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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “I really enjoyed this book. Some parts made me laugh and some parts made me cry. The threads of racism, sexual and cultural tension, colonialism, and the deprivations and hardships of war are all drawn well. Each of the characters is flawed in his or her own way, but as products of their own...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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BookBum wrote this review Sunday, February 3, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I enjoyed this story of Jamaican immigrants in post WWII London. The immigrant experience is told from the points of view of the four main characters: Gilbert, who proudly served his mother country, England, as a West Indian soldier, is a sweet, gentle man with a strong sense of himself and of right and wrong. He loves the haughty Hortense, who in spite of her aloofness is a sympathetic character. Queenie, the quiless English girl who doesn't seem to understand the racism of her neighbors, believes that she is widowed and so rents rooms to the soldiers of color. Her husband Bernard, who returns after a mysteriously long absence to discover the "wrong sort" in his house and demands they leave. The novel was made into a series and while reading the book I could see how it would lend itself to a series. I enjoyed the story, but felt that if Levy had dug deeper she could have written a longer more intimate story of the issues of racism in London.”
“Took a little patience to really get into this one, but once you do, you can't wait to return. Format is different- not sure whether I liked it or not. ”
Amy M. Sawyer wrote this review Sunday, December 30, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Race and the issues associated with it viewed through a historical, British lens. There's also a BBC movie based on this novel that is very, very good. ”
Angel wrote this review Sunday, December 23, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Modern London is a melting pot of ethnic diversities. Few of these ethnicities are welcomed, or even wanted, by the former colonials of the once-mighty British Empire. Post-World War II, it was simple enough to sail to London or New York with hopes of making a better life than the one back home. But finding a place, settling in, and being treated like a human being in a foreign country are much more difficult to achieve, and often take more than one lifetime.
iyadls wrote this review Saturday, October 20, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Sadly, little has changed since 1948. Laws against racial discrimination and awareness of what is now termed political correctness may keep white Britons from voicing their opinions too harshly, but segregation and the ideals of supremacy are very much apparent in every profession, neighborhood and school. Andrea Levy does an excellent job portraying the difficulties of diaspora.”1 of 1 members found this review helpful“I really enjoyed this book. Some parts made me laugh and some parts made me cry. The threads of racism, sexual and cultural tension, colonialism, and the deprivations and hardships of war are all drawn well. Each of the characters is flawed in his or her own way, but as products of their own pasts and circumstances, they were portrayed movingly, realistically, and compassionately. One of the most poignant aspects of the book is RAF veteran Gilbert's rejection by Londoners after fighting with great devotion for his mother country, England. When Gilbert realizes that his pride in the British Empire is not reciprocated, he wonders, 'How come England did not know me?' His question haunts the story as it moves back and forth in time and space to show how the people of two small islands become inextricably bound together.”
Elizabook wrote this review Tuesday, October 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This story goes from Jamaica to England and explores the lives of four people, Queenie and her husband Bernard and Hortense and her husband Gilbert. I loved the way the story and perspective jumped between these four and the picture this book painted of both England and Jamaica and the way the people of two different races observed each other and their world. ”
Zombie Kitten wrote this review Monday, September 24, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I enjoyed this book, but would have liked the story to have continued for a further 20 years.”
David G wrote this review Monday, September 17, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Jamaicans come to London during WWII. One of the best books I've read in ages.”
Shelley S wrote this review Thursday, September 13, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“My sister-in-law gave me this book after her book club rated it 3++ out of 5. I gave it a solid 4, because it offered a glimpse into a slice of postwar (WWII) history from a unique perspective - that of Jamaican immigrants in Britain. The voice changes between the four main characters: Hortense and her husband Gilbert from Jamaica and their white landlord Queenie and her husband, Bernard.
Elizabeth Cottrell - "RiverwoodWriter" wrote this review Sunday, August 26, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The Jamaican patois lent an authentic touch, and since the author was born in England to Jamaican parents, I wondered if there wasn't a good bit of family biography disguised as fiction.
The theme of third world citizens dreaming of escaping to what they believe will be a grander, happier life is not new, and Hortense, well educated for her Jamaican community and with high aspirations of teaching in England, certainly had dreams that were shattered again and again. Gilbert, who had fought valiantly in the RAF during the war, expects to be hailed as a war hero. Both encounter unexpected racism and snobbery in 1948 London as they compete unsuccessfully with thousands of returning soldiers who are also looking for jobs.
Queenie deals with loneliness and lust as her dull banker husband goes to war and doesn't return when it's over. When he finally does show up, he has faced demons of his own in the awful things he witnessed, and now he must deal with a wife who not only thought he was dead but who is also pregnant.
The threads of racism, sexual and cultural tension, colonialism, and the deprivations and hardships of war are all drawn well. Each of the characters is flawed in his or her own way, but as products of their own pasts and circumstances, they were portrayed movingly, realistically, and compassionately. One of the most poignant aspects of the book -- RAF veteran Gilbert's rejection by Londoners after fighting with great devotion for his mother country, England -- was described in a review from Publishers Weekly: "When Gilbert realizes that his pride in the British Empire is not reciprocated, he wonders, 'How come England did not know me?' His question haunts the story as it moves back and forth in time and space to show how the people of two small islands become inextricably bound together."”
