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ireadtoescape_'s review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Racism, Death of parent, Incest, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Xenophobia
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Such a stunning cover for this lovely story. The Day I Fell Off My Island reads like a memoir, although it is the fictional coming of age story of Erna. The novel has three main parts. The first centres on her childhood in Jamaica where she and her three half siblings are raised by their grandparents. The second part sees Erna join her mother, stepfather and siblings in London, while the third part focuses on her visit back to Jamaica seven years after she left.
Several things make this novel stand out from other coming of age/immigration stories. One is the three part structure. Not only is pretty much equal space given to Erna’s life in Jamaica as her life in England, but we also see her return to Jamaica and recognise the good and the bad of life in both countries. The second is that racism was not the dominant feature of Erna’s life in England. Certainly she encountered racism - teachers who suppressed her academic ambitions, landlords who wouldn’t rent to her - but it wasn’t the defining feature of her life. That was her dysfunctional family. Erna’s mother Violet was never warm or close to her and suffered from serious mental health problems. Not surprising, given that Erna was born after a rape and an unsuccessful attempt at abortion when Violet was just 13. Her stepfather physically abused the children and raped Erna’s stepsister. The family belonged to a harsh and joyless church. Plus, after years apart, Erna was a stranger to her siblings. And yet despite the hurdles and hardships Erna was never a victim. Through had work and strength of will, along with some crucial support and encouragement along the way, she was able to achieve the education she so badly wanted and seemed well on her way to a fulfilling life by the book’s end.
I was going to write that both Jamaica and London were brought vividly to life, but vivid isn’t exactly an accurate description of 1969 London as Erna first experienced it! I really loved all the Jamaican patois - it didn’t take long to adjust to its flow and I valued its authenticity.
Erna was a protagonist it was easy to root for and her story was both well-told and satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Incest
kj2355's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
elizabethgarcia's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Incest, and Mental illness
journeyingjo's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
What I loved
- I feel most of the books I've read on the immigrant struggle centers racial issues. While this is a big chunk of what immigrants have to face, it's not the end all be all. For example, there's family issues, the decision of how much to change and how much to retain from your previous country/culture, and the shaping of who you want to be now. And this is what I think the book does best - it's a coming of age of a character who also happens to be an immigrant, and racial issues is only one thing she has to deal with among others. In a way, this approach humanizes the immigrant experience more.
- It tackled the question of returning to the homeland in an open-ended way; something I don't see much in the immigrant narratives I've read.
- Descriptions of living with mental illness
- Descriptions of Jamaica and its food
What I wasn't a fan of
- The long descriptions - you have to get through part 1 and then it'll get better from there :-)
Highly recommend this book! Just be patient with part 1.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Mental illness
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