A review by elementarymydear
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Sometimes you get to the end of a book and you’re so overwhelmed by the depth, the emotion and the brilliance of it that you are physically incapable of doing anything until you have recovered.

This was one of those books.

The story follows two timelines; that of Dikembe, a young boy from the Congo who is bought as a ‘companion’ to a rich Englishman at the beginning of the 20th Century; and of Lowra, a young woman in the 1990s who stumbles across his story and is determined to learn more. Their lives intersect more than Lowra could ever have imagined, and it becomes her mission to make sure Dikembe’s story is heard.

Just as Lowra slowly uncovers Dikembe’s story, it is revealed to us alongside her. There are times that you hope desperately for what you think is true not to be true and there are times that we’re a few steps ahead of her, but from the early chapters you can’t help but be desperate to know his story. This kind of story, where little nuggets are slowly revealed to the reader, is extremely hard to do so well, and Lola Jaye has mastered it.

One of the strongest themes of the book is the importance of telling people’s stories, and of making sure that history doesn’t just remember the victors. Both Lowra and the historian she enlists to help her, Monty, have their own reasons for finding out what happened to Dikembe, but ultimately it is for Dikembe’s own sake that they make sure his story is heard. While Dikembe is a fictional character, Jaye uses his story to shed light on a little-known period of Black British history, and explores the way in which Black history is perceived in Britain.

This is a truly brilliant book, excellently crafted, and one that stays with the reader long after you reach the final page.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.


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