The Color of Home

Title: The Color of Home

Author: Kit Tosello

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Christian Fiction, women's fiction, 

Source: Revell

My Review:

The Color of Home is Kit Tosello's debut novel. The cover and title represent the book well. I am struggling to put my thoughts into words, and my review will not capture all that is the essence of this story.

"Clearly I've spent years allowing external pressures, never-ending motion, to keep me from doing the inner work necessary for a life of freedom and wholeness. I've missed too many off-ramps. Truth is, I've pursued distraction on purpose."

I regret not having more quotes than the one above. I was too absorbed in the story to mark them!

Audrey is at a crossroads in her life. She is struggling under the pressure of her job when a new pressure enters, her great-aunt Daisy needs her help. Audrey is torn between her commitment to her job and her commitment to her family. I loved Audrey, I think because she is so relatable. She is trying to find her way, doing the best she can.

I also loved Aunt Daisy and Uncle Dean. Their story (and Audrey's) has hard moments, but Daisy's focus isn't on the hard. She teaches Audrey so much about life and love while Audrey is helping her out.

Audrey has a brother, who is mentioned several times, but he never appears in the story. At first glance, I thought this was weird. However, after further reflection, I appreciate that the author kept the story on point without side tangents (I can't see where he could appear in the story, and it makes sense). 

This book deals with several hard topics: grief, Alzheimer's, incarceration, and job and life pressures BUT it is not a heavy read. There is a delicate, intricate balance woven throughout the story where the reader never feels bogged down by the story. This is not a fluff read, but a story worth getting entangled in. It will bring out lots of emotions but also have you pondering your own life choices. 

Bottom line: The Color of Home is a beautiful story about family, finding yourself, healing, and belonging. 

Thank you to Revell for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Audrey Needham, Bay Area interior designer to the rich and pretentious, is down to her last nerve. Her boss is impossible to please, her future is in jeopardy, and her great-aunt Daisy needs support as her husband descends into Alzheimer's. When Daisy enlists Audrey's help preparing for a move to assisted living, Audrey risks her career to return to the idyllic small town of Charity Falls, Oregon, the summer stomping grounds of her childhood. But Charity Falls was also the place that broke her heart when her father was killed in a tragic fire at the Sugar Pine Inn thirteen years ago. Despite Audrey's intent to avoid emotional entanglement, the pull of home is hard to resist. Something should be done about the deteriorating inn. A local girl with an incarcerated father needs a friend. And handsome local do-gooder Cade Carter is coloring Audrey all shades of uncertain.Join award-winning writer and debut novelist Kit Tosello in this lyrical and often humorous exploration of how God redeems brokenness and draws us to the life we're meant to find.