Welcome Home, Stranger
- Downloads：5327
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-12-19 07:24:06
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Kate Christensen
- ISBN：B0CG2XRN5X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Amanda Rodriguez
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3。5 out of 5 （don’t know how to mark halves）Proof that terrific writing can pull you in spite of a an overwhelmingly unlikeable and morose character with minimal redeeming qualities。 I found myself pulled into Rachel’s narrative， wanting to understand her and working through her depressive self monologues and self destructive drive。 Katherine managed to keep me interested， whilst decidedly irritating me with this awful main character whom I was reluctantly cheering for by the end。
Jennifer
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Oh Kate Christiansen！ You get me。 I finished this book in one feverish 24 hour gasp， not only because it was good， but because it is right where I am right now: starring a middle aged woman， child free and experienced in her career who has a complicated relationship with her family after escaping to the big city。 Just like In the Drink was a touchstone of my 30’s， Welcome Home Stranger will be one of my 50’s。 Only four stars because it did not wrap up as neatly as I would have liked and I didn’t Oh Kate Christiansen！ You get me。 I finished this book in one feverish 24 hour gasp， not only because it was good， but because it is right where I am right now: starring a middle aged woman， child free and experienced in her career who has a complicated relationship with her family after escaping to the big city。 Just like In the Drink was a touchstone of my 30’s， Welcome Home Stranger will be one of my 50’s。 Only four stars because it did not wrap up as neatly as I would have liked and I didn’t get enough closure on several of the secondary characters I had come to love。 This could have been a much longer book and I wish it was。 But I’m still grateful for the paltry 214 pages I got。 。。。more
KJ Grow
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A perfect Maine novel。
Jan Pitts
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Superb intelligent character- driven novel set in Portland， Maine。 A study on grief，healing， and reconciliation。 I loved it！
Carrie
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One reviewer said this book got pretty depressing at the end。 I don’t think I’d go that far: The narrator becomes philosophical but I think there is hope as well。I enjoyed this book about a 50-something woman who returns home to main after the death of her mother。 Really the whole thing was philosophical。
Christine Guthrie
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Parts of this were brilliant， but others seemed stuffed in in order to feel topical。
c2 cole
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More Like A Sketch than a Full-Bodied Novel。After reading The Great Man， I read all the first three of Kate's books and I've read all the other novels since。 I enjoyed them but The Epicure's Lament remains my favorite。 This new novel has not changed that。 Like some other authors whose earlier books I prefer， this one just didn't do it for me。 Although I have nothing against the concept of returning home， this one didn't present that much new， other than the main character's relationship with her More Like A Sketch than a Full-Bodied Novel。After reading The Great Man， I read all the first three of Kate's books and I've read all the other novels since。 I enjoyed them but The Epicure's Lament remains my favorite。 This new novel has not changed that。 Like some other authors whose earlier books I prefer， this one just didn't do it for me。 Although I have nothing against the concept of returning home， this one didn't present that much new， other than the main character's relationship with her mother and other relatives。 I felt like this was an early draft of what could have been a much better， or more interesting， book that delved into the relationships instead of presenting them， then being done with them。 Maybe I didn't read it carefully enough， but changes didn't seem to be earned with no emotional followup。 So much left hanging， which is really just fine in many novels but this one felt like it was either unfinished or the first book in a series。 Her first book was definitely chick lit。 This could be well written hen lit， as if the author is returning to her roots。 。。。more
Pam
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I really loved this。 The narrator’s voice and journey spoke to me for reasons I can’t articulate， but I enjoyed it from beginning to end。
Chris
