The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams explores the unraveling of familial and marital bonds in an interracial family in rural England. Tessa hails from Jamaica, but she leaves that part of her life behind when she begins a relationship with Richard. They move to the English countryside, which presents a different experience from what Tessa is accustomed to.
As Tessa and Richard settle into their marriage, Tessa gives birth to fraternal twin boys, Sonny and Max. One of the boys is born with darker skin than the other. This difference creates a rift in family dynamics and stirs complicated feelings of belonging in a place where no one looks like you.
Tessa longs to return home instead of staying in the countryside. She finds solace in cooking Caribbean food and caring for her home. Richard becomes obsessed with tending to his plants, diverting his attention from dealing with and acknowledging the small fractures in his bond with family that threaten to deepen over time.
I found the book to be an adequate read. It switches points of view among all four characters, which sometimes made it challenging for me to remember which son was which. The pacing felt slow at times, and it hints at a significant tragedy that I was able to predict fairly easily. The writing style seemed overly descriptive at times, with not much action taking place. Nonetheless, I would be open to reading more books by the author.
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