The True History of Paradise

The True History of Paradise brings to life the turbulent past of Jamaica through the history of a varied and multi-ethnic family whose story reflects that of the island itself. Both engrossing and thought-provoking, this novel lends a sense of beauty to a violent history.

This was very similar to her latest book The Pirates Daughter - an overview of Jamaican Culture, multi-generational, with many of the same character types - the witholding mother, illegitimate or "outside" child, the kindly country grandmother - and a wide range of folks - mixed race, rastas, Scots, Syrians, Jews,intellectuals, ex-pats, farmers, obeah women, etc. It's like a purse chock full of so much stuff you're not sure why it's all there but you'd be hard pressed to figure out what to take out.