Forever Home: THIS SUMMER'S MUST-READ NOVEL FROM GRAHAM NORTON

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NORTON: Yeah. No, I remember I did a little talk for a youth group in Bantry, County Cork, which is a tiny town. And this girl put her hand up to ask a question, and she was like, what's it like being famous? And I was thinking, well, that's - you know, I understand why she's asking that, but how on earth do you answer that question? And then it came to me - that, oh, it's like living in Bantry. You know, everyone knows your business, and there's people you want to avoid in the supermarket. SHAPIRO: Your life is much more cosmopolitan than your fiction. Your novels tend to focus on small-town experiences. And so as you fly from London to New York to Los Angeles, do you ever long for the kind of parochial life that you write about - minus the murder? SHAPIRO: This novel, "Forever Home," unfolds from so many different perspectives. We see chapters through the eyes of different narrators. Was there one character who was your inroad to this story?

FOREVER HOME | Kirkus Reviews FOREVER HOME | Kirkus Reviews

SHAPIRO: ...What makes her so delightful - right? - is the - like, what are you doing here? Well, I guess you're here. NORTON: I mean, they're not autobiographical, but, you know, if you read any novel, it does give you an insight into who wrote it because, you know, it all came out of their head. So these people in this novel - you know, they borrow from me. They borrow from people I know. They borrow from people I've met. So it's kind of an amalgamation of all of that. So, you know, if somebody wanted to psychoanalyze me to the Nth degree, it's all laid bare.. heard great things about this author’s previous book so I was really excited to get an early copy of his new release. I figured the wit he shows during his interviews for his TV show would surely factor into the story and it definitely did. NORTON: Well, now, I don't know about you - I'm in awe of young people who write novels because - I don't know - when I was in my kind of late teens, early 20s, 30s, I was out. You know, I didn't have time to sit... I feel the first half is stronger than the second where there are moments I caught myself daydreaming. There are secrets that are waiting to come out and twists you may or may not have guessed! The conclusion was a happy and satisfying one. Overall, I had a wonderful time listening to Graham Norton's delightful narration. 3.5⭐The blurb reads: “Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown up. The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. With all the dramas that Carol has to go through (from small and tedious to horrific and chilling, or rather, freezing), with all the emotional bumps and bruises she suffers as she uncovers more and more of the dark and tragic past of her partner's family, this story is ultimately nothing but pure kindness and compassion, with a fair share of good-natured irony sprinkled here and there because come on, it's Graham Norton! :) NORTON: Well, I began the story with Carol, who is the central character. And she's a woman in her middle age, and she's in her kind of second relationship. And when people are older and in relationships, you always imagine they're very stable and, you know, people are settled. But, of course, that's not the world we live in now. People are often in a second, third, fourth relationship. And, you know, if it's a new relationship, you have no claim on property, on homes. There's none of that. And that's what happens to Carol with her older, I suppose, boyfriend - you'd call him partner. And she was the way in. And it was a very kind of dark, bleak story. And then Carol's mother entered the scene, Moira, and...

Forever Home by Graham Norton - Henpicked Book Club: Forever Home by Graham Norton - Henpicked

The writing style is delightful as ever, and I laughed so much at Graham Norton's sharp descriptions of his characters and biting observations of the stuff they say and do. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging. But her relationship with Declan sparks local speculation: What does a woman like her see in a man like him? What happened to his wife who abandoned them all those years ago? But the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer.

This sounds like a depressing , somber book - and though it’s subjects are- Norton uses wit and humor to keep levity to the story. So many of the characters are unlikeable until more is revealed about their circumstances. And characters you thought you loved, you rethink that love. This story is a lot more than what I’m revealing. There is a little mystery thrown in that felt reminiscent of Finlay Donovan books. Many thanks to the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest review. Carol is a very meek and taken advantage of main character. We learn that she began dating a fellow teacher who was much older than her and caused the gossip mill to go into overdrive. Carol's mother is determined to get to the bottom of things, she won't see her daughter suffer in this way. It seems there are secrets in Declan's past, strange rumours that were never confronted and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance. Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.

Forever Home: GRAHAM NORTON: The KING of dark comedy

Although I feel like this novel is quite a different kind of story from Graham Norton's other novels (not sure why exactly - perhaps just because we're focusing on a woman as the main character this time?), it still heavily focuses on family and community. The characters are also just as brilliant as they have been in his other novels, and feel very convincing. I can imagine knowing these people. They're written with such charm (though some of them are definitely NOT charming!) and honesty, and I would have happily read a lot more about Carol and the community of this small Irish town. Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging—and sparks a flurry of speculation. What does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned him and his children all those years ago? Carol and Declan know their relationship is the talk of the town, but the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer. Wonderful. . . . Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start . . . beautifully written.”— Daily MailWE NEED AN AUDIOBOOK VERSION ADDED FOR THIS NEW NOVEL PLEASE. LINK BELOW. THANK YOU: Forever Home, A Novel By: Graham Norton; Narrated by: Graham Norton Forever Home will be released in the UK and Ireland on September 29th but is slated for publication in Australia and New Zealand on September 27th.

Forever Home by Graham Norton review – effortlessly readable

A divorced teacher named Carol lives in a small town in Ireland, her only son now grown. A new relationship gets the local tongues wagging when Carol moves in with Declan a much older man and people wonder what the attraction is. His wife abandoned the family home many years ago and there is an air of mystery surrounding her disappearance. All the gossip surrounding their relationship only seems to make them stronger. In his tense and darkly comic new novel Norton casts a light on the relationship between mothers and daughters, and truth and self-preservation with unnerving effect. Neither of Declan's children were particularly likeable. The youngest, Sally, is single and hasn't got much of a life. She has an undemanding job, lives alone in her own personal squalor, and her only social life is online. Killian and his husband are thinking of having a baby via a surrogate. Killian seems to not really know what he wants and treats those in his life with a callousness that deems him intrinsically selfish. Dark, funny, full of emotional intelligence and gripping from the start. ..beautifully written... Wonderful.' DAILY MAIL Chat show host Graham Norton has announced his fourth and "darkest, funniest" novel is set to be released this September.I’ve enjoyed all of Graham Norton’s novels thusfar, especially A Keeper and Home Stretch. This one actually probably most resembles Holding (which I would consider his weakest) in the sense that it is effectively a dark comedy, a caper, veering into farce at times. Once you accept this is what it is, it’s a very enjoyable read, full of warmth and humour, and an excellent character in Moira. I really enjoyed Forever Home and I can equally imagine reading it on holiday somewhere sunny as I could whilst curled up inside when it's chilly outside. If you fancy something character-based with an interesting cast of characters and a great mix of dark and comic moments, this is the novel for you! I really hope readers enjoy losing themselves in the twists and turns of this tale as much as I have." So, Carol, must vacate the house and move in with her parents Moira, her judgmental mother and Dave, her quiet seemingly spacy father who only seems to do as he is told. How could this happen to her, especially at her age?