Heading Home

by Naomi Reed

The third book in Naomi Reed's award-winning trilogy, following on from My Seventh Monsoon and No Ordinary View.'In Nepal, whenever the water ran out, or the electricity cuts were worse than normal, or the monsoon seemed interminably long, or the motorbike stopped, or the Maoists forced another strike, or my home-school patience ran out, I would think about Australia. I would think about our real home with hot water and electricity and cheese and lettuce and chocolate and olives and friends . . . where I would belong and be understood and known and everything would be alright again. Then, in the middle of 2006 we returned to Australia and it wasn't like that at all. It wasn't immediately home and I didn't immediately feel like I belonged or that I was understood or known. And I spent years wondering why not, and getting confused by the answers.' This is a book for anyone who has felt the pain of being in between homes or jobs or countries or roles or relationships. It's about our deep-seated human need to belong and enjoy purpose and community. After their six years in Nepal, Naomi Reed and her husband Darren and their three sons returned from Nepal to Australia and struggled with identity and disorientation. In this, Naomi's fifth book, she shares her story honestly and openly, allowing the narrative to lead the reader into prayer and reflection. By the end of it, you will feel a deeper and more profound understanding of what it means to belong to God and hope for heaven.'Here is a book that will make you think again about home which is after all closely tied up with our sense of identity and belonging. This book stands alone but also completes the story begun in the My Seventh Monsoon.' - Lilian Gill, reviewer

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Naomi Reed is a Christian writer and speaker who grew up in Sydney and studied physiotherapy with her husband Darren. After working at Sydney hospitals, they spent six years serving in Nepal with the International Nepal Fellowship. During this time, Naomi worked at Green Pastures Leprosy Hospital and enjoyed fellowship at their local Nepali church. She also home-schooled their three sons and struggled through seven monsoons. At one point, fearing she may not make it through another 120 days of rain, she began to write. The months of typing by candlelight helped her to see God’s purposes through different seasons and (somewhat surprisingly) became her first book, ‘My Seventh Monsoon’. Back in Australia, ‘My Seventh Monsoon’ was warmly received and Naomi continued writing – firstly the sequel, ‘No Ordinary View’ (which won the ACBOY award, 2009) and ’Over My Shoulder’ – a look at the impact of personality on cross-cultural mission.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the 2 other books written by Naomi Reed describing her journey toward serving as a physiotherapist in Nepal and her time surviving monsoonal rains and civil war. I enjoyed the second, No Ordinary View, a little less than the first, My Seventh Monsoon: A Himalayan Journey Of Faith And Mission. However, I felt this one was again excellent.

Having worked in a developing nation myself, and returned home and struggled to fit back into ordinary life, I could certainly relate to Naomi’s story.

She touched on lots of different areas of life, such as finding a new purpose when a season of life comes to an end, putting out trust in God even when things that happen don’t make sense to us, finding our security and our identity in Jesus, finding a balance between focussing on the eternal and the temporary, remembering not to take Jesus’ sacrifice for granted and to be amazed again by the message that He brings.

I read it over Easter while at a Christian music festival, which makes me wonder whether that meant it had a greater impact on me than it would have otherwise. Certainly the combination made for a special Easter weekend. But the 3 of these books would make an excellent gift - especially for anyone wanting a deeper relationship with Christ, or for someone going or returning to or from a developing nation as a missionary. I borrowed each of these books from the library, but I think I will now buy all of them so that I can flick through them at will - I am sure that I will find more in them each time I read them.

[Bianca Duffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good insight into Naomi’s life post missionary field and how her writing career developed, with the overarching theme of finding one’s home as a Christian.

[Diane Weaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a returning missionary and was hopeful this book might help me sort through this transition. The first couple chapters were really good and I really connected with them. However, after that I felt like she kind of wondered off track or didn't stay on the theme I was expecting. She spent probably at least half of the book talking about how her writing career got started which I found unhelpful and off the topic of "Heading Home". The last chapter was probably the best one in the book. It was an okay book but probably won't help you a lot if you're looking for help as you transition back from the mission field.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

God bless your marriage and family< Naomi Reed. An inspiring read.

