The Thing About Home

A Lowcountry Novel

By: Rhonda McKnight

Narrated by: Yinka Ladeinde

A 2024 CHRISTY AWARD FINALIST!

From the author of Bitter and Sweet, an emotional love story about a woman who returns to the South to find her roots that combines the "vivid low country history" (Publisher's Weekly) of the Lowcountry with a story of love and family.

Home is not a place--it's a feeling.

Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame--the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina's Lowcountry hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share.

What Casey doesn't expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she's never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide.

Through the pages of her great-grandmother's journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Lowcountry soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story--if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind.

The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight is a heartwarming inspirational romance about a woman who goes in search of her family and instead finds home. It's a standalone novel, making it a great pick for book clubs looking to explore and discuss the themes of faith, family, and self-discovery.

"A beautifully written story about family, self-discovery, secrets, and forgiveness." --Kimberla Lawson Roby, New York Times bestselling author

Critic reviews

'In THE THING ABOUT HOME, Casey Black's perfect life has just crashed and burned, forcing her to seek refuge in South Carolina. Ms. McKnight does an excellent job exploring not only what coming home can represent, but also the importance of family history and legacy. The reader is not only given a captivating story, but also a lesson in life. A well-written exploration of love and acceptance.'

'In THE THING ABOUT HOME, Casey Black's shiny world of New York fashion and always-on social media implodes. Finding her roots allows Casey to heal and calm the chaos that has consumed her life. In The Thing About Home, Rhonda McKnight pens a safe place, a Lowcountry boil that's soup for the soul. Expertly weaving a dual storyline of a rich matriarchal past with the tumultuous present, McKnight builds upon her women's fiction repertoire with a fresh perspective on grief, forgiveness, and finding oneself in the midst of the storm.'

'McKnight's beautifully rendered tale of a social media influencer heroine, distanced from the world through her constant engagement with social media, is a well-woven sweetgrass basket of a story. Family, history, heritage, and legacy all combine in the tightly woven warp and weft of love in THE THING ABOUT HOME--a must read.'

'Rhonda McKnight has written a gorgeously vivid, heart-felt novel that stirred my emotions from the first page. I loved getting to know the characters and wanted to stay in their lives forever. Through a dual-timeline, parallels in the women's stories were expertly delivered in contemporary and historical voices that will have readers exploring their own lives and legacies. I tried to slow down as I came closer to the last page because I didn't want this book to end. I've loved every book by Rhonda McKnight, but this one is her best!'

'Rhonda McKnight has written a story chock-full of Southern comfort. It reads like a Lowcountry recipe that's seasoned with just the right amount of family, love, history, culture, and self-discovery. As her characters become deeply rooted in culture, you'll find yourself longing for the same connection to home.'

'Rhonda McKnight has written the perfect southern story--warm, sweet, and full of hope. McKnight captures the heart and soul of Casey's journey to self-discovery and love.'

'Southern writing at its best, THE THING ABOUT HOME is a warm, atmospheric reminder that home is more than just a physical place--it's family and friends and safety and unconditional love.'

'THE THING ABOUT HOME is a beautifully written story about family, self-discovery, secrets, and forgiveness. It is a truly wonderful and most enjoyable read!'

'You will get lost in this book. Every moment, every step that Casey takes to finding herself is magical. Rhonda McKnight is a masterful storyteller. Hands down, THE THING ABOUT HOME is the best book I've read in a long time.'

Best book I’ve read on a long time!

Beautifully written tapestry of internal emotional struggles, historical events, and the importance of family - both educational and entertaining, I couldn’t stop listening from the minute I started. The book left me wanting to hear more about the Black family and Georgetown.

Super vacation

Perfect for a vacation read. My room had no TV so I enjoyed listening to this intriguing book! Love all the characters and history of this family

Great Book

I truly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot, character development, narration. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

The way they pronounced words in exactly the right way.

This whole book is a work of art. As a white woman, it gave me an insight into black lives, their struggles then and even today. My thanks to the author. Those who do not read it are missing a story that may change your way of thinking, the way you do life in future. I do hope there will be another after this- or maybe there already is. Must go check immediately.

Amazing story. Loved it!

Eye opening story that few of us were ever taught in school. Thank you so much.