Homecoming

Author: Cynthia Voigt
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, Simon and Schuster
Copyright: 1981, paperback released July 2003
Genre: Young Adult

A heart-wrenching story of four children's long journey - by foot! - to find a home. After their mother abandons them in a mall parking lot, Dicey and her three younger siblings travel for weeks by foot to their great-aunt in Bridgeport, only to find that she died and her daughter, who is somewhat strange, lives there instead. They try to settle in, but ultimately make the decision that this is not really the place for them, so they set out again to find their grandmother, whom they had only heard about after getting to Bridgeport. After many ups and downs, they strengthen their beliefs that family and staying together is the most important thing, and they begin building a new home.

Everything about this book is amazing. The plot, the characters, the tone and style... It all fits together so beautifully to create a stunning tale of hope and belonging. The proof is definitely in the details here. The nitty-gritty things that the kids have to consider just to make it through each day, the complex personalities of each character, and the multitude of secondary characters introduced along their journey add to the overall story and make the whole thing come alive. Following Dicey's constant reckoning of how much money she had and how much that meant they could eat was heart-breaking, and it made me realize what we take for granted on a daily basis. I loved the bits of humor inserted throughout this really moving tale, and I laughed and cried my way through it.

If you haven't read this book yet, you must read it as soon as you can! I don't say this about many books, but this is one that will make you a better person for having read it!