On Home

by Becca Spence Dobias, Erin Spencer (Reading)

When tragedy strikes, Cassidy, a cam girl living in Southern California, must return to the small West Virginia town she left behind. Cassidy likes her job getting naked for men on camera, though she prefers sex with women. She never came out to her family or friends back in her home state - not about her sexuality and certainly not about her sex work. Now, she must figure out how to hold on to the life she's built for herself while picking up the pieces of her fractured family.

As Cassidy's story unfolds, we glimpse into the lives of the strong, complicated women who came before her: Jane, the sheltered daughter of farmers, escapes West Virginia for Washington, DC, to work as a government girl for the FBI during World War II, until a fateful mistake threatens her future. Paloma, a Fulbright Scholar, journeys to newly Westernized Prague - only to fall for an idealistic but safe man from West Virginia.

Though worlds and generations apart, all three search for meaning as they face impending motherhood and the pull to return home to rural Appalachia.

Genres: LGBT, Fiction, Contemporary, Sex Work, Queer Lit

Audio CD

First published August 24, 2021

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐

This one was okay. I am not sure if I just wasn't in the mood for this book, but it just felt really slow and a bit jumbled at times. The characters themselves were also kind of "meh" Jane was my favorite. Paloma my least. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Cassidy and Noeli. It wasn't a terrible book. It was well written and I really loved the setting. I am chalking up my feelings for this one to just not being in the right mood for this type of book. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This was the first real thing that ever happened to her. Everything up to this point, even her sex life, has been pretend." - From On Home

3.5 stars.

On the whole, a well written book. The setting for the heart of the novel was fully fleshed out, and felt very real. I struggled with the fact most of the characters were unlikeable, some small things unbeliveable (like Cassidy wouldn't know what dementia was, but would know to ask airlines for a bereavement rate). Grandma Jane really held down the story in terms of people I liked, but her narrative was unreliably fluctuating between past and present. Here it made sense, with what she was going through, unlike Paloma's flashbacks to 90's Prague which felt out of place, and for me, unwanted. Paloma in general I struggled the most with, not understanding really the "admiration and aversion" relationship she had with her husband. More problamatic was that it seemed her whole identity was "a mother" (yet she really isn't a good one?). At one point we get the line- "Even then, before Cassidy, Paloma had loved Ken as her child's father". This is ridiculous, I don't know any women who think this way. Cassidy's plot line seemed more contrived. Mother and daughter scenes were hard to read, both having a contest of selfishness. (With the text then pointing out the character trait, pounding us over the head with it, rather than just showing us)

I really liked the relationship between Cassidy and Noeli, that felt so grounded in truth. On the whole, there were a number of side relationships, like Jane and Ding that reallly resonated off the page. (The exception being Cassidy and Simon's awkward unrealistic conversations-high five, bud!- complete with throwing rutabagas). Beautiful prose with perfect, yet unique analogies (like when Cassidy compared camming to the wake) made me want to keep reading.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alex (Alex's Version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay...

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Home is a breathtaking piece of classical literature in our modern framework. Using words to tell the stories of a family of women who have all struggle with their need to be loved, have a family and know who they are as individuals. The story is told from three different perspectives of the three women in this family; women who are all processing their experiences at different stages in their life.


Cassidy is a very lost young woman living in California trying to escape her past in West Virginia and find herself. She seeks affirmation and love from men online doing cam shows as a sex worker. But when her father dies and she's thrust back home, she is forced to face not only her own life, but the challenges of her own mother who she has always struggled to understand and her grandmother who will help her set her course.


The parallels between these three women brings the central story to life about what love means, why we seek it out and who we determine ourselves to be in that process. Also bringing attention to Cassidy's discomfort with her own sexuality. While she gets naked for men online, she knows she's a lesbian but struggles to really come out and embrace her own needs and desires. The journey of her own acceptance is what leads her to the happiness and inclusion that felt so far away for her. 


