Roy A. K. Heath (1926–2008)

In contrast to his elder brother Selwyn, Galton has neither self awareness nor self confidence, ascribed to his bad tempered and controlling mother and leaving him withdrawn and misogynistic. This wanders through fatally toxic masculinity remaining ambiguous as to responsibility with regard to it. Galton and certain other characters are repulsive and all are flawed and fairly shallow.

Roy Heath writes quite compelling tales of oddball Guyanese people, set against a vivid backdrop of life there.
Galton Flood - from a "decent" family, but alienated, damaged by his relationship to his mother, finds himself a dropout, in a seedy lodging house, attracted by his landlord's daughter.
As Gemma's past (and Galton's imaginings) combine, a terrible situation arises...

Despite being a fairly short book (186p), I found it took me quite a while to wade through it..and yet it's quite well written and memorable. You just can't do too much at a time.
This is the final volume of Heath's Armstrong trilogy (of which I'd read the first last year), featuring a dysfunctional family- well-to-do mother, abusive father, disapproving relatives on both sides- and as we learn here, a brother who has left town after becoming inappropriately involved with his sister
This show more volume concerns itself with said sister.
I found Genetha a somewhat unknowable character, drifting as a lonely, respectable woman from her boring, correct suitor into a highly unsuitable relationship with one Fingers. Things go terribly wrong; and after a spell in a mental institution, Genetha is forever labelled. Moving between religion, her disapproving maternal relatives....and the former servant, who since being unfairly dismissed by Genetha's late mother offers the girl a non-judgemental home in her brothel...
There's a strange dreamy quality to the tale, but Heath sure can write! show less

Moderately well written tale of an unhappy Guyanan marriage in the 1920s. As Sonny Armitage marries 'above' him, the initial passion soon subsides into dislike and irritation; his wife Gladys, meanwhile retreats into her own thoughts and unwise friendship with the servants. Described on cover as a "spare but gentle exploration of the untravelled countries of the heart." First in a trilogy...and I felt motivated to send off for sequel from ebay!