Book Review: Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda

Title: Here, Home, Hope
Author: Kaira Rouda
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Publication Date: May 1, 2011
Paperback: 310 pages
ISBN: 978-1608320912
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors’ seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly’s own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan.

From page one, Kelly’s witty reflections, self-deprecating humor, and clever tactics in executing that plan—she places Post-it notes all over her house and car—will have readers laughing out loud. The next instant, however, they might rant right along with Kelly as her commitment to a sullen, anorexic teenager left on her doorstep tries her patience or as she deflects the boozy advances of a divorced neighbor. Readers will need to keep the tissue box handy, too, as Kelly repairs the damage she inflicted on a high school friend; realizes how deeply her husband, Patrick, understands and loves her; and ultimately grows into a woman empowered by her own blend of home and career.

Here, Home, Hope will surely appeal to readers of chick lit and other women’s fiction titles who are ready to transition into something new in their own life.

My Review:

Reading Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda left me with decidedly mixed feeling about the book. Her protagonist Kelly Mills Johnson has, in my opinion, a rather enviable life and as she nears her fortieth birthday she begins to feel as though something is missing from her life and starts up an entrepreneurial business, which I found interesting, informative and relatable. However, Kelly’s character was one I absolutely could not identify with at all, and I am older than forty and a stay at home mother of three. Some of Kelly’s issues seemed shallow from my perspective, for example, her hair coloring, while her views on other more serious issues were decidedly inappropriate. For example, I did not find the quips about having an anorexic teen around to be a great weight loss motivator, regardless of whether or not it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. There were issues and characters I felt were unrealistic, or maybe just in my neighbourhood of stay at home and working mothers. I enjoyed Rouda’s writing style and the message for women to empower themselves, whether one chooses to work, stay home with their children, or return to the work force after an absence. The inspirational notes Kelly uses throughout the story are in the back of the book, which I enjoyed and believe, also helped Rouda with her main message of empowerment. Sadly I felt her empowering message may have gotten lost along the way in the story, or maybe I am simply not in a position to fully appreciate the need to reinvent my life. To whom would I recommend this book? I actually think Here, Home, Hope would make for an interesting book group pick, as I think the issues brought up in the book could lead to lively discussions.

To learn more about Kaira Rouda please visit her website.

I received a complimentary copy of Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda from BookSparks PR to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.

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