Jess is the protagonist of Homecoming. When the novel begins, she is living in London and struggling to make ends meet as a journalist after having moved there from Australia 10 years ago. Nearing 40, Jess is recovering from a breakup with her boyfriend, who promptly married another woman and now has a child. In the meantime, she has taken on the burden of the house payments that they used to share and is struggling to maintain her career. As the novel begins, Jess’s life is one of uncertainty; her career, her home, and even her plans for the future have been upended. In addition to uncovering her family secrets, Jess is also searching for new direction, personal connection, and a place to belong.

Jess’s main character arc in the novel revolves around the theme of Finding Home and Belonging. When she first arrives in London, it feels familiar to her because of all the English Victorian literature she has read, thereby introducing the theme of Connection Through Literature. However, she still feels like an outsider, and even after 10 years of residence in London, her main connection with the city remains the Charles Dickens Museum, rather than friends or work.