A review by claire60
The Lamplighter by Jackie Kay

4.0

First performed as a play and published in 2008, this is the updated version with a new introduction written by Jackie Kay, her words create a moving picture of the reality of slavery and her dismay and finding out that Glasgow was also a slave trading port. The play itself is powerful, her lyrical writing giving life to 4 different women who articulate the unspeakable realities of being slaves, from the perilous sea crossings to being at the whim of their captors and 'owners'. It is a sobering and moving read with the characteristic poeticism that we have come to expect from Jackie Kay. I imagine that it was incredibly powerful on stage which you can imagine from the way it is written.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.