It will be easy for readers to focus on the first few chapters that introduce Cassidy and her work online and be immediately turned off because they don't understand the driving factors behind it. But I can assure you that this book dives into deep themes about family dynamics and patterns.


For example, when Cassidy returns home to West Virginia and is back in the family farmhouse that has been in her family for generations we learn that the farmhouse really symbolizes the connection between generations; the essence of the family and family patterns that we all struggle with. To "come home" means something different to everyone, but within those questions we see the similarities, the differences and what makes us whole. 


What does it really mean to "come home" and realize who you are as a person? This journey is very different for everyone and until you arrive at that destination, you won't realize the path others have travelled and how similar those footsteps are to your own.


Dobias brings you a refreshing look at life from individual perspectives and the collective in this work that covers sexuality, race, lifestyle, family and self appreciation. A book that will stay with me for a very long time!

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

On Home is a slow burn story about three generations of women: Cassidy, Paloma, and Jane. Honestly, the only perspective I was interested in was Cassidy's. Paloma was the most difficult one for me to connect to, and while I enjoyed Jane's segments, I feel like the novel could've worked with it being all from Cassidy's point of view. That being said, I understand that the point of the novel is probably to show the themes of fertility and how intensely it plays into the lives of these three extremely different women. I get it, but I just didn't care about anyone other than Cassidy. THAT being said, I found myself getting frustrated with Cassidy more than not. She's so selfish and just eats through everyone in her life because she can, and whenever anyone tries to call her on it, she falls back on blaming her unhappy childhood (which she later discovers wasn't really that unhappy after all). I think she's probably a very realistic character, and she probably isn't supposed to be likable (I also don't believe that the protagonist needs to always be a likable character), but I got so frustrated and angry at her that I didn't find myself rooting for her. Noeli was my favorite character, and I really loved her calling Cassidy out. Overall, I might not have loved On Home, but it's a well crafted novel, and I look forward to reading more from Becca Spence Dobias.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to describe how much I loved this book. As someone who grew up in the Midwest, I could practically smell the sassafras coming off the pages while reading various passages. This book explores the intersectionality of so many important themes, but it doesn’t beat you over the head with a perspective. It gives you the space to think about your own complicated relationships with family and home, all while enthralling you in a heartwarming intergenerational story where time and place can be felt so vividly. I left wanting to know more about all of these characters and imagining a sequel that takes place 20 years from now. I can’t wait to let some time pass and read this one again, as well as to read more books from this author.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stories, tied together with one common thread - West Virginia. Decades and lifetimes apart, it was interesting to watch their stories unfold, and see how they all led back to rural Appalachia. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in, but I definitely wasn't disappointed. The characters were complex and driven, with different motivations. Although at times the perspective shifts were a little confusing, overall I really enjoyed reading this!

[Lauriane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that at the beginning, I really ask myself why I choose this book. The first 100 pages are very slow, and a little complicated. Yet, after that, I really like the book. It shows a lot of things interesting, things that not a lot of persons talk about ( abortion during the war), and how even now, it’s difficult to talk about it.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Cassidy is a cam girl living in Southern California, and while she enjoys her work, she feels aimless in other parts of her life. When a tragedy occurs, Cassidy reluctantly returns to her small hometown in West Virginia. Cassidy doesn’t intend to stay in West Virginia long, but then fate intervenes.
This is a beautiful and moving multi-generational tale about family, sexuality, feminism, motherhood, and what home means. The story is told by the viewpoints of Cassidy, her mother Paloma, and her grandmother Jane. Each voice is unique and sheds a light on important women’s issues that span across generations. Each woman also tells of their feelings about West Virginia: one cannot imagine leaving, and one feels trapped and wants nothing more than to escape. I have to say I connected more with the characters of Cassidy and Jane than Paloma. Try as I might, I just couldn’t connect to her character. All the women feel like someone you know; for a time back in my 20s I was Cassidy and her musings struck me deeply.
The prose is lyrical and well-paced. There were several sentiments about small-town living that resonated deeply with me, and some I even took pictures of to reflect on later. The author paints a vivid portrait of West Virginia and makes you feel like you’re there alongside the women, traveling the same roads and looking out at the same landscapes.

