Zeynep Guvenc's "Homeless"

Title: A PUBLISHER’S READ!

Homeless by Zeynep Guvenc

Reviewed by K. Royce

5/28/16

4:00 p.m.

We see them every day, and yet we don’t…, the homeless. They live on streets, under bridges, in cars, and possibly inside houses. They have become part of the fabric of society; and yet, many well-to-do individuals will walk pass the dispossessed man or woman who is asking for food or money, as if they are as insignificant. And mentally, the passersby will make excuses like, “If I give that homeless man any money he would just spend it on drugs.” But could it be that the person asking for help is really homeless? Is it possible that the streets have become his or her home, the place that they have come to feel comfortable and accepted? Let’s take it a step further.  Perhaps a homeless person has a roof over their head and yet they feel displaced, such as an immigrant.

Author Zeynep Guvenc’s Homeless is an excellently written novel that examines both the homeless on the streets and the displaced living behind closed doors. This story expertly intertwines the lives of five immigrant families and each dealing with their own shortcomings; the plight of immigrants, homosexuality, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and infidelity all linking each of the families together. As well as giving readers insight into the lives of those living on the streets of San Francisco and their hardships. Guvenc writes about the homeless individuals from the depths of her soul, as if she knows their stories personally, and her understanding creates a connection between the reader and the characters within the book.

Readers will enjoy every word. And fall in love with the author’s writing style. Each chapter has a series of vignettes that moved the story along and addressed each character’s story. Not once throughout the book was a date mentioned or when time had passed an actual amount listed, this gave the story a feeling of timelessness. Some of the chapters were written in a very post-modernist style of a character’s internal monologue; this was an excellent feature to the story as not many authors attempt to do this anymore, and yet Guvenc succeeded.

I give Homeless 5 out of 5 stars and nominate it for a Publisher’s Read.

Enjoy!

K. Royce