Book Review: This is Home by Luca Serra | Ellie Moffat
What does it mean to make a home away from home?
In This is Home by Luca Serra, we follow protagonists, Brunilda, Carlo and Marrok as they navigate moving to a new country on their own. As young people working long hours to make ends meet they long for purpose and connection. Pulled between memories of their old lives and the sounds and faces of their new and unfamiliar environment, they remind us, and themselves, that we make homes everywhere we go.
We meet Carlo as he settles into another shift washing dishes in a busy London restaurant. His colleague Keto is a light in the dank, dark, rat-infested kitchen. Keto makes a joke that Carlo doesn’t understand but still laughs at; Carlo knows how it feels to be a misunderstood foreigner. We are thrust into this story of the working-class immigrant experience.
Brunilda, from Brazil, only knows her Scottish au pair family until she meets Kamila at a ceilidh in Glasgow. Kamila, an illustrator at heart and a customer assistant in practice, forms a beautiful friendship with Brunilda as they encourage each other to go after their goals. Marrok struggles everyday with the memories of his life before London. Trying to numb his pain, he isolates himself until a new tragedy triggers him to take control of this life.
Serra’s novel focuses on connection in a slow and thoughtful way. While the format of the book - multiple POV and vignettes - lends itself to the chaos and uncertainty of living somewhere new, throughout we are given quiet, gentle moments between characters.
“For some time they just sat in silence, chewing chips and swallowing the subtle, sweet taste of the summer. The breeze carried the scent of leaves and fried cod, of ashes and firecrackers, as the city, a wise alchemist, blended multiple fragrances into one, offering the special mixture of the special days.”
While each character is dealing with their own internal conflicts, we weave between them seamlessly. Serra pulls on the similarities between such different people, reminding us of a common struggle and our ability to help one another through. Carlo’s perspective lives in the present, his main concern being his low income. Whereas Brunilda’s mind is often overtaken by memories of Brazil, where her mother and grandmother still live, fighting to keep the family business open. Marrok chose to run away from his hometown to escape painful memories.
Memory and nostalgia play an important role in shaping our understanding of each person. For Brunilda it helps her feel grounded in her identity and stay connected to her family back home, but Marrok’s memories hold him back from trying new experiences and relationships.
Nostalgia has a deep, emotional pull. Remembering the sounds and smells of their past. In one scene, Brunilda is looking into a deli in Glasgow’s West End when she envisions her mother and grandmother behind the counter. Carlo is transported back to his childhood at the playpark, while washing dishes at work.
“I am standing, but I am travelling back in time.”
The novel does not rush through plot points, but also never feels slow. The multiple POVs help keep the reader engaged and Serra does a good job of making them all feel very real. The way they speak, what they love and get stuck pondering on. You can imagine each of them as someone you would chat with at the office or the pub.
The characters were driven by distinct desires, making it easy to understand their actions and struggles.
I did feel that the outcome of each conflict was not equally satisfactory. Brunilda and Marrok move forward as the book progresses, where Carlo’s story gets left behind. At the start, Carlo is the main protagonist and feels almost like a side character by the end. I found Brunilda’s chapters the most fun. She is funny, endearing and thoughtful. She is driven by her emotions, and the novel makes sure you know this is not a flaw.
While I have focused on the characters themselves, the messaging of the novel is about community. This is Home sheds a new perspective on an old tale; home is where the heart is. Our protagonists can cope easier with Their new surroundings because they don’t have to do it alone. I think that in our current political climate, where violence and isolation are prevalent, this is an important novel. It reminds us that there will always be a community waiting for you, wherever you go.
For people who enjoy the multiple POV that Fredrik Backman does so well and Sarah Moss’s insightful meditations on belonging and deservingness, this book will make you feel warm inside.
I look forward to reading whatever Serra writes next.
