The Homecoming by Anna Enquist

 The Homecoming by Anna Enquist

Translated by Eileen Stevens.

Published 1st April 2022 by Amazon Crossing.

From the cover of the book:

After twelve years of marriage to English explorer James Cook, Elizabeth has yet to spend an entire year with her husband. In their house by the Thames, she moves to the rhythms of her life as a society wife, but there is so much more to her than meets the eye. She has the fortitude to manage the house and garden, raise their children, and face unbearable sorrow by herself―in fact, she is sometimes in thrall to her own independence.

As she prepares for another homecoming, Elizabeth looks forward to James’s triumphant return and the work she will undertake reading and editing his voluminous journals. But will the private life she’s been leading in his absence distract her from her role in aid of her husband’s grand ambitions? Can James find the compassion to support her as their family faces unimaginable loss, or must she endure life alone as he sails off toward another adventure?

An intimate and sharply observed novel, The Homecoming is as revelatory as James Cook’s exploration of distant frontiers and as richly rewarding as Elizabeth’s love for her family. With courage and strength, through recollection and imagination, author Anna Enquist brilliantly narrates Elizabeth’s compelling record of her life, painting a psychological portrait of an independent woman ahead of her time and closely acquainted with history.

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The Homecoming tells the story of the life of Captain James Cook's wife Elizabeth, the woman left behind to take charge of the household while her famous 18th century husband sailed the oceans on grand voyages of discovery.

At the beginning of the novel, we meet Elizabeth contemplating the return of her husband after being away for three years, thinking about all the tasks she must complete to welcome him home in the way he will expect, struggling to decide how she will break the news of the successes and sorrows that have been part of their family's life during his absence, and looking forward to the time they can spend together now his exploring days are likely to be coming to an end. It is a process that has become a feature of their marriage, given that during the twelve years of their union they have yet to spend an entire year together, and there has been much heartbreak for her to come to terms with on her own.

As the story progresses, Anna Enquist takes us into the heart of a woman uneasy about what the future may hold, torn between her love for a man filled with passion for achieving great things, and her fears around how they will fit together in domesticity once his sailing days are over. Enquist draws a compelling picture of Elizabeth as a woman ahead of her time, used to running her household with an absent husband, while playing the part of adoring and dutiful wife to an 18th century celebrity, and she holds nothing back about the conflicted feelings she holds within her about the adjustments she will have to make, and loss of power over her days on his return.

Their reunion holds both joy and sorrow, as they both rediscover each other and find a way to deal with the losses fate has brought to their door, but it soon becomes clear that they have different expectations about the course of their lives from this point onwards - because, of course, history records that Cook did not remain in his family home and volunteered for another voyage which was to be the one that brought about his demise. There are disappointments, betrayals, uncomfortable silences and unfathomable gulfs between these two people, that indicate they are still oceans apart despite being together. Elizabeth is forced to confront the truth that her husband does not appreciate her talents beyond the domestic sphere, and disregards her greater knowledge of the disparate natures of their children; that there are sides to her husband she does not know about; and ultimately, that the pull of his calling is too strong for him to deny.

There is no doubt that James Cook's voyages led to many fascinating discoveries, and scientific advancements, which Enquist touches on through Elizabeth's story, but she also does not shy away from the consequences of the darker side of his driving ambition and need for acclaim that undoubtedly serve to be uncomfortable reading to modern sensibilities. But it is Elizabeth that is the central focus of this story, and Enquist blends fact and fiction in a way that lets us understand quite what a clever, strong and determined woman she must have been, while exploring her realistic fears and frailties as a wife and mother. I found it particularly fascinating that it becomes clear that the very qualities that attracted Elizabeth to James prove to be the very ones that drive a wedge between them.

It is always intriguing to read a novel that highlights the stories of women in history who are eclipsed by celebrated husbands, and although sad this book does that incredibly well, especially since this is a translated work - all praise to the translator Eileen Stevens for pulling this off with aplomb. Highly recommended!

The Homecoming is available to preorder now.

Thank you to Amazon Crossing for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to FMcM Associates for inviting me to be part of this blog tour celebrating translated fiction.

About the author:

Anna Enquist studied piano at the academy of music in The Hague and psychology at Leiden University. 

She is the author of the novels The Masterpiece; The Secret, winner of the 1997 Dutch Book of the Year awarded by the public; The Ice Carriers; Counterpoint; Quartet; and the international bestseller The Homecoming, which received the Prix du Livre Corderie Royale-Hermione for its French translation. Anna is also the author of A Leap, a collection of dramatic monologues, as well as numerous poetry collections, including Soldiers’ Songs, for which she was awarded the C. Buddingh’ Prize; A New Goodbye; and Hunting Scenes, winner of the Lucy B. and C.W. van der Hoogt Prize.

About the translator:

Eileen Stevens earned her MA in linguistics with a specialization in translation from the University of Amsterdam. Her many Dutch-to-English translation credits include Connie Palmen’s Your Story, My Story; Karin Schacknat’s In and Out of Fashion; Vera Mertens’s The Concentration Camp; and Ineke van Doorn’s Singing from the Inside Out. 

She has also translated numerous essays on classical music and the arts. A New Jersey native, Eileen spent twenty-five years working as a professional violinist in a Dutch orchestra and has lived in Amsterdam since 1990.