Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for fiction 2010.
A newly wed couple arrive in Trinidad from the UK intending to stay for 3 years whilst the husband works with a shiping company. The husband falls in love with the island and despite the wife's unhappiness the couple stay and raise two children on the island. The novel spans the family's life in Trinidad and charts their involvement with riots and revolution as the black Trinidadians revolt against white colonialism.
I didn't really like this book because the characters are not very realistic. The wife is so depressed and hates her husband so much that it is impossible to believe that she would realistically stay in Trinidad. Neither of the two main characters are developed enough so it is hard to get emotionally involved in the story.
There's a fairly interesting history of Trinidadian politics but other than that a pretty average read.
I'm not sure what it means but it sounds positive that my novel, The Personal History of Rachel DuPree, is On The Go. If you get a chance to read it, I hope you enjoy the story.
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