[Jason Pomerance · Rating 5 out of 5]

ON HOME is an absorbing story about how three generations of women navigate love, family and life -- with all its complicated ups and downs and joys and disappointments, and unexpected twists and turns -- and it does so in a way that feels so fresh and modern, so unlike much of what we've read before. Spence Dobias creates truly human characters we not only recognize but also want to follow, and by the end you'll be thinking about people like this in your own life -- women like Cassidy and Jane and Paloma -- and in your own family. ON HOME is a wonderful debut. Can't wait to read more from this author.

[Jessica Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not wait to finish this book so that I could read something else, cause if I want to read about home (WV), this book just ain’t it.

I would also like to ask the author why she describes all of the children in Buckhannon as “dirty.”

No one gives toddlers Mountain Dew to “calm them down,” not even on Orange is the New Black.

The way this author exoticizes Buckhannon! And the way the author at the same time relies on the trope of the fiery/angry Latina to drive the plot forward! Both could use some reflection so as not to duplicate them in the future.

I did like the ending, except for the final, unnecessary word.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set in a little WV town I am very familiar with. Nostalgia set in. ❤️

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Sentence Summary: Three generation of women in one family and their different routes to motherhood.

Overall
On Home is the story of three generations of women in the same family and their journeys into motherhood. It discusses abortion, miscarriage, race, sexuality, and sex workers, among other things. However, it felt a little too ambitious, so failed to really provide any depth on any of the issues it took up outside of motherhood. Set in the past and present and centered around a small town in Western Virginia, On Home is about Jane, Paloma, and Cassidy and how each of them found themselves back in the small town, particularly as it related to their different paths to becoming a mother.

Extended Thoughts
On Home is about women and motherhood. It’s about three generations of women (grandmother, mother, and daughter) and their lives specifically as it relates to motherhood. Grandma Jane lived through WWII as a Government Girl, leaving her small West Virginia town to work in Washington, D.C. along with her cousin Ding. With soldiers aplenty and single women everywhere, Jane just wanted to do her job while her cousin was boy crazy. Paloma, Jane’s daughter-in-law, sought freedom and art in Prague, finding a life she loved, only to wind up in a small West Virginia town, desperate to have a child while her feelings were ambiguous towards her husband. Cassidy, Paloma’s daughter, left West Virginia for California, but family circumstances pulled her back to West Virginia and forced her to examine what she really wanted.

Set in Southern California’s Inland Empire and a small town in West Virginia, On Home is really the story of Cassidy figuring out where her heart and home are. Being a native of Southern California, and one-time resident of the IE, I liked how it felt familiar. But it mostly felt superficial with mostly just the names of streets and cities dropped in, until Cassidy’s Mexican friend Noeli starts talking about being a brown girl and what it’s meant for her her entire life. West Virginia felt so backwards it kind of made my jaw drop. I know very little about the state, but the descriptions are most vivid when it comes to the small town. It’s stark and felt poverty ridden. There seemed to be a small progressive group, but it overall just felt so backward I had a hard time seeing Cassidy wanting to live in her family’s home.

But On Home is really about the characters: Jane, Paloma, and Cassidy. Other than their different ways of becoming a mother, I’m not entirely sure what the book was supposed to be about, though I did like that it focused on motherhood. Overall, I’d have to say this is a book about characters, about people, and their stories, particularly as it relates to motherhood and their feelings around it.

