Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Small Island

Small Island follows a Jamaican couple and a British couple in the final years and just following the end of the second World War. The colourful writing and brilliant characterisation made it a pleasure to read. I found it to be a wonderful depiction of Jamaica and I learned a lot about the struggles faced by the Windrush generation. I think this is essential reading for anyone in the UK today, as learning about this history can teach us a lot about the present too. At the end of the book is a Winston Churchill quote: "Never has so much been owed by so many to so few." This quote takes on a whole new meaning in the context of the hundreds of thousands of Commonwealth soldiers who fought for Britain in the war effort.

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annaem's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny informative sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“There are some words that once spoken will split the world in two. There would be the life before you breathed them and then the altered life after they'd been said. They take a long time to find, words like that. They make you hesitate. Choose with care.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Small Island is told from the points of view of four people (two couples), living in London. Two are British, the other two have emigrated from Jamaica. In this post-WWII novel we hear about the racism encountered, the trauma of war and how their lives intertwine. I found this a really interesting and informative read, but also surprisingly humorous and lighthearted in spite of the serious subject matter. The audio was expertly narrated by the author.

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afion's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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rebeccamm's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Enjoyed the first 250 pages well enough. Then the book shifted focus to a deeply-flawed and racist character for another 80-100 pages. Truly hated this character and it made me dislike the book.

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sarah984's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was an interesting and heartbreaking novel about Jamaican soldiers who served on behalf of the British Empire during World War II, and the racism they faced both as a "different sort of Black" from American GIs and in England after the war.

The character voices were all unique and it was interesting to see the same situations from their different points of view. I docked a star because it started getting kind of melodramatic and silly near the end.

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nora__reads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Such a beautiful book, manages to be both critical and hopeful.

For anyone wanting to learn more about the British empire and the effect its had on the country and the rest of the world, look no further.

A wonderful character study and an informative piece of historical fiction - levy balances the humour of being human with the seriousness of being a black human in an unwelcoming environment.

A book which helps us understand ourselves better and learn from past mistakes.

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