BOOK REVIEW - A Curse for the Homesick: A Novel by Laura Brooke Robson

A Curse for the Homesick

Author: Laura Brooke Robson
Publication Date: 18 February 2025
Genre: Adut Romance / Magical Realism

Book Description:

On Stenland, there comes a time known as skeld season: when a woman can wake with three black lines on her forehead, the mark of a skeld, and turn anyone she sees to stone. Skeld season comes around without warning, and while each only lasts three months, the people skelds turn to stone are very much dead.

That’s how Tess’s mother killed Soren’s parents. Maybe for this reason alone, Tess and Soren should not have fallen in love. Since the time her mother was a skeld, Tess has wanted to leave Stenland, to run from the windswept island, from her family and friends. She is unwilling to bear the responsibility of one day killing anyone, let alone someone she loves. Soren, though, has always been determined to stay, to live out his life in the only place he’s ever known as home, even if that life could be cut short. They cannot see eye to eye—and yet, they cannot stay apart. She tries to come back for him. He tries to leave for her. But can your love for one person outweigh everything else? And how do you decide how much you’re willing to risk, if it might mean destroying someone else in the process?

Laura Brooke Robson has crafted a fascinating story about the choices we make, the responsibilities we carry, and the ambiguities of regret.

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SUMMARY

Laura Brooke Robson's A Curse for the Homesick takes readers to the windswept island of Stenland, where women live under the shadow of a peculiar curse. During unpredictable periods known as "skeld season", women can wake with three black lines across their foreheads - a mark that gives them the unwanted power to turn anyone they make eye contact with into stone.

This curse forms the backdrop for a complicated love story between Tess Eriksson and Soren Fell. Their lives are inextricably linked by tragedy: when Tess was twelve, her mother became a skeld and accidentally turned Soren's parents to stone, killing them instantly. Despite this devastating connection, the two find themselves drawn to each other, developing feelings that neither can fully escape.

The novel follows Tess's journey through different periods of her life-from her youth in Stenland to her adult life in San Francisco, California, where she tries to build a new existence far from the curse. But when she returns to attend her childhood friend Linnea's wedding, she confronts both her unresolved feelings for Soren and her complicated relationship with her homeland.

At its heart, the story explores two people who want fundamentally different things: Tess longs to escape the island and the possibility that she might one day become a skeld, while Soren remains determined to stay in the only place he's ever called home, despite the risks. Their love is a constant push and pull - she tries to come back for him, he tries to leave for her - but their conflicting desires create seemingly insurmountable barriers.

MY THOUGHTS

A Curse for the Homesick sits comfortably within the literary fantasy genre, blending magical realism with deeply personal exploration of identity and belonging. Robson has created a fascinating premise that serves as a powerful metaphor - the curse effectively symbolises the burdens placed specifically on women and the sometimes suffocating expectations of conforming to societal roles.

The strength of this novel lies in its atmospheric quality. Stenland feels properly lived-in and real, with its distinctive customs and collective trauma creating a setting that's both haunting and oddly cosy. Robson's prose is notably lyrical. The narrative structure, which moves through different periods of Tess's life, effectively captures how our relationships with home evolve as we grow and change.

However, I found myself never quite connecting with the characters as deeply as I would have liked. While the tragic link between Tess and Soren provides a compelling foundation for their relationship, their emotional dance becomes somewhat repetitive over time. The "will-they-won't-they" aspect dragged on longer than necessary, making portions of the narrative feel stagnant rather than developing.

The novel's examination of friendship - particularly between Tess, Linnea and Kitty - adds welcome complexity. These relationships aren't portrayed as straightforward but rather as complicated bonds that evolve and sometimes strain with time and distance. This nuanced approach to female friendship felt refreshingly honest.

What I found most engaging was the book's central question: how much should we sacrifice for love, and is it worth risking everything for someone when the consequences could be devastating? The ambiguity of these questions, and the characters' struggles with them, elevates the story beyond a simple romance.

Whilst I appreciated the concept and Robson's talent for creating a distinctive atmosphere, I ultimately found myself wishing for a bit more momentum in the narrative. The premise promised more emotional impact than the execution delivered, leaving me feeling that this was a good book that could have been truly exceptional with tighter pacing.

Overall, this book offers a thoughtful exploration of home, love and responsibility wrapped in an intriguing magical premise, even if it doesn't quite reach the emotional heights it aims for.

VERDICT

Rating: 3 Stars

Source: Netgalley