Speak to Me of Home

She is a fabulous writer with beautiful stories. I struggled a little with following who belonged with who but totally enjoyed this book.

This is a deeply felt, beautifully written novel that explores the meaning of belonging, identity, and the invisible threads that tie us to the places and people we call home. The story centers on a character navigating a life between cultures, haunted by memory and searching for connection. Cummins characters are flawed, tender, and achingly real.This is a quiet, heartfelt story about identity, memory, and what “home” really means. Jeanine Cummins writes with so much emotional honesty, you feel every step of the journey. It’s not a fast-paced book, but it stays with you. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something thoughtful and moving.

This tale is so heartwarming. It is a tale of a multigenerational family and the intricacies of their history as the years pass. Kudos to Jeanine Cummins for writing another book that I could not put down.

I struggled to get through this one even though I appreciated the exploration of history and identity. There were parts where I knew what was coming but grew impatient with how long it took to say it.

This story of three generations of women is told in non-linear timelines spanning 53 years. It starts and ends with the youngest, Daisy, in a horrible accident during a hurricane in Puerto Rico in 2023. But it’s not about a hurricane-ravaged island, or even Daisy herself. It’s a story about identity: losing it, hiding it, searching for it, re-discovering it.Rafaela has minor misgivings when she marries an American serviceman in Puerto Rico in 1968, but they are both swept off their feet by the romance of it all. But adjusting to life in St. Louis is harder than she imagined. Her daughter Ruth spends her life trying to find her place in a community that isn’t quite ready to accept her heritage, and she tells herself she is only protecting Daisy from the same hurt. But Daisy longs for more than the once-a-year visit to the beautiful island where her family began and to which she feels so connected.As Rafaela and Ruth hold vigil at Daisy’s bedside, we travel back through their memories with them, experiencing the joys, pains, triumphs, and failures that make a life. As with every life, there are sometimes secrets – some big, some small. And some that leave you wondering where, and if, you belong.It’s not a fast-paced book, but it was wonderful to take my time and enjoy their story.This audiobook was perfectly narrated by Almarie Guerra!Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Jeanine Cummins for the complimentary advance copy. It was my pleasure to write this candid review.