Drawing Home

Jamie Brenner has had a hold on me since last year’s release, The Husband Hour. She has this incredible writing style that sucks you in, pulls at your heart, and makes you a part of whomever she is writing about. Drawing Home is no different.

There’s Emma. A young, hardworking mom with pride who has a bored, teenage daughter by the name of Penny. That girl is ready to test some boundaries. What teen out there doesn’t long for a life outside of their own? Then there’s the privileged and well known woman in the art world known as Bea. Man, I loathed her for a good part of the book. These incredibly different lives collide when a local artist to their seaside town passes away unexpectedly. And leaves his waterfront home to Penny — the angsty, OCD-ridden teenager.

What the hell just happened?

That is precisely what Bea intends to find out. While Emma does all she knows to protect Penny, Bea is adamant there has been some mistake. This well known, prominent artist not only left his home to some teenager, he also left his priceless drawings all over town all willy-nilly like. Giving them to whomever. Bea is perplexed and pissed. I’m sure she wouldn’t use those terms exactly. Bea’s entitlement shines throughout the book like diamonds and I really, really disliked her. Until I loved her. Emma’s pride breaks your heart and you just want her to win. For once. And Penny? Well, you just want to smack her upside the head. Hello. Teenager.

The secondary characters take over your heart just as much as the main characters do (except for one douchecanoe. You’ll know who he is, the smarmy bastard).

Sag Harbor has a piece of my heart. As a long ago doodler, it was all I could do to not imagine Henry’s drawings. I would love to see them if they truly existed. Brenner has written another wonderful novel that you absolutely cannot miss. A must read for summer.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.