Entertaining Read, But Unoriginal and Easily Forgotten
I'm stuck between giving this book a 2 star rating (because, I know that in a few hours time I'll never think about it, or any of the characters again), or a 4 star rating (because, despite it's faults, it did provide me with entertainment for the past few days). So I think I'll settle with a cowardly 3/5, though, if I'm honest, it probably deserves less.

I feel that Tremain had all the foundations for a brilliant, life altering, inspiring + revitilasing novel, but realised none of these opportunites and instead decided to tell a stereotyped story with no originality or new depths, purely a piece of toss-away fiction. All the characters had been done 1000000000 times before, there was no originaliy to be drawn from anywhere. Lev, the hard workng immigrant sending money home to his family. Ina, the mother set in her old ways. Christy, the irish drunk. Marina, the perfect, beautiful wife etc. The only character to really intrigue me was Lev's best friend Rudi, but we didn't see or hear enough of him for his personality to save the day.

And the stereotypes don't end there either. London is described in it's worst possible light (why do writers think that being negative about everything is the only way to be original?!), why almost every single person Lev meets is fat I don't know, for, as a Londoner myself I can undoubtlebly say that though though there over-weight people in this country, there are far more people of healthy weight walking the streets of London as well. And it's not as if only the UK and US have over-weight citizens either, and I also say this as someone who's parents immigrated from the middle-east 20 years ago and have returned there on holidays every few years since I was born.

Then theres the fact that Lev seems to be a girl (and guy)-magnet, though he is certainly not the youngest or fittest spanner in the box, and has grey hair. Yes, a handsome face does wonders but does not mean that every woman you meet (specially younger ones) want to sleep with you. Jeez! And then theres the fact that people from different cultures all, every single one of them, seem to embody the stereotypes of their cultures rather than be characters in their own right. I've already mentioned Christy, the irish heavy drinker. There are two indian women in this book, both of who wear sari's on a constant basis (as if once you move to another country you can't buy a new change of clothes), Sophie, the typical brit chick who is easy to bed and only after a famous boyfriend, then Simone, a young black girl who writes menus with 'street' language as if she doesn't know how to talk otherwise. It's actually quite insulting to analyse and makes me think that perhaps I should have given the book a 2 star rating.

The plot can't be taken all that seriously either (I am especially peeved with how Tremain treated Lev and the two chinese boys relationship), with Lev getting far more than his fair share of good luck with regards to chances, moeny, jobs, friends etc. But what can I say, perhaps that's how Tremain meant the novel to feel like, a feel-good book, not to be taken seriously at all. Then why pick such an emotive, interesting backdrop to set her story upon?! Who knows.

As I've said, the books ok, it's entertaining, it sweeps you away with the characters, but once you put it down you firget about Lev, Christy, Rudi etc immediately and I don't think I;ll be re-reading this one again. Not worth my time.

Enjoyable read but not my favourite Rose Tremain novel
I enjoyed this book, however, out of the four Rose Tremain novels that I've read, this is my least favourite.

I couldn't understand why Levs' home country was fictional, and felt that the only reason could be was that Tremain couldn't be bothered to do her research this time, and did she feel obliged to bang a story out quickly simply to please her agent and readers?

The approach taken with 'The Road Home' is in stark contrast to, for example, 'Music and Silence' which, in my view, was so well researched, and well written that whilst immersed in it's pages I almost felt as if I were a part of the story.

Like I said though, I found 'The Road Home' to be an enjoyable read, just more on a par with the chick-lit style holiday novels one usually finds in the airport departure lounge book shops.

A surprisingly good read
Having never read a Rose Tremain book before, I was slightly off put by the title and cover of the book - but as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. I was truly caught up in the trials and tribulations of Lev, who struggles, and succeeds in some ways to "make it" in London as a Polish migrant worker. Armed with very few English words - "I am legal", "May I help you", he faces many difficult times before he is helped out by people he meets along the way. A great read with a fantastic cast of characters.

To be or not to be.
What would you do if you lived in a post communist, economically ravaged country devoid of employment opportunities and responsible for an ageing mother and and young daughter? Perhaps, like Lev, you would leave your home and try and earn a living in a foreign land. This is the essence of Tremain's sensitive treatment of an economic migrant's almost desperate attempt to improve his lot. Tremain places the widower Lev within a harsh London landscape where suspicion, rascism and exploitation are never far from the surface. Fortunately Lev is spared the misery of most migrants and is able to find work and friends and eventually to prosper which, most importantly, benefits not only himself and his family but the country he has left. Although I found this novel lacked the weight of, for instance, Music and Silence or the Colour, and was somewhat predictable, it still displayed a beautiful, elegant prose, which involved a descriptive narrative that, for me, brought to life the contrast between the superficial consumerism of Western society and the materially poverty of Eastern Europe, albeit soon to be submerged by a flood of new money, hamburger joints and pretentious art.

Reads like a true story
When this book was first published I wasn't sure I would like it, but because I've enjoyed Rose Tremain's other work I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed.

There are plenty of reviews that outline the story in some detail. Suffice it to say, therefore, that the novel follows the journey of Lev from his Eastern European homeland to Britain in search of work that will enable him to better the lives of his mother and daughter in his unnamed home country. His experiences in the alien environment of London and picking asparagus on a Suffolk farm, and his eventual return to his native land may, as some reviewers have suggested, be stereotyped, but that in many ways is their strength. Rose Tremain writes beautifully, and through her pen we see how strange British society must seem to someone from a former communist regime. Her descriptions are vivid and real. We can imagine Lev's daughter Maya in her small village school, sitting on a wooden bench eating her lunch of `goat's milk and bread and pickled cucumber, with, sometimes in summer, wild strawberries from the hills above the village'; or the `two-point-five metres of stainless steel draining top' gleaming in the kitchens at GK Ashe.

As the book progressed, I felt I really got to know Lev, faults and all, and was desperately hoping everything would work out for him. There were some wonderfully drawn supporting characters too: Lev's mother, Ina; his life-long friend Rudi; and his landlord, Shane Christy, with whom he developed a lasting friendship.

I wondered if Lev was luckier than most migrant workers in his position, which is perhaps why some readers felt the story didn't ring true. But Lev's luck stemmed from his tenacity, from never shirking hard work or long hours, and from being quick to learn from those around him. These were among his strong points. It was his weaknesses and failings that made him so real, and vulnerable, and that threatened to derail his plans.

Ultimately, the book is about loss, determination, friendship, and the will to succeed. The ending is upbeat though by no means conclusive, which is how it should be, leaving the reader wondering about the future. I found the story interesting and satisfying, although some reviewers clearly did not. In my view it is well worth the read. Highly recommended, in fact!

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