A review by megtristao
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.25

Oof. This is the type of story 2015 Megan would have <i>loved</i>. And it was an excellent book, but there was so much trauma, so make sure you're in the right frame of mind to pick it up. The book follows several characters in the aftermath of the murder of a white tourist in a small beach town on Barbados. I particularly appreciated how the author occasionally included chapters about other minor characters in the story, or went back in time to explain certain characters' childhoods or experiences of their family members, which created an excellent multigenerational sense of the town and its inhabitants.

Note on the audio: I don't typically listen to literary fiction on audio, but this was one of Libro.fm's ALC offerings so I decided to try it. The narrator was fantastic and I actually listened to the book close to regular speed (I'm usually a 1.5-2x listener), partly because of the narrator's accent and partly to keep the tension taut. There were times I was listening and thinking, "Wow I'm glad I'm not reading this on the page because I'd be so tempted to look ahead to see if this turns out okay!!" *heart beats quickly*

Thanks to Libro.fm for a free advance listening copy.
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