As a mother, I did enjoy reading about three women in the same family who viewed motherhood differently. I liked that it wasn’t all focused on the resulting baby and how to raise children, but was instead focused on the mother, on her views on pregnancy and the kind of mother she wanted to be. It also fearlessly discussed abortion and miscarriages, the pain and the sadness.

There were several other things touched on throughout the novel, including race and sexuality. One of the main characters even works as an online sex worker, highlighting why some women choose to do that kind of work, though I did feel it wasn’t quite as relevant to the story as a whole as it could have been. Actually, most of the issues mentioned were dealt with in a more surface-level way. There was so much depth that could have been given, but I felt there was more a need to touch on so many different things than to actually weave it all together into a beautiful story.

But, as I mentioned, On Home is really about Jane, Paloma, and Cassidy.

I liked Jane and her story the most. She lived through WWII and, after graduating high school, she and her cousin Ding went to Washington, D.C. to do various office work. In the present day, Jane has recently been diagnosed with dementia, so much of her story is told through reflections and memories of the past. Her chapters tended to blend almost confusingly as she slipped back and forth in time. But the pieces that took place in the past really took me back to the past and what life might have been like for two young women from rural America in a big city with soldiers literally everywhere. I loved the stories she told of her past, but I didn’t quite know how it fit in with the present.

Paloma wasn’t one I cared for much, though she did get my sympathy towards the end as she and her daughter came to terms with their mother-daughter relationship. She doesn’t seem to spend much time in the present day, either, instead reflecting back on the days before she met her husband all the way to when she and her husband Ken moved from Prague to his hometown in West Virginia. I got the sense she was supposed to be something of a free spirit who ended up tied down because of her marriage and their mutual desire to have a baby, but I couldn’t really tell much of who she was. As a whole, she kind of felt like a vague figure, though I did like her and Cassidy’s interactions.

Cassidy kind of drove me up the wall. I thought she was entitled and self-obsessed. But she felt like the main focus of the story. It was about her leaving home to seek something more than what her small town could offer, especially as a lesbian who was labelled “different” early on and bullied because of it, and then going back home and being changed. But she was just so self-obsessed and kept running from all her problems that I kind of felt like shaking her. It was hard for me to feel any kind of sympathy for her and I just kept waiting for her to grow up.

On Home was an interesting story about women and motherhood. I liked that it involved three generations of women in the same family and the different ways they became mothers. But, other than Jane, it was hard to connect with them and difficult for me to feel interested in their stories. There’s a lot of back and forth between past and present. Cassidy’s was the only one that really took place in the present, but she failed to pull all three story lines together, so it felt more like On Home was the story of how she was made instead of seamlessly blending the three stories and voices together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca Spence Dobias is a dear friend, and I have had the pleasure of editing her work several times. I am so pleased that ON HOME will soon be out in the world.

Although Cassidy is the main protagonist, this is really a family story, with many layers going back generations. Cassidy makes her living doing cam work in California, but her roots are back in West Virginia. Her mother, Paloma, and her grandmother, Jane, both tell their parts of the story. In short, arresting chapters, we cycle through their points of view. Jane, who is in a nursing home now, reflects on her life as a Government Girl during World War II, while Paloma recollects her time spent in Czechoslovakia with Cassidy's father, Ken. Jane isn't doing well, and Paloma wants Cassidy to come home - but when Ken dies unexpectedly, Cassidy doesn't have a choice but to return.

Through the flashbacks and unfolding of the present-day story, the novel explores the definition of home and what makes a place a home. It also comments on how our identities are tied to the places we're from, and how we can feel contempt for a place and yet be inextricably tied to it. Finally, there's the definition of family and how we make it, through both blood ties and chosen relationships. Layered with these themes is the lyrical writing, which propels the reader through each story and the novel as a whole. Since Becca is my friend, I can honestly say that I am jealous of how well she writes - with surprising turns of phrase that delight the reader on each page.