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I loved this novel for so many reasons。 The waiting is exquisite， from someone who obviously loves all the nuances of language。 The characters and settings are clearly and intricately rendered。 But I think the relationship between Rachel and everyone else， especially her mother， is what really drew me in。 I was able to relate to so many of her issues and her journey navigating all the changes coming at her so suddenly。 The ending was perfect。 too。 I feel like I know this person and care about he I loved this novel for so many reasons。 The waiting is exquisite， from someone who obviously loves all the nuances of language。 The characters and settings are clearly and intricately rendered。 But I think the relationship between Rachel and everyone else， especially her mother， is what really drew me in。 I was able to relate to so many of her issues and her journey navigating all the changes coming at her so suddenly。 The ending was perfect。 too。 I feel like I know this person and care about her life。 Thanks Kate Christensen， and Goodreads， of course。 。。。more
Moira
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Somehow a balm to spend time with this furious， judgemental woman as she flails her way through one of the worst weeks of her life。 Maybe because I'm also going through it right now？ Not liking Rachael （and Celeste and David and Lucie and and and） is a respite from how little I like myself these days。 And by a respite I mean a mirror。 And for a mirror read empathy。 And thus here I am again， on the last page of a Kate Christensen novel， wiping away tears， laughing with anger and relief。 Somehow a balm to spend time with this furious， judgemental woman as she flails her way through one of the worst weeks of her life。 Maybe because I'm also going through it right now？ Not liking Rachael （and Celeste and David and Lucie and and and） is a respite from how little I like myself these days。 And by a respite I mean a mirror。 And for a mirror read empathy。 And thus here I am again， on the last page of a Kate Christensen novel， wiping away tears， laughing with anger and relief。 。。。more
Nikki
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The trope of a successful woman returning to the home she couldn't wait to get out of is a familiar one （in fact it's being used in the television program Shetland right now， not to mention zillions of Hallmark movies）。 Kate Christensen has made something very special out of it。 This novel is never going to be a Hallmark movie。 At every turn there are surprises， and at the end， the reader doesn't know exactly how things will turn out for Rachel， the protagonist。 It's set mostly in Portland， part The trope of a successful woman returning to the home she couldn't wait to get out of is a familiar one （in fact it's being used in the television program Shetland right now， not to mention zillions of Hallmark movies）。 Kate Christensen has made something very special out of it。 This novel is never going to be a Hallmark movie。 At every turn there are surprises， and at the end， the reader doesn't know exactly how things will turn out for Rachel， the protagonist。 It's set mostly in Portland， partly in the inland forests where working-class people have their camps， and the people and landscapes are just right （I'm from Maine）。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Carol Ingram
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DepressingFor me this was a waste of money。 Not much of a story and the ending was uneventful and sudden。
Jackie
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I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway。 I have mixed feelings about the story。 Very dysfunctional family。 Lucie was a monster。 Not sure about Jesse。 The end was a series of statements that were too deep for the rest of the story。 Too many things left hanging。 Very depressing overall。 I did enjoy the Portland setting， because I knew all the locations。
Cheri
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Wow， this book。 I just loved it。 The story of a middle-aged woman who goes back home after her mom dies， after she's shunned her working-class Maine roots for decades。 The book is just beautifully written， and is so moving。 Christensens's writes with such vivid imagery - the sounds， scenes， smells， - that it is kind of haunting。 I could literally feel all of Rachel's pain in dealing with her mom's death， her relationships with her sister and other relatives。 The ending was just brilliant， an inc Wow， this book。 I just loved it。 The story of a middle-aged woman who goes back home after her mom dies， after she's shunned her working-class Maine roots for decades。 The book is just beautifully written， and is so moving。 Christensens's writes with such vivid imagery - the sounds， scenes， smells， - that it is kind of haunting。 I could literally feel all of Rachel's pain in dealing with her mom's death， her relationships with her sister and other relatives。 The ending was just brilliant， an incredible metaphor。 The last paragraph is genius。 （view spoiler）[ "I turn again to look at the familiar silvered boards of the boathouse and dock of Gautreau Camps。 What's waiting for me over there is the rest of my life。 An inherited dog。A rented room in Bayside。 A job I may or may not be suited for。 A tipsy， opinionated book group。 My mother's old car。 The only family I'll ever have。 Whole lives have been built on much less。 I pull myself into a crawl again and launch myself toward all of it， swimming as hard as I can。" （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Carol Bodin
