Reviews

An Impossible Return by Caroline Laurent

uvahoogirl's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

sbnich's review against another edition

4.0

A slow start, whether due to the translation, the subject matter, or both, led to a beautiful, compelling story of colonialism, thievery, prejudice, and a strategic U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean. Set among the lush tropic landscape of Diego Garcia and then Mauritius in the late 1960s and 1970s, with flash forwards to the modern day, Laurent weaves a fictional romance and challenge amongst very real, and very horrible decisions made by Grest Britian, the United States, and Mauritius.

I had heard of the military base on Diego Garcia. I had not heard of how it came to be, or that its people were summarily lied to and expelled from the island with no skills, currency, or for 30 more years, citizenship in any country.

It's worth a read and a moment of silence for relatively recent history in which once again we let tragedy occur.

jenmulholland's review against another edition

emotional informative sad slow-paced

3.75

taylorelm's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

connieshattuck's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

melannrosenthal's review

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 “The policemen hadn’t been able to calm her down. She was stronger than them. She was invincible. They had no idea that her strengths came from afar, from the day a woman named Thérèse Ladouceur had agreed to let her live her life barefoot. She thundered, scratched, punched; she was the storm, she was every cyclone, the sea in turmoil, the indignation of an island. She stretched her torn skin out to the ocean, she was shattering every idol with her machete, and casting them bloodied, down on the shore.”

What can I say about the beautiful book? It grabs ahold of your attention to focus on an archipelago you have likely never heard of before and their struggle against the lasting colonialism of British. Based on a real story as told to the author by her own mother and supported by much research in the archives, Caroline Laurent presents a story sure to enrage you as it also brings tears to your eyes. With similarities to Hum If You Don’t Know the Words is definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an escape into recent history.

taralorraine's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is a topic I have heard absolutely nothing about before. 
It sounds like something happening hundreds of years ago- but it’s not.