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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
A travel through history
I must say the history and story of Dolly was empowering while still very emotional. It’s a must read for anyone who enjoys history and romance.
I must say the history and story of Dolly was empowering while still very emotional. It’s a must read for anyone who enjoys history and romance.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
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
I love when historical fiction sheds light on a new-to-me person, place, and time period. After reading Island Queen, I am fascinated by Dorothy Kirwin Thomas and amazed by her strength and resilience as she rose from enslavement to being one of the wealthiest, self-made women in the Caribbean. Read if you want to learn about: Black women in the Regency period, Caribbean history, kickass women, female entrepreneurs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Child death
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's been a long time since I picked up historical fiction, was intrigued by the synopsis. Follows the story of Dorothy a strong powerful women character. A story of dreams, aspiration s and racism. really enjoyed it but at some points couldn't connect with the story.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
First thing to know about this book is that it is LONG! It is about 20 hours of the audio version and around 550 pages of the hard copy. It is a telling of Dorothy 'Dolly' Kerwin. She live a long and full life. You learn of the abuses and indignities she faced as a slave. How she fought, worked and climbed out of it. You read of how she gained her freedom and amassed her fortune. It is not a pretty story, nor is it lighthearted. I had to put the book down many times because I found the realities she faced to be too ugly. Prior to reading this book I would consider myself knowledgeable of Caribbean history but this book has shown me that I have barely scratched the surface. I knew nothing of the rebellions of Montserrat and Grenada. I think this book is worth reading and Dolly's a story worth knowing.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was engrossing and for me, a great experience. I wanted to write something for it because it seems that the reception has been mixed. Historical fiction readers say there’s too much romance (and sometimes that the tone is too modern, but they say that a lot) and it should’ve included more about her business. Romance readers say it's repetitive/confusing because the men are similar and the book is long. Dorothy “Doll” Kirwan had 10 kids and owned land at a time when an unmarried woman was a vulnerable target, so the men and children in her life are vital to the story of Kirwan. Dolly’s plans and workarounds are the main mover of plot, as well as the political landscape of the time. She made her business empire with only being able to read numbers, not to mention being born into the barbaric institution of slavery - all things that are portrayed artfully by Riley. Broken up into quick chapters the book takes on a diary feeling, the story like a recollection that would naturally veer in and out of her childhood, between her relatively safe periods and more frequent times of peril. Her relationship with her parents (an Irish planter and enslaved woman) is fascinating as it changes over time. Yes, we see a string of men fall madly in love with her and then for whatever reason abscond with her on a beach pregnant and alone, but we also see everyone around her that is baffled (and sometimes violently angered) by her success. Readers witness her strength, are there for her weaknesses, and once it's underway one can sense the uncertainty of the sea, the Caribbean sand shifting underfoot.
The dialogue was just…juvenile. None of it felt real in any way to me, the characters and plot were fully fleshed out but the dialogue felt like an after thought.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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