Readalikes are going to be different depending on what brings you to the story. I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoyed Natalka Burian's DAUGHTERS OF THE WILD. Burian's book includes magical realism, but both novels are set in Appalachia and contain gorgeous writing. I might also recommend to fans of Chloe Benjamin's THE IMMORTALISTS, another well-researched family story told from differing perspectives.

[Victoria Waddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassidy is a cam girl living in the Inland Empire (inland Southern California). She enjoys the on-screen sex work, which she took up because a gig delivering food wasn’t paying her bills. However, she prefers sex with women. She has a complicated relationship with her mother, Paloma, about whose past she knows little. When seeking wisdom from the women in her family, she prefers Jane, her paternal grandmother.

Cassidy has never come out to her family, nor do they knows about her sex work. When an unforeseen accident rocks her world, Cassidy needs to return home to Buckhannon, West Virginia. Here the complications of her life begin to play out. She confines in her one childhood friend Simon. Her feelings for her good friend Noeli, who has accompanied her, take shape. And the fact of her grandmother's aging becomes an unavoidable reality.

The narration is told from the point of view of all three generations.The lives of the women are something of a fugue—they repeat in variation through the decades. Jane, in the early stages of memory loss, often finds herself back in WW II Washington, D.C., where she worked for the FBI after leaving her rural West Virginia home. Paloma reminisces about newly westernized Prague, where she met her husband (Later Cassidy’s father) Ken. Cassidy dreams of making a life in Southern California but also finds her West Virginia home more progressive than it was in her lonely youth. Each of the women makes life-changing mistakes, but each also finds grace in both human connections and the natural world.

The women in On Home depart and return both literally and figuratively. One of the important truths of life is illuminated. Each “breathed in, arriving. It was not a singular occurrence in her life. She had arrived and arrived and arrived.”

[bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Home is a multi-generational tale that reckons with grief, sexuality, woman- and parenthood, and what it means to come back home. When an unexpected tragedy strikes Cassidy's family just after her Grandma Jane is diagnosed with dementia, she has to return home to small-town West Virginia. After an emotionally charged hookup with an old friend, Cassidy finds herself pregnant and at a loss for the next steps.

This story is told from the perspectives of Cassidy, her mother Paloma, and her grandmother Jane. While all three women must contend with their ideas and feelings about motherhood, their approaches to their new role is vastly different. Each woman learns the power of finding her roots and returning to them. Cassidy must come to terms with her identity as a lesbian, which means coming out to her mom, her friends, and herself. Paloma must cope with the grief of multiple miscarriages and her feelings of marriage to Cassidy's father. Jane is coping with her decision to have an abortion in the midst of the War.

Ultimately, I really liked this book. While I didn't like the characters that much, I did find their struggles relatable. Of the three narrators, I liked Paloma the least. Despite that, I think that the stories intertwined very well and tied up nicely. Dobias navigates the family dynamics in a way that readers can understand and potentially relate to.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4)

On Home will be available for purchase starting August 24th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Becca Spence Dobias's profile on Inkshares!

I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On Home by Becca Spence Dobias follows 3 generations of women - Cassidy; her mother, Paloma; and Paloma's mother, Jane. As they face various struggles in their time, including pregnancy, we see how they were shaped by their experiences and their responses to conflict.

First, the good: I think these characters felt pretty realistic, and I liked the writing style. I love a generational family story, and this one delivered on that aspect.

Now for things that I struggled with: Cassidy was a very unmotivated character. She made choices, but they were never particularly explained to us as to why she did them. She flip-flopped between two big decisions (including making the same choice twice) and I struggled with understanding why and how she made those choices. I would've liked a little more reflection on that. I was frustrated with her as a character, but I think that could've been useful had it been set up a little better. As it stands, she was just too inert for me to want to follow for the majority of the book.

On the whole, I think this critique kind of sums up my issue with the whole book: it felt a little too surface level. I appreciated what it was trying to do, but a little more introspection from all of the characters would've helped me follow their logic a little better. I do think that Paloma and Jane felt a bit more explained, at least by the end, but Cassidy was just too wishy-washy to get a real hold onto who she was and what she wanted.

