It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
Homecomings

Homecomings

A wonderful holiday read about a Cornish escape

Summary

At the end of the row of fishermen’s cottages by the harbour’s edge, stands an old granite house.

First it belonged to Ned’s parents; then Ned dropped anchor here after a life at sea and called it home. His nephew Hugo moved in too, swapping London for the small Cornish fishing village where he’d spent so many happy holidays.

It’s a refuge – and now other friends and relations are being drawn to the the house by the sea.
Among them is Dossie, who’s lonely after her parents died and her son’s family moved away. And cousin Jamie, who’s coming home after more than a year, since his career as an RAF pilot was abruptly cut short. Both have to adjust to a new way of life.

As newcomers arrive and old friends reunite, secrets are uncovered, relationships are forged and tested, and romance is kindled.

For those who come here find that the house by the harbour wall offers a warm welcome, and – despite its situation at the very end of the village – a new beginning . . .

Praise for Marcia Willett:
'A beautifully woven tale of families and their secrets...' Liz Fenwick, bestselling author of The Cornish House
'Riveting, moving and utterly feel-good' Daily Mail
'Sweeping powers of description transport her readers to another time and place' Rosanna Ley

Reviews

  • 'Absorbing and satisfying . . . Willett's specialist subject is family complications past and present, all served up, cream-tea-like, with lashings of lush Cornish setting.'
    Daily Mail

About the author

Marcia Willett

Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina ended when she grew out of the classical proportions required. She had always loved books, and a family crisis made her take up a new career as a novelist - a decision she never regretted.


She lived in a beautiful and wild part of Devon, and her surroundings inspired many of her novels.

Marcia passed away in June 2022. She leaves behind a son and two grandchildren.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more