Reviews - Passiontide | The StoryGraph

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119 reviews for:

Passiontide

Monique Roffey

4.08 AVERAGE

eveningstar_reader's review against another edition

4.0

emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

adventuresinwellbeing's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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: Complicated

inkylabyrinth's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It was not until this morning, after finishing the book last night, that I discovered the steel pan music of Asami Nagakiya--the real Japanese woman who was murdered in Trinidad in 2016--that this story fully hit me. I sobbed reading the heartfelt comments from people in both Trinidad and Japan, many saying she is elsewhere, playing pan music in the heavens, or with Buddha.

This is an incredible re-imagining of a tragic murder during Carnival and its aftermath, set on the fictional island of St. Colibri, filled with colorful characters (the best and the worst the island has to offer), feminine rage (rightfully so!), and the beautiful music and culture of the Caribbean.

Opt for the audiobook if you can--the musical interludes add so much to the story, and the trio of narrators do an amazing job.

Thank you to Knopf for providing a gifted copy at my request!

danedmonds's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-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

indoorswoman's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

reneethebookbird's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Passiontide was an ideal read for me; a w3ll-crafted story I could sink into, with characters I could get behind and cheer on, meaningful exploration of some really important themes, and an ending that was pitch perfect. It's set on a fictional Caribbean island but inspired by real-life events in Trinidad. The book opens with the discovery of a woman's body, soon revealed to be that of a Japanese Pan player who has regularly visited the island for many years and has strong links within the local Pan community. The novel starts out as a police procedural, and it's soon evident that factors like poor resourcing, corruption, and attitudes towards the murder of women which vary from laissez-faire to deeply misogynistic, mean little meaningful progress will be made. But women have had enough and led by an unlikely coalition - a journalist, a political activist, a prostitute and the Mayor's wife - they make their feelings and demands known via marches, an Occupy Wall Street type occupation, and a sex strike. Femicide, misogyny, and violence against women impact far too many women worldwide, limiting their potential, reducing the quality of some lives, and ending others entirely. I love this novel for highlighting these issues and for showcasing the strength of women's rage and the potential for and of sisterhood - even if it felt aspirational rather than realistic little idealistic at times. I don't want to say too much or give away spoilers, but I will say that I thought the ending was perfect, and I admire the author for going there. This book made my feminist heart rage and soar. It must surely be a strong contender for the 2025 Women's Prize longlist.

Content Warnings