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Interesting StorylineI enjoyed parts of this book。 But the ending left me wanting some sort of substantial resolution instead of a “write your own ending” finale。
Lisa
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This was an interesting book。 Rachel is a world-famous journalist。 She has been estranged from her family for 10 years。 Her alcoholic mother dies of cancer。 Celeste， her younger sister， wants her to come home。 Likable characters， great storyline， but ends with so many unanswered questions。 It was a little slow at first， but picked up about halfway through。
Haley Sparks
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I normally like to write long rambling in-depth reviews， but I just don’t have it in me this time because this book ruined my day when I finished it 2 days ago。 And not in a cute book hangover kinda way。 If you choose to pick it up （honestly it’s not a bad book per se so maybe you should？） don’t be like me and go in blind—proceed with caution because this was so fucking sad。 I do think it could be a really really good A24 movie though。 Maybe I’ll update this review when I think of some good song I normally like to write long rambling in-depth reviews， but I just don’t have it in me this time because this book ruined my day when I finished it 2 days ago。 And not in a cute book hangover kinda way。 If you choose to pick it up （honestly it’s not a bad book per se so maybe you should？） don’t be like me and go in blind—proceed with caution because this was so fucking sad。 I do think it could be a really really good A24 movie though。 Maybe I’ll update this review when I think of some good songs to capture the ~extremely~ desolate vibes on the soundtrack。 。。。more
Linda Armstrong
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3。5
Marie
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Not impressed with this book。 The whole thing felt lacking， as if a more thorough development was just on the next page。 The main characters were gloomy and whiny， seemingly without any improvement。 The ending was especially disappointing， as if the author simply got bored of the story and quit。 My apologies for such a negative review， however I do not suggest this book， if you’re looking for worthwhile and deep reading。
C Bower
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In LA Times Dec 2023？ if I want to read
Alex Curtis
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I found great pleasure in reading this book， although I was captivated by Xe Sands' enchanting voice， making it difficult to discern whether my enjoyment stemmed from the book itself or Sands' narration。 I highly recommend this book。 I found great pleasure in reading this book， although I was captivated by Xe Sands' enchanting voice， making it difficult to discern whether my enjoyment stemmed from the book itself or Sands' narration。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Sherry Fox
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A good read！
Rande
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Liked this a little more than its rating here （so far）。 Read it one sitting， would have been happy if it had kept on going for another couple hundred pages
Melissa
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I kept waiting for this plot to evolve， it did not。 Very unsatisfying。 Big should have DNF this book
Lisa
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https://www。startribune。com/maybe-wel。。。 https://www。startribune。com/maybe-wel。。。 。。。more
Ron Charles
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If you’re facing a painful trip home this month， resist stocking up on wine and Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s。 Instead， tuck a copy of Kate Christensen’s tempestuous new novel in your suitcase。 There’s a good chance your own travails will pale next to those faced in “Welcome Home， Stranger。” And if not， at least Christensen will serve as a wise captain to guide you through the family storm。Of course， novels about going home are as common as flight delays。 And a certain degree of rigor mortis has crept in If you’re facing a painful trip home this month， resist stocking up on wine and Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s。 Instead， tuck a copy of Kate Christensen’s tempestuous new novel in your suitcase。 There’s a good chance your own travails will pale next to those faced in “Welcome Home， Stranger。” And if not， at least Christensen will serve as a wise captain to guide you through the family storm。Of course， novels about going home are as common as flight delays。 And a certain degree of rigor mortis has crept into the plot of relatives gathering in the wake of a death。 But Christensen’s narrator charges into that worn storyline with refreshing candor。“My mother died two days ago。 Or was it three，” Rachel says at the opening of “Welcome Home， Stranger。” “My sense of time has been wonky ever since I got back from the Arctic。”