Heading Home

Book excerpt: The third book in Naomi Reed's award-winning trilogy, following on from My Seventh Monsoon and No Ordinary View. 'In Nepal, whenever the water ran out, or the electricity cuts were worse than normal, or the monsoon seemed interminably long, or the motorbike stopped, or the Maoists forced another strike, or my home-school patience ran out, I would think about Australia. I would think about our real home with hot water and electricity and cheese and lettuce and chocolate and olives and friends ... where I would belong and be understood and known and everything would be alright again. Then, in the middle of 2006 we returned to Australia and it wasn't like that at all. It wasn't immediately home and I didn't immediately feel like I belonged or that I was understood or known. And I spent years wondering why not, and getting confused by the answers.' This is a book for anyone who has felt the pain of being in between homes or jobs or countries or roles or relationships. It's about our deep-seated human need to belong and enjoy purpose and community. After their six years in Nepal, Naomi Reed and her husband Darren and their three sons returned from Nepal to Australia and struggled with identity and disorientation. In this, Naomi's fifth book, she shares her story honestly and openly, allowing the narrative to lead the reader into prayer and reflection. By the end of it, you will feel a deeper and more profound understanding of what it means to belong to God and hope for heaven.