[Birgit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Naomi Reed. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, I think this was the best in the series.

It’s a privilege being let into her life.

[Paul Arnott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naomi Reed tells the story of how she, her husband Darren and three young sons, transition back into Australia after serving for six years in war torn Nepal as physiotherapist medical missionaries. Heading Home is the third book in a trilogy about their life in the kingdom of Nepal. Naomi describes very honestly the struggles of enculturating back into Australia after having come to love Nepal and its people. The description of her response to the materialism of Christmas in Australia just after their arrival is both humorous and poignant, 'In front of me there were enormous flashing Christmas lights, surrounded by gaudy green tinsel. There were blown up snowmen that filled the entire back wall of the shop. There were huge red boxes, red Santas, red reindeer and red balls. There was plastic everywhere. There was even a Rudolph that moved and spoke....but the thing that tipped me over the edge was a tiny nativity scene right in the middleofmall the plastic. It was very small - it was just Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, one lamb and one shepherd. Probably I should have been glad that it was there at all. Jesus is the reason we celebrate after all. It was a good thing. But we had just flown in from the Third World and something inside me cracked. Part of me wanted to cry and swipe things off the shelf, saying, "Don't you associate my Saviour with any of that!" I didn't of course.' (p.36) Naomi Reed's Christian faith is one of the themes of her writing, but she talks about her belief in God in a way that is earthed and real. Every chapter ends with prayers which seek to tie together what has just been written, but for me don't quite work. The description of her journey as a writer and how this enables her to begin to feel at home again in Australia is integral to the book. Naomi writes in a conversational style that is easy to read. Her sense of humour is engaging, and her honesty. Following a critical review of one of her books she reveals to her husband that she wants everyone to like her, a desire most of have. He wisely reminds her that not everyone is going to like her or what she writes. This is a hard lesson to learn for those of us who expose our thoughts and feelings to public scrutiny, but one that Naomi takes on board. I have to say I am bemused by her love affair with brackets. My writing teachers always encouraged me avoid them like the plague, and to use commas instead. Overall, however, Heading Home is a very moving book, well worth taking the time to read, and full of insights into life and faith. Good price too at only $15.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third volume of Reed's trilogy covers the period after the family return from Nepal to Australia. Reed's sons quickly settle in to their new Australian schools, while husband Darren loves his new job, but Naomi finds it harder to adjust. No longer a home-schooling missionary and physiotherapist, missing Nepal and discovering that Australia doesn't feel as home-like as she expected, she finds herself questioning her role and her future. "...the focus was gone and so was the sense of home." Then she receives an email from a friend who tells her "Being in between homes is a gift." As she learns to value this gift, to look at the familiar in new ways, to take time to slow down and listen, doors start to open in unexpected places.

Reflecting on themes of transition, identity, purpose and belonging, this beautiful book encourages us to enjoy our current season and to root into it deeply, while at the same time, being ready to go. "Maybe the gift of being between homes is such that it causes us to face our homelessness. We're not at home yet because we're on the way...Live like you're heading home..."

A challenge to invest deeply in the things that matter whilst holding lightly to the joys of the moment, and to find our identity and purpose in our relationship with Christ, this book is especially recommended for anyone going through times of transition or uncertainty. This is my fifth time of reading (mostly during times of major upheaval!) and each time, I've found it so helpful.

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third story from Naomi Reed about the life with her husband and three boys as missionary physiotherapists. This one, however, focused on their return home in 2006 so the children could further their education in Australia. For a long while Naomi didn't 'feel' home after being so long in Nepal, and the book outlines her struggle with identity and purpose - and also describes how she started writing her books. A lovely, tender book, full of encouragement and faith.

[Linsey Painter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. As our family was preparing to head back to Australia after working overseas for six years I couldn't handle any of hte other re-entry books that we'd been given. Naomi Reeds book was so easy to read and full of hope. It helped me during a time of uncertainty and stress.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just arrived in the post from a friend. No idea what it will be like, but going by the author, I am looking forward to the read.
Finished reading this a week later. Definitely worth it. A book to come back to and nibble on in the future.

[Cris Cuthbertson]

I didn't finish this book in the end, but I got tired of reading it. Not a great endorsement....