Small Island by Andrea LevyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
At first I was a bit confused with the style of writing but when I realized that each chapter is written in the first person of each different character, I became involved and engaged.
The book opens with the story of Hortense, a Jamaican girl who, it is implied, is illegitimate. She is sent from her mother to be raised by another family of relatives and becomes very close to her cousins.
The story takes us from the warm breezes of Jamaica to the streets of London before, during and after WWII. One surprise was a description of English soldiers being sent to India just after the war was over.
The prejudice displayed by the English people toward the Jamaican immigrants was unbearable and very hard to read. Rarely is a writer able to depict this as well as Ms. Levy.
A thorough and satisfyingly excellent read.
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