Homing

by Johanna Robinson

‘This novella-in-flash, a historical fiction encompassing the Second World War and telling the story of a Norwegian family from 1933 to 1970, has more epic sweep than many novels. A powerful novella of real substance, bold technique and readerly appeal, it’s the kind of literary fiction that would grace the shelves of any bookstore and find a passionate readership.’ ~Michael Loveday, author of Three Men on the Edge

‘Johanna Robinson’s ambitious, sweeping novella shines a provocative light on the timeless beauty of belonging to a family. This author seamlessly juxtaposes moments of love and tenderness against the grim realities of war, and the effect is deeply uplifting.’ ~Meg Pokrass, author of Alligators At Night

‘Homing unpacks what it is to maintain longing and hope over five decades in one family. It plays with words and emotions as it zig-zags between flashes that build to form a satisfying, moving the whole far greater than the sum of its parts.’ ~Stephanie Hutton, author of Three Sisters of Stone

88 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2020

About the author

Johanna Robinson is a writer and freelance proofreader from a small town near Liverpool, and has also lived in Leeds, Bradford, Oslo and Sydney.

Having begun to write in 2016, Johanna has had her stories published in print in Strix and Mslexia magazines, Rattle Tales and Reflex Press anthologies, and online in Ellipsis and FlashBack Fiction. Her work has been listed or placed in a number of short story and flash fiction competitions, including VS Pritchett, Dinesh Allirajah/Comma Press prize, Anton Chekhov prize for short fiction, Reflex Fiction, FlashBack Fiction, Bare Fiction, among others.

In early 2019, Johanna's novella, Homing, was runner-up in the Bath Flash Fiction Novella-in-Flash award, and as a result was published by Ad Hoc Fiction in June 2019, selling out of its first print run within the first month.

Reviews

[Matt Kendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella told through a series of flash fiction pieces is a deeply moving story about family and belonging. The epic narrative sweeps through four decades of history and encompasses the harsh realities of the Second World War as well as its immediate aftermath, shining a spotlight on a part of history that is less well-known in the English-speaking world. It is peopled with vivid characters whose emotions (the sadness of loss, the ache of separation, the joy of motherhood) feel only to real. The writing itself is beautiful. It is a book to get lost in. Highly recommend.