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A review by katiegilley
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
5.0
“In those tunnels, you understand that you do not learn to love a man, because for the right man there is no need for the learning, the love is the most natural thing in the world. You understand that if you must learn to love a man, he is probably not the man you should be loving.”
I am so glad this was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize because I might not have found it otherwise. Set in the 80s, Lala is a young woman in Barbados who lives on the beach with her husband, Adan. Lala is estranged from the grandmother who raised her, despite needing someone who can protect her from her husband who is horribly abusive. One night Lala and Adan struggle over their newborn baby, a tragedy ensues, and Lala tries to end things with Adan for good. This story is told from a series of perspectives, over multiple timelines, in an agonizing and beautiful way. We see how abuse persists for generations despite our best intentions to protect our children from harm.
This is excellent on audio. The narrator’s voice and accent brought depth and beauty to the story. She was somewhat difficult to hear while I was driving in the car but I didn’t have any issues when I listened at home.
I am so glad this was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize because I might not have found it otherwise. Set in the 80s, Lala is a young woman in Barbados who lives on the beach with her husband, Adan. Lala is estranged from the grandmother who raised her, despite needing someone who can protect her from her husband who is horribly abusive. One night Lala and Adan struggle over their newborn baby, a tragedy ensues, and Lala tries to end things with Adan for good. This story is told from a series of perspectives, over multiple timelines, in an agonizing and beautiful way. We see how abuse persists for generations despite our best intentions to protect our children from harm.
This is excellent on audio. The narrator’s voice and accent brought depth and beauty to the story. She was somewhat difficult to hear while I was driving in the car but I didn’t have any issues when I listened at home.