Andrea Levy (1956–2019)

'Small Island' is set in dingy 1948 London, a time when landlords were allowed to deter undesirable tenants by putting up a sign that read, “No Irish, no coloureds, no dogs”, and frequently did so which was a shock to many Commonwealth immigrants who had helped Britain win the war and been brought up to believe that they would be welcomed into the 'Mother Country' by its grateful inhabitants.

The story is told by four people, two women and two men, two Jamaican and two English. Hortense show more Roberts, honey-skinned and impeccably white-gloved, has attended a private school that made her familiar with Wordsworth, Shakespeare and the baking of fairy cakes. Hortense is married to Gilbert, a man she doesn’t love but who was her means of getting to England. Gilbert had left Jamaica to serve as a member of the West Indian RAF volunteers in England during WWII but on to his return his homeland soon realised that he would now never be content there on his 'small island' and so joined the 'Windrush' exodus to Britain dreaming of a better life.

The reality however, was a filthy rented room in Queenie Bligh's decaying house in Earls Court. In peacetime, Gilbert soon comes to realise how much his uniform had shielded him from the worst excesses of racism. As a black civilian, all that is on offer to him are the worst, lowest-paid jobs and the meanest lodgings. When haughty Hortense joins him in London she is horrified by what she sees. She is baffled when Queenie, her white London landlady, says, “I’m not worried about what busybodies say. I don’t mind being seen in the street with you.” because it is Queenie not her who is badly educated and “dressed in a scruffy housecoat with no brooch or jewel, no glove or even a pleasant hat to lift the look a little”.

Queenie, like Hortense, married not out of love but a need to escape, in her case from her family’s farm in the Midlands. In her teens, she was rescued by an indulgent aunt and taken to live in London, but when her aunt died, she was faced with choice of the drudgery of her birthplace or marry Bernard, a staid bank clerk with some questionable personal habits. Her marriage is cold and dull so when Bernard joined up she wasn't exactly heartbroken. Bernard served in the RAF and was posted to India as groundcrew but didn't reappear immediately when the war was over. His eventual return home with his insecurities intact throws Queenie's new life into turmoil.

This novel could easily have become a tragic litany of ingrained prejudice and stupidity, but for Levy’s gentle, mocking humour, mainly at the expense of Gilbert and Bernard, who are constantly upstaged by their wilful wives. This humour makes this book immensely readable. The story is entrancing and disturbing at the same time because it's sadly loosely based on fact. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it deserves all the praise that it garnered. show less

A former slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation writes the story of a former slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation. While the story is autobiographical, it's also clear that the writer is an unreliable narrator. She confesses to exaggeration at several points in her story. This is an exceptional book as far as technique goes, but I found it difficult to connect with the characters on an emotional level except for the field slave, Kitty, in her grief at the forced separation from her child. A show more strong undercurrent of anger runs throughout the book, and perhaps that accounts for my inability to connect with the characters. I felt angry on their behalf, but I didn't experience the empathy that occurs when a book's characters inhabit my heart and mind. show less

So nearly a 5* rating.

This was an eye-opening revelation of the failings of the British National Health Service in the 1960's; the insensitivity and red tape that patients and loved ones had to struggle with. I'm glad to say I was too young to have first hand experience of this and can only hope that things have improved??
Interspersed with these heart-wrenching episodes are the revealing experiences of Angela (Anne) Jacobs, growing up a British Carribean immigrant in North London. She is show more strangely positioned between the British population and the African immigrants, being of lighter colour, but she experienced many of the same prejudices.

There were some great laugh-out-loud moments and some desperately sad ones too, a book full of raw emotion. The characters were wonderful - Angela's two teenage sisters immediately jump to mind.

Unfortunately the slightly sticatto nature of the early chapters detracted from this book and it was definitely 4* throughout until I hit the last few chapters which were just brilliant! Not quite as good as Small Island but then this was Levy's first book and it certainly came a close second. show less

Character-driven historical fiction set in 1948 (and flashing back to “Before”) about two mismatched couples, Britons Bernard and Queenie, and Jamaicans Gilbert and Hortense. It tells a story of the migration of the two Jamaicans to post-WWII London, and the differences between their expectations and the realities. Though Gilbert has served in the RAF, fighting in WWII for the “Mother Country,” he and Hortense experience racism and intolerance.

In Jamaica, Hortense dreams of living show more in England, where she believes she will have a much better life. She agrees to fund Gilbert’s journey in return for his promise to send for her once he gets settled in London. Gilbert aspires to law school. He is educated but can only find work as a driver. Queenie suffers through the Blitz in London. She takes in Caribbean tenants, including Gilbert, to earn rental income. Bernard’s military service takes him to India, where he endures a variety of traumatic ordeals. When he fails to return, Queenie decides he has died in the war.

The strength of this novel lies in the characters. Levy weaves together multiple voices into a thought-provoking narrative that sheds light on the history of race and class in Britain. Each of the four tells his or her story in first person, so the reader becomes well-acquainted with them. Some are more likeable than others, but all feel authentic. The writing is richly detailed, providing a vivid sense of what life was like at the time in England, India, and Jamaica. Parts of this story are gut-wrenching and engender a feeling of outrage at the racial hatred directed toward the Jamaican characters. The author uses sarcastic humor to help develop the characters’ relationships and provide a break between harsh scenes. The ending is particularly emotional and well-crafted, providing a ray of hope for the future. It should appeal to those interested in modern classics or the history of multiculturalism in England. show less