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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The sadness I felt when I realized that I had gotten to the end of this book caught me by surprise. And as perfect an ending as it was, I still yearn for more. And I understand why. Lloyd Banwo incorporates so many of the elements that usually captivate me. I'm a sucker for stories with a matrilineal focus. Then there's the folklore, the fact that the story is narrated in dialect, that it is set in the Caribbean...and the writing is so vivid that it convinces my senses that I too, am looking down at the city from the mountainside.
"A mythic love story". Also an unlikely one between Darwin, a Rastafarian, who has broken his Nazarite vow not to interact with death and now works as a gravedigger in Fidelis (the largest cemetery in the fictional city of Port Angeles) and Yejide, who comes from a line of women who help usher souls into the afterlife. We are told their stories in parallel and see their histories unfold.
Death, then, is a central theme and is written so tenderly, I may dare say beautifully. I love the way that grief is written and how Lloyd Banwo shows that life can be honored and celebrated even through death; how we show care for the dead through ritual and how the ancestors offer their care and protection in return. And even as this story unfolds in the cemetery, in the vast city, on the mountainside, in the home that was rebuilt on the burnt foundation of a plantation house, Lloyd Banwo navigates themes of class, corruption, duty and tradition.
A compelling read. I was satisfied to simply sit with the characters, the setting, the history before even considering the plot. And when it all unraveled, I simply wanted more. I would love a sequel or a prequel but will gladly settle for whatever it is Lloyd Banwo publishes next.
"A mythic love story". Also an unlikely one between Darwin, a Rastafarian, who has broken his Nazarite vow not to interact with death and now works as a gravedigger in Fidelis (the largest cemetery in the fictional city of Port Angeles) and Yejide, who comes from a line of women who help usher souls into the afterlife. We are told their stories in parallel and see their histories unfold.
Death, then, is a central theme and is written so tenderly, I may dare say beautifully. I love the way that grief is written and how Lloyd Banwo shows that life can be honored and celebrated even through death; how we show care for the dead through ritual and how the ancestors offer their care and protection in return. And even as this story unfolds in the cemetery, in the vast city, on the mountainside, in the home that was rebuilt on the burnt foundation of a plantation house, Lloyd Banwo navigates themes of class, corruption, duty and tradition.
A compelling read. I was satisfied to simply sit with the characters, the setting, the history before even considering the plot. And when it all unraveled, I simply wanted more. I would love a sequel or a prequel but will gladly settle for whatever it is Lloyd Banwo publishes next.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
I loved a lot of aspects of this book: the language choices (Trinidadian English!), the imagery, the complicated relationships between characters. I felt like these elements didn't quite come together for me, but still an engaging read.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated