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A review by barefootmegz
The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson
3.0
I can’t decide what made me request this book. The cover is bright and striking and… well, not very “pretty”, but it certainly says something. The description sounds fairly generic – coming of age and immigration stories are a dime a dozen.
There is a possibility that I requested it purely because the story is set in Barbados, and I had never read anything set there before.
But I’m glad I did.
Honestly, I delayed starting this ARC, and I struggled a little to get into it. But The Star Side of Bird Hill has a rhythm, much like the Caribbean does, and once I identified that rhythm the reading went wonderfully.
I am beginning to identify that Caribbean literature has a very specific nuance to it. It requires an entirely different mindset to read, just as South African literature is different to Western literature.
There is no real plot to this novel. Although mostly chronological, it is more of an analysis of the characters upon the background of Barbados and her history, than a plot-driven novel. It doesn’t make a POINT, but it fosters thought. Major themes such as belonging, roots, depression and the history of slavery are addressed, but the reader is left to draw her own conclusions. I enjoyed that. Not every book set in a developing country has to make an ideological statement.
Individually, Hyacinth, Phaedra and Dionne are not entirely memorable characters that I grew close to. But together they form an entity that won’t let this book disappear from my memory.
Additionally, I feel that I learned a bit about Barbados, which was my very first hope when reading this book.
With the right kind of marketing, The Star Side of Bird Hill has what it takes to become one of the big debuts of the year.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review.
There is a possibility that I requested it purely because the story is set in Barbados, and I had never read anything set there before.
But I’m glad I did.
Honestly, I delayed starting this ARC, and I struggled a little to get into it. But The Star Side of Bird Hill has a rhythm, much like the Caribbean does, and once I identified that rhythm the reading went wonderfully.
I am beginning to identify that Caribbean literature has a very specific nuance to it. It requires an entirely different mindset to read, just as South African literature is different to Western literature.
There is no real plot to this novel. Although mostly chronological, it is more of an analysis of the characters upon the background of Barbados and her history, than a plot-driven novel. It doesn’t make a POINT, but it fosters thought. Major themes such as belonging, roots, depression and the history of slavery are addressed, but the reader is left to draw her own conclusions. I enjoyed that. Not every book set in a developing country has to make an ideological statement.
Individually, Hyacinth, Phaedra and Dionne are not entirely memorable characters that I grew close to. But together they form an entity that won’t let this book disappear from my memory.
Additionally, I feel that I learned a bit about Barbados, which was my very first hope when reading this book.
With the right kind of marketing, The Star Side of Bird Hill has what it takes to become one of the big debuts of the year.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC from Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review.