I mentioned in my previous review that homelessness is an issue close to my heart, and my latest read is another book that deals directly with this.
In How to Find Home, Mahsuda presents three characters of Molly, Jules and Luca who each have difficult pasts that have resulted in them becoming homeless. The story follows them on a journey from Nottingham to Skegness, revealing their back stories as they form an unlikely alliance.
All three of the characters are edgy and unstable, battling with drink, drugs, alcohol, medication and mental health problems. Jules has an erratic personality with voices in her head. Molly is a former sex worker, recovering user, and prone to hallucination. Luca is struggling to cope with his family life and medication.
There are plenty of character clashes, and they certainly have their share of flaws. Jules in particular I found a tricky character – she’s brash and tough, and sometimes just plain annoying, which is great because it made her real. Whenever she kicks off, I could really feel it.
Molly leads the story and has a lot of depth to her character, layered by her imagination, hallucinations, difficult childhood memories and abusive relationship. There remains a fragile child-like softness to her that makes her the perfect go-between for Jules and Luca’s clashes.
If you’re a fan of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, I would recommend trying this book.