Alice decides that she wants to retun to Nigeria when she gets 'tired' and to die there despite the fact that her daughters think it would be wrong and worry about who would look after her. Well two of her daughters do and the third thinks that she should be enabled to do what she wants. And so the story goes backwards and forwards with the 'will she, won't she' that sees money disappearing, fires, the death of her husband (who she no longer lives with) and a timidity on her part on occasions. In fact this is less a story about Alice and her house, as in building, and more about her daughters finding their way as they start to reach mid-life, with children, and so house here represents family tree or line.

One thing that Evans does do very well is give us the interiority of her characters, particularly the daughters and slowly as we work our way through the book, the abuse in the household when they were younger is revealed. Abuse from Cornelius, their father, who would shut them up in the cupboard under the stairs, who would shout and lose his temper and probably more with Alice. We have the shame of a child going to prison and then going into debt. We have the remorse of divorcing a man that you loved and loved you and was just right for you - boring bits and all.

What I didn't think worked so well was the historical context Evans set the story in. This was the Grenfell fire but then I felt it didn't really have an impact on the story afterwards. It was there and protests were mentioned but it didn't come into the families orbit unless they were passing it. Perhaps Evans was alluding to the fact that those who were new to the country, who were poor or who ended up in the tower block were mistreated, given sub-standard accomodation and ignored when they complained. All very worthwhile including in a story but how does it relate to this one? Brexit was mentioned in passing and there is no doubt that it has had an impact on all our lives and I know from friends that it has also meant a loss of home and a starting of a new life and home in a European country because they were so upset about what it meant. But they were bit parts and neither deserved to be. We also had a reference to Boris Johnson but again it wasn't integral to the story. Or was Evans trying to say that these sort of people, populist leaders, are divisive and we can lose our stable base, our home, because of them. I don't know.

A friend recommended this book because she had loved it so much and I feel like I have missed something in it. I get the sense that I haven't quite made the right connections within the book. ( )

There were many good ideas and good descriptions in this book, but each character represented certain issues, and that got very tedious. There were also too many unnecessary details. I did want to see if the ending redeemed the book, but life just continued. Sibling and family difficulties were many, frequently with no real reconciliation. Very few characters took responsibility for their own behavior. ( )

The story begins with two tragedies- nonagenarian Cornelius Winston Pitt eager to live to see his one-hundredth birthday breathes his last after a fire engulfs his home. A fire in a high-rise residential apartment in West London on the same night left several residents homeless and many dead.

In the aftermath of Cornelius’ death, his estranged wife Alice and her three daughters Adel, Carol, and Melissa are left to grapple with their loss. Alice hopes to leave London and return to her native country Nigeria where she is building a home. As the story progresses, we meet Alice’s children and their families and how they cope with the death in their family and Alice’s impending plans to leave – old wounds, resentments, and disappointments rise to the surface and what is left to be seen is whether the family is brought closer or does tragedy and loss tear them further apart.

A House for Alice by Diana Evans is a well-written story that revolves around themes of family, tragedy, and how the definition of home can change over time. The story is set in 2017 and incorporates the real-life tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire in West London in the narrative and explores socio-political themes and topics like immigration, culture and racism. I should mention, I was unaware that this story was a sequel ( of sorts ) to one of the author’s previous works. My review is based on my experience with this book alone. There are several characters we need to keep track of, and it is often difficult to keep note of how they are related to one another. While I did like the writing and the character development, I was somewhat disappointed with the way the story flowed. I also found the short segment on Cornelius’ afterlife experience a tad disjointed with the overall narrative. The story is more about the family, the dynamics between the family members and though we go get a glimpse into Alice’s yearning to return to her native country, this aspect could have been explored in more depth. Overall, I thought that the story had potential but was not as emotionally impactful as I hoped.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

In 2017, in London, the Grenfell Tower fire destroyed 100+ homes and killed 72 people. In this novel, this fire happens on the same night Cornelius Pitt dies at his home after a fire. Cornelius was white, his wife, Alice, was from Nigeria. They have not lived together for many years, and their children were torn over the fractured relationship, recognizing their father's cruelty. However, he has been sending money to Nigeria for Alice's relatives to build a house.
Alice wants to return to Nigeria, but her children are not convinced this is best for her. Additionally, they are unsure if the house is complete. Meanwhile, each child has issues of their own - marital problems as well as others. Interspersed with this family drama is the political turmoil of 2017.
This is a family saga, sadly, I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. ( )

We never really get away from our parents

from A House for Alice by Diana Evans
Just before his 100th birthday, a man dies in a fire. He has been estranged from most of the family, his wife Alice having long moved out. One daughter has been caring for him, but all the daughters carry the trauma of his alcoholic abuse.

For years, he had been sending money to Nigeria to build Alice a house there. Alice knows the time is soon coming when she will be tired, of life, and of life in London and ready to return to her homeland to live her last years there.

Her daughters don’t all agree with her. With their messy lives, divorces, and problem children, they want their mother near. To care for her. To be their center.

A House for Alice touches on so many themes: a dysfunctional family and family trauma, the challenges of marriage and its failure, racism, the refugee experience, the love for a child, failing a child, failing oneself, the view from old age.

I loved how the author took me into these character’s messy lives, the poignant insights into their struggles. I marveled at descriptive passages of such beauty. The chapter describing the morning divorced parents take their son to the hospital for surgery was so beautiful, so real, the experience transforming for the parents. With this combination of insight, gorgeous writing, and social commentary it’s a must read.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book. ( )