Charm is an underrated quality in fiction, perhaps because it’s seen as a soft power, unlike supposedly more rigorous features such as plot and structure. It comes from an alchemical blend of elements including narrative voice and character, and Tom Lamont’s debut novel, Going Home, set in the Jewish community in Enfield, north London, has charm to burn.
Largely, this comes from the central character, a two-year-old boy named Joel, whose scattershot viewpoint opens the book. “He collects answers to your questions. Joel Woods. Two! Salt-and-vinegar flavour.” He’s playing in the park and the voice sketches his distractible vision (“Joel saw another bird. Right, you”) while dealing just enough information to the reader.
