special to be able to read it near the place that it’s set.

[Elijah · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I liked this one a lot more than The Hill. Some things did bother me though, like I do think it still felt a bit forced at times, but it was also very human and I can appreciate that. This one was more fluid and I guess I don’t have much more else to say. Still felt like I was looking into a mirror which is very eery. I guess I feel more grateful for being here now and to remember to take care of myself as this old bag of bones slowly gets more grey hairs. It always psyches me out when a book captures a whole life, especially in like 150 pages. Biggest life lessons: brush your teeth, eat your vegetables, and go outside while you still can.

Update: thinking about the stuff about religion here, not bad, honorable mention is worth noting, still 3 stars tho