For a story that is heartbreaking, tender, and hopeful all in one whirl of well written narrative, then go out now and find “Small Island” by Andrea Levy.
It follows the quest of the ever-hopeful Gilbert Joseph, and his wife Hortense, as they break through the barriers of racial hatred, unrequited love, and a World at War.
Sent to fight for the Mother Country from Jamaica, Gilbert ends up in the RAF, and his touching honesty and struggle to fight prejudice leads him through the war and into London, where he takes up lodging with his lonely friend Queenie Bligh. Her husband is missing in action, and she takes Gilbert as a lodger to help get by.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Hortense follows Gilbert’s promise and joins him in England. But her visions of a glamorous London are crushed by a shabby, war-torn reality. Tensions run high, as Hortense and Gilbert struggle to cope with the racial abuse, a run-down home, and a series of ruined dreams.
Whilst the daily grind continues, we reminisce with Bernard Bligh, Queenie’s husband, his time in the war in India. The devastating story leads to the present day, as Bernard finds himself on Queenie’s doorstep, and all hell breaks loose.
A gorgeous gem of a story and tenderly written, the warmth of the Jamaican spirit and the growing struggles of human beings makes this book a compelling read.
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