Studying climate change at the top of the world might seem like a good excuse for not calling much or visiting more often， but when Rachel’s sister， Celeste， picks her up at the airport in Portland， Maine， the weather inside the Mercedes SUV is already freezing。 。 。 。 To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/books/。。。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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Can you go home again？ Rachel hasn't been back to Maine for ten years- and now her mother Lucie has died and she must deal with her conflicting emotions， her sister Celeste and her one time love David。 Things are falling apart for her back in Washington， where she works as a journalist and lives with her ex husband and his lover。 This is a beautifully written novel about a 50 something woman coping as best she can， even leaving her sister's dinner table and walking to a downtown Portland hotel a Can you go home again？ Rachel hasn't been back to Maine for ten years- and now her mother Lucie has died and she must deal with her conflicting emotions， her sister Celeste and her one time love David。 Things are falling apart for her back in Washington， where she works as a journalist and lives with her ex husband and his lover。 This is a beautifully written novel about a 50 something woman coping as best she can， even leaving her sister's dinner table and walking to a downtown Portland hotel avoid more conflict。 This might pierce the heart as Rachel packs up her mother's things。 Lucie was a bundle of contradictions who both sisters have struggled to overcome。 Celeste's anger rings true。 There are terrific characters here- right down to Rachel's real estate agent pal-and the Maine atmospherics are on point。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 And then there's the ending。 。。。more
Jennifer Keniry
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Received as Goodreads Giveaway。 Great imagery; the writing was very flowery and detailed。 I was invested in Rachel’s story from the beginning- I was rooting for her。 Just as I thought things were going to turn around for her， they got worse， kind of unbelievably so。 The last 1-2 chapters were depressing。 I didn’t like the ending， didn’t hate it either。 Overall， if you do not have a problem with mentions of suicide， I do recommend this book。 The family life seemed so real I forgot I was reading f Received as Goodreads Giveaway。 Great imagery; the writing was very flowery and detailed。 I was invested in Rachel’s story from the beginning- I was rooting for her。 Just as I thought things were going to turn around for her， they got worse， kind of unbelievably so。 The last 1-2 chapters were depressing。 I didn’t like the ending， didn’t hate it either。 Overall， if you do not have a problem with mentions of suicide， I do recommend this book。 The family life seemed so real I forgot I was reading fiction。 A lot of beautiful writing。 It dragged on a little after the halfway point， became a little unbelievable and more depressing closer to the end。 。。。more
Kelly
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The good news is that this book is relatively short。 The bad news is that Kate Christensen manages to cram a lot of bad things happening to one person in just over 200 pages。 I'm not sure if this book is supposed to make me feel grateful that my life isn't as depressing as it could be， or depressed at everything that goes wrong in Rachel's life。 She's pulled back home to Maine when her mother dies， a mother that didn't treat her well and that she'd estranged herself from when she decided she did The good news is that this book is relatively short。 The bad news is that Kate Christensen manages to cram a lot of bad things happening to one person in just over 200 pages。 I'm not sure if this book is supposed to make me feel grateful that my life isn't as depressing as it could be， or depressed at everything that goes wrong in Rachel's life。 She's pulled back home to Maine when her mother dies， a mother that didn't treat her well and that she'd estranged herself from when she decided she didn't want to put up with the emotional abuse being heaped upon her。 But having returned， she now is constantly faced with the complicated relationship she has with her sister， caused largely by their mother。 She ends up with her mother's house， which she doesn't want。 She's sharing a condo back in DC with her ex-husband， who's dying of ALS and his boyfriend。 Her job is hanging in the balance。 If you want to know if things get better or worse， you can just reference the first few sentences of this review to get a pretty good idea。 There are some bright moments， and I enjoy the part in the book where Rachel decides to call her brother-in-law out for his behavior， fully aware that she could fix something for her sister， and not really concerned with whether or not her brother-in-law still likes her once she's done reading him the riot act。 But it was just hard to like a book where it seemed like everything was falling apart， without any concrete moment of how things were going to get better。 A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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