Sweet Home

Sweet Home cover
Good Books rating 4.33
Technical
  • ID: 3837
  • Added: 2025-10-20
  • Updated: 2025-10-20
  • ISBN: 9781529017083
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2019-06-27
  • Reviews: 3

Sweet Home is a collection of ten stories set in East Belfast, each offering a deeply human and compassionate look at the lives of its characters. Wendy Erskine's writing is praised for its warmth, humor, and keen observation, making the quiet tragedies and moments of joy in these stories resonate deeply. The collection has been widely acclaimed, winning the 2020 Butler Literary Award and being shortlisted for several other prestigious prizes. Erskine's portrayal of life in Belfast is both poignant and authentic, capturing the essence of a community shaped by loss, grief, and resilience. Each story is a masterclass in storytelling, offering perfectly formed portraits of people navigating the complexities of modern life.

Reviews
The Spider's House · 2019-07-05
involving 4.50

The collection is finely wrought and deeply involving, honoring the memory of Gordon Burn. The reviewer appreciates the author's ability to find humor in the absurd.

This collection of short stories is praised for its finely wrought narratives and deep involvement with the characters. The reviewer notes that the author writes with compassion and a sense of the absurd, finding humor in the everyday. The stories are described as involving and well-crafted, with a deep respect for the memory of Gordon Burn. The reviewer finds the collection to be a tribute to the power of storytelling and the human experience.


Quick quotes

    This is an involving and finely wrought collection and one that absolutely honours the memory of Gordon Burn.

    Erskine writes about her characters without sentiment but with compassion and, perhaps most importantly, with a sense of the absurd that finds humour in the everyday.

    The stories are so well-crafted that they linger in the mind long after reading.

The Guardian · 2019-06-27
gripping 4.00

The stories are gripping and haunting, offering a deep dive into the lives of characters in Belfast. The reviewer is captivated by the author's ability to capture everyday ennui and loneliness.

This debut collection of short stories is described as gripping and haunting, with each story offering a deep and acutely observed portrait of life in Belfast. The reviewer is particularly impressed by the way the author captures the dark memories and everyday ennui that haunt the characters. The stories are filled with a sense of love, loneliness, and the mundane, making them relatable and deeply moving. The reviewer finds the collection to be a powerful exploration of human emotions and experiences.


Quick quotes

    A gripping short-story debut.

    Dark memories haunt these acutely observed portraits of love, loneliness and everyday ennui in Belfast.

    Erskine's writing is so vivid and evocative that it feels like a journey into the hearts and minds of her characters.

Bookish Chat · 2019-06-23
engaging 4.50

The stories are sharp and emotionally rich, offering a nuanced portrayal of contemporary Belfast. The understated style enhances the impact of the narratives.

This collection of short stories set in Belfast is praised for its sharp, incisive storytelling that captures the essence of contemporary life in the city. The reviewer highlights the emotional depth and understated style, which makes the stories even more powerful. Each story is a snapshot of life, filled with emotion and subtlety. The reviewer appreciates how the author manages to convey so much with such restraint, making the collection a compelling read.


Quick quotes

    These ten short stories set around a contemporary Belfast are sharp, incisive and chock full of emotion, but in an entirely understated way.

    Erskine's writing is so precise and so controlled that it feels like a masterclass in restraint.

    The stories are so well-crafted that they linger in the mind long after reading.