Model Home
A haunting tale of family secrets and personal discovery
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cornerstone
Publishing:20th Feb '25
£18.99
This title is due to be published on 20th February, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Confronting family secrets and a haunted past, Model Home explores identity and resilience in the wake of loss and trauma.
In Model Home, readers are drawn into the complexities of family dynamics and the haunting legacy of a childhood home. Set in the affluent yet insular Oak Creek Estate in Dallas, Texas, the story begins with the discovery of two bodies in the garden—those of Ezri's parents, Eve and Emmanuel. This tragic event forces Ezri and their siblings to confront the painful memories of their past, a past intertwined with profound family secrets and the harsh realities of growing up as the only Black family in their neighborhood.
The narrative unfolds as Ezri navigates the emotional turmoil of loss, guilt, and the lingering shadows of their upbringing. The house, a character in its own right, symbolizes both refuge and torment, representing the struggles of identity and belonging. As they delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding their parents' lives and their own experiences, the siblings find themselves grappling with the ghosts of their past, both literal and metaphorical.
Model Home serves as a powerful meditation on memory, loss, and the resilience of family bonds. Rivers Solomon's writing is both bold and tender, capturing the essence of hope amid despair. This story not only reimagines the haunted house genre but also offers a poignant exploration of what it means to confront one’s history and the possibility of healing through understanding and love.
'Intense, original, and wonderfully unpredictable, those adjectives describe Rivers Solomon as much as this novel. Model Home is a story of a haunted house and haunted people; profound family secrets lie at the heart of this book as well as, surprisingly, blessedly, meaningful touches of love and hope. Rivers Solomon is an astonishingly talented writer.' -- author of Lone Women * Victor LaValle *
‘A startling reimagination of the haunted-house genre. The twists and turns are carefully drawn, with the tension mounting toward a shocking end … With this exhilarating and unforgettable work, Solomon proves to be a formidable writer.’ -- . * Kirkus *
'A profoundly haunting work of true horror from one of the greatest writers working today.' -- author of Just Like Home and Magic for Liars * Sarah Gailey *
'Fueled by unreliable narrator Ezri’s grief, Solomon’s (Sorrowland, 2021) lyrical slow burn is a disquieting and disorienting rumination on heavy themes including racism, mental illness, gender dysphoria, and sexual abuse. The ambiguity of Ezri’s reflections will keep readers turning the pages to find out what really happened to the Maxwell siblings, whose traumatic childhoods continue to haunt them long after they leave home. Solomon’s genre-defying achievement subverts and reclaims the tropes of the gothic haunted house to create something wholly original and unforgettable.' -- Kaitlin Conner * Booklist *
'This is easily one of the best books I’ve read in the last five or so years. Beastly storytelling from page one. Moving. Gnawing. Alive. Complete with claws and a heart and lungs in it. Consider me sucked in! My favorite part of this work doubles as a kind of spoiler: its genius does not, even for the sake of mercy, relent.' * — Eloghosa Osunde *
ISBN: 9781529901696
Dimensions: 222mm x 138mm x 25mm
Weight: 400g
304 pages