The first book I ever read by Homes was The End of Alice. I went into Mother trying not to compare the topics or the material, but expecting to see some of the flare Homes had in Alice, and Music for Torching; unfortunately, it fell short. Country of Mothers is a wonderful idea, a psychologist believing a client is her long lost daughter she gave up for adoption 23 years earlier, but poorly executed. The characters have conflicting actions to motivation, and are one dimensional at best. It seems Homes had not yet found her voice or talent for creating engrossing characters and motivations. I found myself fighting the urge to flip forward several pages at a time, certain I would not miss any plot twists, since they were few and far between. I encourage fans of Alice to read Mother if for no other reason then to see the very aparent evolution of a writer, as it is obvious Homes was not at her best during In the Country of Mothers.