You Could Be Home By Now

After spending months struggling with the loss of their baby, Seth and Alison Collier leave their teaching jobs and move to a retirement community in Arizona, where they hope to make a fresh start. The couple unknowingly reflects the environment around them, projecting a sense of calmness and togetherness, but with strong tensions lurking just beneath the surface. When it is discovered that one of the residents of the community, The Commons, has secretly had her grandson living with her for months due to a combination of family problems and financial hardship, other community members are torn. The story gets nationwide attention thanks to the well-meaning efforts of some neighbors. No one could have predicted what would happen from there.

With a novel like You Could Be Home By Now, which delves into such a wide variety of topics, it’s hard to narrow the plot down into such a short summary; this book is so much more than readers could possibly anticipate. It explores the twisted emotions of loss and grief in depth, talks about the way we deceive ourselves in order to keep going, and touches on our innate need to belong somewhere, among other things. Some parts are so straightforward and real that readers will want to cry, while other parts are laced with a wry sense of humor; this novel is a fantastic read, and one that will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the final page.