jazlem 's review for:

Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo

4.0

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Picked this up wanting to read more of Evaristo's work, and not sure where to start. I went in not really sure to expect but I ended up really getting immersed in this world and unable to put it down. It was initially slow to start off with and I got a bit confused but the changing of places, geography and history but once I got used to it and let the words wash over me and tell me the story I really enjoyed it. The parts about Doris coming over in the slaver were difficult to get through, consuming any content relating to slavery is always difficult but important to remember. Obviously some facts aren't historical or the same but what happened to the millions of Africans transported over is. The satirical parts are where the novel is the strongest, when the captain visits England for the first time and is baffled by the strange customs and witch trials, hangings etc that was quite funny and just highlights even further the narrative we have been told about Africa being a primitive society used as justification for colonisation and slavery and the grouping of all the culture into one mass homogenous group. Although in some ways this book would have benefited society a lot more 100 years ago, it's still a clever satire and reminder of the prevailing effects slavery and colonisation have in our society today, and the important work to undo this.
Overall I recommend this book for its poetic storytelling and for its master satire. Its links to the Heart of Darkness also weren't missed, a book I didn't particularly enjoy and i think blonde roots is a much better alternative to.