I'm intrigued to see what this author does next, and I'll be keeping an eye out for her next work.

[Sharanya Venugopal · Rating 3 out of 5]

On Home is an inter-generational story told by three women - Cassidy, Paloma and Jane, from West Virginia. The narrative begins with the death of Cassidy's father Ken in a car accident. As she travels back to her hometown for the funeral from California, Cassidy reluctantly divulges into her past and has sort of a visceral experience of being stuck in the small town that she always yearned to escape as a child. Through the unraveling of Cassidy's version of her childhood, we encounter life in West Virginia through the lens of her mother Paloma and her grandmother Jane. Thus, starting an exploration of past and a descriptive account of the journey of life of three women, told from three very distinctive perspective.

On Home is a slow-burn and plotless, so if you are expecting some sort of resolution of a plot point, then this isn't for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading the stories of 3 independent women who are so strikingly different from each other yet, so similar in many ways. I loved how the author explored aspects about motherhood, love, home and the evolution of the characters' relationships with their Appalachian roots. I also quite enjoyed that each character had their flaws which gave the story a realistic vision. Lastly. I completely loved the parts where Becca uncovered our relationship and dependence on memory and how in one way or the other we are all unreliable narrators of our own lives.

Completely enjoyed reading this! Thank you Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read beautiful stories that I would have known otherwise. Looking forward for more work from this author!

[M.M. DeLuca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written book is a sensitive and insightful portrait of three generations of women struggling with sexuality, relationships and belonging. Grandma Jane's story begins post-WW2 as she leaves her small town in West Virginia to go and work in the big city - Washington D.C where men in uniform seem to prey on young, impressionable women. Paloma, Jane's daughter-in-law, meets her husband, Ken in Prague while she's teaching at a university there. Cassidy, Paloma's daughter, left West Virginia behind and is a cam girl in Southern California. When her father, Ken is killed in an accident, she comes home intending only to stay for the funeral, but fate takes a turn . The setting of small town, West Virginia is a major factor in this novel. Jane sees it as a place of safety while Paloma, who at first viewed it as a good place to raise a family, feels suffocated and longs for the liberated lifestyle she left behind in Prague. Cassidy feels that returning to Buckannon is a sign of her continued failure in the eyes of her mother, and the interaction between the two is prickly and distant as they try to interact without the buffer of Cassidy's beloved father. The interaction between the three women and their attempts to come to terms with their life in the small town, and their place in the world as women, is skilfully and expertly portrayed by Dobias who weaves a well-paced, compelling story that deals with many deep human issues such as the fleeting nature of experience as well as the sanctuary of home and family, and the power of love.

[Karla Gillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “literary.” It doesn’t feel like a novel, it feels like a Book-with-a-capital-B.

Okay. So in full disclosure, I graduated from high school with the author, and she generously made it possible for this to be my book club’s April book. That said, the story would have been appealing to me even if it hadn’t been written in the place where I literally live by someone I actually know.

The story follows Jane (during the 40s and 50s), her daughter in law Paloma (during the 90s) and Paloma’s daughter, our main character Cassidy, as they come to grips with aging, motherhood, and trying to find their “place” in the world. The women all go off to large cities, but end up in a small WV town that is so breathtakingly written because it’s ACCURATE. The names of places, directional details, it’s down to the last sentence full of Easter eggs that would make a native happy (or, in the case of certain graffiti, laugh out loud). Secondary characters really shore up the narrative, and even the brief third tier appearances do exactly what they need to to illustrate various points.

The whole thing is messy and uncomfortable a lot of the time. Because people are. There’s a lot of push/pull showing the good and the bad sides of the different locales, too. Which I appreciated, because everyone has different experiences. But the message is to keep trying, and keep searching, because eventually we all figure out what/where (or who) home is to us.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

On Home is a glimpse into the lives of three generations of women and the way that love and fertility brings them together.

