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ladyr 's review for:
You Will Be Safe Here
by Damian Barr
I honestly wanted to love this book. So many people I know or follow have raved about it.
Unfortunately it’s one of those ones that didn’t really work for me: the prose felt very flat, I couldn’t engage with Sarah in the first third, the middle section was slow and then there is a rather incredible leap of faith required at the end.
It’s also told from an entirely white persons perspective, for whom we are meant to felt great sorrow, with the black characters firmly pushed into the background which I wasn’t comfortable with.
It’s a fascinating insight into that period of history & this novel has shocking and horrific moments in it - all based on real-life events & which everyone should be aware of.
However, having read the brilliant “The World Which was Ours” (Persephone) earlier this year I was totally spoilt by that: sadly this book just didn’t quite come together for me.
I love Damian Barr and will read whatever he writes next - just sorry this one didn’t make more of an impression on me.
Unfortunately it’s one of those ones that didn’t really work for me: the prose felt very flat, I couldn’t engage with Sarah in the first third, the middle section was slow and then there is a rather incredible leap of faith required at the end.
It’s also told from an entirely white persons perspective, for whom we are meant to felt great sorrow, with the black characters firmly pushed into the background which I wasn’t comfortable with.
It’s a fascinating insight into that period of history & this novel has shocking and horrific moments in it - all based on real-life events & which everyone should be aware of.
However, having read the brilliant “The World Which was Ours” (Persephone) earlier this year I was totally spoilt by that: sadly this book just didn’t quite come together for me.
I love Damian Barr and will read whatever he writes next - just sorry this one didn’t make more of an impression on me.