A review by escape_through_pages
The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

challenging dark hopeful reflective 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

4.0

📖 REVIEW 📖 

'𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩, 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚.'

The Bread the Devil Knead is set in Trinidad and centres on 39 year old Alethea who manages a fashion store in the Port of Spain. The story is told from Alethea’s perspective in Trinidadian Creole, which can take a little to get into but serves to bring life and authenticity to her voice.

Alethea is in an abusive relationship, she lives in fear of violence from her common law husband, Leo. Despite this, she is strong, independent, even has a ‘next man’ herself but does not see an alternative to the life she is currently living. She keeps people at arm’s length and as such has no one close to lean on. She is character so well illustrated and developed, you can’t help but root for her. Her story and perspective held my attention for the duration of the book. 

One day, she witnesses a woman murdered in the street outside her shop. Shaken, Alethea learns this woman was in an abusive relationship with the man who killed her and it all hits a bit too close to home. 

The re-entrance of her estranged brother into her life also makes Alethea revisit her abusive childhood, that she has for the most part, suppressed into the depths of memory. We learn this story as interspersed chapters told from the third person. These chapters are unrestricted in what they describe, this is no light read. 

A sudden event at a festival causes a shift in the direction of Alethea’s life. Resignation gives way to hope. Despite the myriad of traumatic events in the book, there is an overriding sense of resilience and the strength of women to survive. 

This was an engrossing read tackling serious topics, I am keen to see if it makes it on to the Women’s Prize shortlist.