Overall I enjoyed this book! I struggled in the beginning with liking the characters. Cassidy came across as very self-centered but as I read on it was great to see her develop as a person and gain some humility through her situations. She became my favorite character in this way. I grew a fondness for Jane and found myself rooting for her, whereas with Poloma I had a hard time liking perhaps because of her coldness and the resentment she constantly harbored, or maybe her lack of vulnerability compared to Jane and Cassidy?

I must say the last quarter of the book was my favorite as things really picked up and this, I felt, is where most of the character development happens. I ended the book in happy tears for sure!

Aside from the likability of the three women, the author is a wonderful writer. I appreciate when text can grab me and transport me to a scene with the use of imagery Spence Dobias employs here. I feel I have a more intimate relationship with West Virginia than before without ever having visited. I look forward to reading more by this author!

A particular quote that resonated with me: "How queer it was, Jane thought, that something could envelop the whole world yet be so personal, so intimate, such a familiar part of their little home that it seemed to sit right at the middle of their cherrywood table."

[Jon Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

As chance would have it, I began reading this book shortly after the sudden and tragic death of my father. Death and grief is a subject On Home deals with in a very tender way. The experience of reading it was so beautiful. It allowed me to feel everything I was going through so deeply and I'm so grateful to have read it at the time that I did.

I love the theme of the circle of life in nature, and the theme of nature continually adapting, overcoming in this book. The wild is a force, like death, sublime, that we can only pretend to look in the eye. Like in the bible, we see as though through a mirror dimly lit. Nature can be studied, it can be harmoniously partnered with, but it cannot be conquered. It must be respected. The deer, a seemingly gentle force in nature, has the power to overcome machinery. The deer is every present, ever gentle in the story, and the harbinger of life and death. In fact, life, death, each of our own individual hero’s journeys, the face of “god” so to speak, to behold them all in the mind is like staring into the mystic deep within a doe’s eyes. Even the fireflies are not yours to possess. They are a powerful brilliance to be admired. Life is a miracle. Love is a miracle that lives on. It is a gift to be perpetually grateful for, to be anything at all.

[Stephen Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca Spence Dobias’s ON HOME is a heartfelt story of three women with a connection to Appalachia. There is the contemporary character, Cassidy, who moved from West Virginia to L.A. and is now working as a cam girl. On the other hand, Jane lived out her formative experiences during World War II and now lives in a nursing home. There is also the character Paloma, who lives in Prague. How do the stories connect? Ah, well there’s the West Virginia connection for one, but the rest is a surprise, and that’s part of the beauty of the book! Dobias does a great job depicting the (often creepy) messages that Cassidy receives as a cam girl. I found Paloma’s excitement during her time in Czechoslavia enjoyable to read. When Cassidy returns to West Virginia with her friend Noeli, we learn a lot more about Jane’s backstory, and Cassidy’s complicated relationship with Simon develops. Overall, I appreciated how Dobias portrayed the complicated dynamic when you really want two things at once: to stay and to leave.

[Jes J · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much of this story pierced my heart and resonated deeply with me. I really appreciated the honest examination of motherhood weaved throughout the book. Much of On Home, particularly the relationship between Paloma and Cassidy, struck a chord and challenged me to reflect on my own failures as both a mother and daughter. Spence Dobias does such an incredible job of developing these characters, both their likeable parts and unlikable and I appreciated how real they were. I found myself particularly engrossed in the Jane chapters and looked forward to being transported back in time and into her world. When Jane returns to the present, we get glimpses into elder care in the US that are heartbreaking and poignant. The description of the I.E. is hilarious and brutal. On Home takes on important cultural issues in a refreshingly honest way and it is sad how relevant it has become... I could go on and on about all the reasons why I loved this book and pick out my favorite quotes, but I don't want to spoil it for you... just go and read it. :)

[Alex Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written. The setting is so well described you feel like you are there, however I don’t feel like that same meticulousness carried over to the characters. I really struggled to connect with a lot of them (but I did love Grandma Jane). Cassie felt like the most well rounded character but the more I learned about her the more I grew frustrated. I am not the type of reader who always needs to have a likable narrator but there needs to be some understanding of the character’s motivations so that you can appreciate their perspective. It doesn’t even seem like Cassie understands why she was making a lot of these choices.

