{Berkley Publishing #Partner. Thank you for my gifted copy of Home or Away and for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour. }
Home or Away by Kathleen West
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I was first introduced to author Kathleen West’s writing style when I read her 2020 novel Minor Dramas and Catastrophes. One of the sub-genres of #ContemporaryFiction I have come to so enjoy is #ParentingFiction. 🙌
Maybe it is because I am smack dab in this stage, but I love books that take on the intricacies to a season of life. The worries, the relationships and the daily struggles that we all can relate to, even if our stories look really different from the outside. And this book takes on competitive youth sports, in particular, hockey! 🏒
Book Synopsis:
Two friends, one Olympic dream, and the choice that stood in the way.
Once Leigh and Susy were close friends and teammates bound for Olympic hockey gold, but when Leigh’s sure-fire plan to make the final roster backfired, she left everything behind to start over, including the one person who knew her secret.
Two decades later, Leigh’s a successful investment banker, happily married, and the mom of a hockey prodigy, so when a career opportunity lands the family back in Minnesota, Leigh takes the shot for her kid. Back in the ultra-competitive world she left behind, the move puts her in Susy’s orbit, a daily reminder of how Leigh watched from the sidelines as her former teammate went on to Olympic glory.
Despite the coldness between them, Susy can’t help but hope that Leigh might lace up her skates and join her in the coaches’ box – after all Leigh knows better than anyone how hard it is to be a woman in this world. Susy knows soon her daughter, Georgie, will be seen as a “girl athlete,” relegated to the B team, with less support and opportunity to advance.
But Leigh believes keeping Susy at arms’ length is the only way to hide her history with her former coach Jeff Carlson. When he hints of new favors in exchange for her son’s ice time, Leigh is caught in the ultimate bind: Come clean about what happened when she was an Olympic hopeful and risk her marriage or play Jeff’s game. In a moment of desperation, Leigh realizes the one person she thought was her biggest competitor – her former teammate – might turn out to be her biggest ally.”
You can purchase your copy HERE. (affiliate link)
Growing up, I was on the swim team, played field hockey and participated in track and field. And while I was not particularly great at any of them (and also, you didn’t have to be then…🙃) I do have the best memories of being a part of these teams. 👯♀️
And one of the most unexpected joys of this stage of parenting is being a part of these communities once again…I may just be counting down the days until baseball season officially begins! But as we have progressed further into these sports (our oldest is in middle school) there also comes the very real competitive edge, and the lengths families (parents?) go to to be “the best”…🏆🤯
”Told with Kathleen West’s trademark wit and compassion, Home or Away is a story about overcoming our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of female friendship.”
Book Club Recommendation!
West shines at character building and sharing the gray areas of life..which also means this book would make for a great #BookClubRead! This book packs a punch and also kept me turning the pages until the very end. This title hits book store shelves today (3.29.22!) and highly recommend adding this book to your spring reading list!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!