Book Review: The True History of Paradise by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Hello Ladies and Gents,
I know its been a while since i have updated my blog. I have been very busy and as such, did not have time to write any posts. However, I decided to do a post on a book that I just finished reading. Going forward i will be posting book reviews on books that I have read and want to share.
The True History of Paradise is an EXCELLENT book, set on the island of Jamaica, West Indies. The novel opens with Jean Landing desperately trying to flee Jamaica during the early 1980s as she attempts to navigate her way out during that political unrest and violent period. As Jean drives around the scenic mountains of Jamaica, we learn about her family through a series of dialogues about her history. Jean is multi-racial and, as a result, we are exposed to the many races of people that make up Jamaican culture.
Through the stories of these family members, we learn about Jean's Chinese Grandfather and her mother's quest to maintain "whiteness" in a period when African Jamaicans were attempting to prove themselves successful and resilient against the "other".
Cezair-Thompson explores many different themes including; Mother-daughter relationships, teen pregnancy,romantic relationships, race matters, feminism, sexism and colonialism just to name a few..Its amazing how an author can explore that many themes but also make them extremely relevant to the subject and the true history of Jamaica.
What i love the most about this novel is the way it juxtaposes Jean's amazing story with what was happening at the time. This is a great book by a very talented author, the way she intertwines all of the different stories of all the speakers while at the same time remaining true to Caribbean history from colonism to present day is truly impeccable . I can't rave enough about this book, i definitely think this book is a "must-read" for everyone young and old.
I really do recommend this book if you are interested in history and the struggles of women and men in the disapora, particularly the Caribbean.
Thanks guys
I know its been a while since i have updated my blog. I have been very busy and as such, did not have time to write any posts. However, I decided to do a post on a book that I just finished reading. Going forward i will be posting book reviews on books that I have read and want to share.
Through the stories of these family members, we learn about Jean's Chinese Grandfather and her mother's quest to maintain "whiteness" in a period when African Jamaicans were attempting to prove themselves successful and resilient against the "other".
Cezair-Thompson explores many different themes including; Mother-daughter relationships, teen pregnancy,romantic relationships, race matters, feminism, sexism and colonialism just to name a few..Its amazing how an author can explore that many themes but also make them extremely relevant to the subject and the true history of Jamaica.
What i love the most about this novel is the way it juxtaposes Jean's amazing story with what was happening at the time. This is a great book by a very talented author, the way she intertwines all of the different stories of all the speakers while at the same time remaining true to Caribbean history from colonism to present day is truly impeccable . I can't rave enough about this book, i definitely think this book is a "must-read" for everyone young and old.
I really do recommend this book if you are interested in history and the struggles of women and men in the disapora, particularly the Caribbean.
Thanks guys
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