The back and forth between past and present with multiple viewpoints also got a little confusing.

“On Home” brought up some interesting conversations about gender, sexuality and motherhood amongst 3 generations of women but overall I felt it lacked emotional complexity.

Thank you to Inkshares for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elin Nilsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for a review!

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from this book. When I found it on NetGalley I was first drawn to the cover, and then intrigued by the synopsis. I was pleasantly surprised when I was completely drawn into the story in the first chapter.

This book made me realise that I love generational stories. I’m definitely going to be reading more stories like this in the future!

One thing I loved was how the three stories were connected. Similar things happened in the different time periods. I loved seeing how the characters handled the similar situations in different ways.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t that interested in Paloma’s part of the story. I think that Jane and Cassidy’s strong personalities and personal stories overshadowed hers. She wasn’t a boring character, though! I was just more interested in the others.

3.5 stars? 4? Not quite sure, but I really enjoyed it!

[Emily Nudge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading On Home was a wonderful journey where you are anchored by the main character and get to follow along with two important women in her life. As you read about the present you get to learn about the past and how it has shaped them.

The stories have so many overlapping themes and show how love and being ones self can be challenging and rewarding. Shows how life's experiences shape all of us. Everyone in the story had so much to say about their experiences.

I especially enjoyed the aspect of seeing the locations play a part in their lives, the generational influences and the characters touched my heart as I read. So much of what I read paralleled so many aspects of my own life as a women, and mother and lover of the places I've grown up.

I could totally see this book becoming a movie.

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you still live in your hometown?🏡
Alyssa doesn’t and has chosen to live in Washington. I moved away for many years but then decided to move back to my hometown.
I think it’s interesting when you go back and see things as an adult and realize they weren’t how you remember them.
On Home by Becca Spence Dubois is about 3 generations of women and Cassidy, her mother Paloma and her grandmother Jane. I enjoyed following each of their stories, I especially loved reading about Paloma’s time in Prague, because I love that city.
Each of the women are struggling with their own place in life and I felt like I could relate to each of them in different ways.
Happy pub day to On Home! You can purchase this on our Amazon Storefront!
Thank you to @inkshares and @totallynotbex for this Advance Reader Copy!🧜🏼‍♀️🌺

[ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Home tells the story of three women from the same family, but from different generations.
At first, I thought Cassidy would be my favorite, but as the story went on, she was the one I liked the least. I was very disappointed and frustrated with her. I understand she's a pretty realistic character, but I've spent the entire book wanting to scream at her and her selfishness and how spoiled she is. On the other hand, I really liked Jane's story. Pamela's, I thought it was ok.
Overall, it was an interesting book to read, absorbing the experiences of the three characters, getting to know the three generations and their search for a greater meaning in life.

** I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

[Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book. As someone currently living in Morgantown, WV and originally from Southern California, I thought this would be a perfect book with a perfect setting for me, because I could visualize both settings very, very well. The writing was good, but the characters were…meh. I wasn’t really compelled to care very deeply about any of them. I found the character of Cassidy to be, well, for lack of better words, annoying. Same with Paloma’s character. I just didn’t understand what the motivation was. Paloma kept talking about “arriving”, and it just did not connect with me at all.

However, I could have read a whole book about Jane. I found her to be the absolute highlight of this book. I wish there was more of her story in there, and less of Paloma’s.