I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A family struggles with trauma, identity, and isolation in the wake of loss in author Edwina Perkins’s “The Colors of Home.”

The Synopsis

The Colors of Home

Home isn’t a place. It’s a reckoning.

After her husband’s death from leukemia, Ebony McMullen loads her three children into an overstuffed Suburban and drives fifteen hours from Colorado to North Carolina—back to the small town her husband once fled.

She’s out of money. Out of options.

And forced to live in a house owned by the father-in-law who never wanted her.

Home is everything she feared it would be.

Her oldest son, Owen, is angry and restless after legal trouble in Colorado. Scotty is desperate to belong on the high school football team. Destiny, bright and tender with Down syndrome, sees beauty everywhere—even where others see difference.

But in Home, difference is noticed.

A diner waitress asks, “What are you?”

A teacher assumes Ebony belongs in the kitchen.

A rival father hurls a racial slur across a football field.

And when someone humiliates Destiny in a cruel act meant to send a message, the family begins to unravel.

Meanwhile, Ebony discovers that the town’s roots run deeper—and darker—than she imagined. Long-buried secrets about Shane McMullen, her rigid father-in-law, threaten to fracture what little foundation they’ve built. And as old wounds surface and new betrayals emerge, Ebony must decide:

Will she keep surviving?

Or will she fight for a home worth staying in?

The Colors of Home is a powerful story of grief, race, redemption, and the courage it takes to rebuild a family in a place that may not want them.

Because sometimes home isn’t where you’re welcomed.

It’s where you choose to belong.

The Review

A truly personal, heartfelt, and gripping read. The author does a remarkable job of conveying the chaos and struggles that so many families face when a parent passes, especially in a younger family. The tension amongst the family members and the emotional toll that not only the loss but the displacement that comes from leaving behind the home they’ve known and loved for so many years made this not only relatable but engaging as well.

The heart of this narrative lies in its character development and the strong themes it explores. The family tension is on full display in this story, from Ebony’s strained relationship with her father-in-law to her need to connect with her eldest son and more. Relationships are at the heart of this narrative. The exploration of race tensions, buried secrets, and the ways in which people grieve not only tugged at the heartstrings but also peeled back the layers of what makes both a family and a home what they are.

The Verdict

Heartfelt, compelling, and endearing, author Edwina Perkins’s “The Colors of Home” is a must-read drama that delves into everything from life in a biracial family to parenting in the wake of loss and even the life of a parent with a child with disabilities. The twists and turns, the town secrets, and the family mystery will add to the narrative and the emotional pull these characters have on readers, making this one book impossible to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Edwina Perkins is an advocate for inclusive storytelling and a champion of diverse voices in Christian publishing. She serves as Co-Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, where she also coordinates Mentoring Moments and manages Sensitivity Between the Lines.

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A long-term member of Word Weavers International, Edwina now serves on its advisory board, as well as on the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) advisory board, where she previously served as Emerging Leader Coordinator.

An award-winning writer and experienced educator, Edwina is also a speaker, freelance editor, mentor, coach, and sensitivity consultant. She teaches at conferences throughout the year, championing honest, inclusive storytelling in Christian fiction. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies.

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Edwina lives in Cary, NC. When she’s not writing, you can find her being Nona to her two grandkids.

https://www.edwinaperkins.com/