Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Attic Child

Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

38 reviews

amandabeaver15's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

The Attic Child would be more accurately titled The Attic Children since the two main characters, Dikembe and Lowra, both spent lengthy periods of their childhood locked in the attic of the same house - him in the early 1900s, her in the 1970s. As an adult Lowra is promoted to investigate further and their two separate storylines come together in some unexpected ways. Given this synopsis trigger warnings for child abuse are to be expected.

What stood out for me in this story was it’s exploration of colonialism from an unexpected angle. Dikembe lived in the Congo until he was brought to England almost as a souvenir by Sir Richard Babbington, a famous explorer. Babbington insisted on changing Dikembe’s name, treated him as something of a party trick, and used him for his own ends, something Dikembe realised and silently railed about. Upon Babbington’s death Dikembe’s life worsened considerably. Taking a risk and using his own initiative he was later able to right some of the wrongs done to him and build a good life for himself in England, although it was inevitably marked by racism.

We are accustomed to looking at the impact of colonialism on the countries that were colonised, on the people who lived there. And this book does outline some of the horrific actions of Belgians in the Congo, actions that Dikembe was fortunate in missing. However, I don’t think I’ve read about colonisation through the lens of an individual removed to the country of the coloniser. And, as the author’s note makes clear, the character of Dikembe, was inspired by a real person. While Lowra’s childhood experiences are also tragic, they are much more familiar, and so didn’t carry the same impact for me. Dikembe’s story also highlighted the early history of Blacks in Britain, before the arrival of the relatively well-known Windrush generation.

From the depiction of Babbington (pompous and entitled), to the issues raised about how museums obtain, display and treat many artefacts and whose needs they are serving, the author’s barely suppressed rage at colonialism was always bubbling just below the surface. I loved that passion.

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elementarymydear's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

Sometimes you get to the end of a book and you’re so overwhelmed by the depth, the emotion and the brilliance of it that you are physically incapable of doing anything until you have recovered.

This was one of those books.

The story follows two timelines; that of Dikembe, a young boy from the Congo who is bought as a ‘companion’ to a rich Englishman at the beginning of the 20th Century; and of Lowra, a young woman in the 1990s who stumbles across his story and is determined to learn more. Their lives intersect more than Lowra could ever have imagined, and it becomes her mission to make sure Dikembe’s story is heard.

Just as Lowra slowly uncovers Dikembe’s story, it is revealed to us alongside her. There are times that you hope desperately for what you think is true not to be true and there are times that we’re a few steps ahead of her, but from the early chapters you can’t help but be desperate to know his story. This kind of story, where little nuggets are slowly revealed to the reader, is extremely hard to do so well, and Lola Jaye has mastered it.

One of the strongest themes of the book is the importance of telling people’s stories, and of making sure that history doesn’t just remember the victors. Both Lowra and the historian she enlists to help her, Monty, have their own reasons for finding out what happened to Dikembe, but ultimately it is for Dikembe’s own sake that they make sure his story is heard. While Dikembe is a fictional character, Jaye uses his story to shed light on a little-known period of Black British history, and explores the way in which Black history is perceived in Britain.

This is a truly brilliant book, excellently crafted, and one that stays with the reader long after you reach the final page.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

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thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

alisha94's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

wordsofclover's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

shelfofunread's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? No

3.75

Alternating between the early 1900s and the mid-1990s, The Attic Child follows the interconnected stories of Dikembe – renamed Celestine by his British ‘benefactor’, Sir Richard Babbington – and Lowra, a young woman who has come into an unexpected – and unwanted – inheritance following the death of her estranged stepmother. What unites them is a house: 109 Ranklin Road. Or, more specifically, the attic room of 109 Ranklin Road where, under different but equally traumatic circumstances, Lowra and Dikembe find themselves spending much of their time.

Uncovering the connections between these two characters takes the reader on a heart-breaking journey across both continents and time, moving from the Belgium occupation of the so-called ‘Congo Free State’ (in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo) – and the ruthless exploitation of native peoples that followed – to the museums of contemporary Britain: and to the legacies of occupation and mistreatment that the objects within them all-too-frequently represent.

Saying any more about the plot of The Attic Child would be to spoil the gradual unfolding of the tangled connections that link Dikembe and Lowra however, amidst what is often a challenging and brutal tale of survival and loss, Lola Jaye has also managed to weave a remarkable story of hope. Though The Attic Child is unflinching in its depictions of what its protagonists have to endure (content warnings for death of a parent, death of siblings, murder, child loss, child abuse, child sexual abuse, racial stereotyping/slurs, and racism), it is also a powerful story of identity, belonging, love, and family.

Combining a deeply emotive story with evocative descriptions of time and place, The Attic Child is a powerful read that demands the attention of its reader. I was fascinated – and, due to the nature of the experiences Dikembe undergoes, also horrified – to learn that Dikembe is inspired by a real child, Ndugu M’Hali, who became a ‘companion’ to the explorer Henry Morton Stanley. The novel also illuminates a grim period of Congolese history by examining the brutality of life under the regime of King Leopold II of Belgium. Finally, the book speaks powerfully to current debates about the commemoration and interpretation of the national past and, in particular, the colonial and imperial past.

As you can probably tell, The Attic Child is packing a lot into its narrative and, even at 464 pages, there were times – especially towards the end of the book – where I felt as if I wanted a little more detail. On occasion, the narrative jumps several months or even years, before moving into sections where events are described in more detail and slowly. This meant that, for me, the pacing was a little uneven although the narrative held my interest in spite of this and, despite it being a relatively chunky book, I finished The Attic Child in just over a week.

An unflinching and emotive read, The Attic Child is a movingly told and emotive story about the personal legacies of colonialism. Set against a fascinating backdrop and with two interesting lead characters, the novel is sure to appeal to fans dual-narrative historical fiction as well as to anyone interested in knowing more about Britain’s hidden histories and colonial connections.

NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Content Warnings

spiraljester's review against another edition

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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

3.75

Content Warnings

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