A review by taffymyametalumi
Even in Paradise by Elizabeth Nunez

4.0

A Caribbean retelling of King Lear, which is one of my favorite Shakespeare stories! Although this is not so much a retelling as a homage to the play, and even the main character recognizes the similarities. The MC is a Black Trinidadian named Emile who falls in love with a White Trinidadian, Corinne. He's an observer to her relationship with her father and sisters, an observer to his friend Albert's relationship with his father, fiancee, and brother-in-law, an observer of the events in Jamaica. He's a peacemaker, but he also has a keen eye for motives and expressions. Through his eyes, we see how race, colonialism, and gender play a role in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica. I enjoyed how Nunez used the story of King Lear to show the racism, colorism and sexism that exist in those places.