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thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
Sharon Maas can write a darn good novel with a strong setting, evocative and fresh with difficult and dark undercurrents and this is no exception. Mary Rose is a character I really cared about and her budding romance with Jock, with the pressures and problems of the time are fascinating. A full review nearer the time but there's some strong history and cultural interest with this one and it's a lyrical and layered story with lots to entice the reader in.
Full review nearer the time but one to put on the TBR list (and then get the others in the series)
Full review nearer the time but one to put on the TBR list (and then get the others in the series)
keeperofpages's review
4.0
The Girl from the Sugar Plantation is the final book in The Quint Chronicles, it follows ‘The Secret Life of Winnie Cox’ and ‘The Sugar Planter’s Daughter’ – but it is absolutely a standalone novel. How can I be sure? Because I read and fully enjoyed it without reading the previous two novels. Whereas the previous two novels focus on Winnie Cox, Mary Grace’s aunt, this novel branches off and gives you the life of Mary Grace. What I will say is, this novel is such a delightful read, it will make you want to read the other two – they are firmly now on my wish-list, along with ‘The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q’, which is a further branch off story of one of the characters we meet in this novel. I hope that’s put this novel in context for you, if not – all you need know is: it’s good, read it!
My initial pull to this novel was its location, Georgetown, Guyana – the birthplace of my father, and it made me so happy to learn more about Guyana through this novel. It’s always a beautiful touch when you read something in a novel that resonates with you in real life, for example, my dad has long been a fan of the sport of cricket, and every time these characters went to play cricket, it made me think of my dad and the times, as a little girl, I would go and watch him play. I toyed with the idea of playing myself, until I was hit in the face with a cricket ball! This novel certainly had a sentimental pull to it and I thank Maas for really allowing the culture of Guyana to shine through in her storytelling.
But that’s not to say you need this sentimental value to enjoy this novel, The Girl from the Sugar Plantation is a touching read, rich in history and characters, creating a pleasant reading experience for all. With strong themes of social injustice and prejudice, Mary Grace struggles to find her place in a world where skin colour determines your social status. Being mixed-race, her mother said she cannot marry a black man because that would mean to marry down in social status and that simply will not do, but to upper white class society, her skin is simply too dark.
Set against the backdrop of the onset of the second world war, this novel is also a coming-of-age story for Mary Grace and Maas does a brilliant job of developing her character, from her somewhat sheltered life to the harsh realities of the society she lives in. Where love is not as simple as it should be, where family secrets threaten to tear her world apart.
Winnie was my favourite character in this novel, a confidant to all, a strong woman who knows her own mind. But I did enjoy the portrayal of Jock’s character, his determination to right the wrongs of his family but he’s about to find out just how hard it is for change to come from above – from a white privileged background, can Jock be a catalyst for change?
I’d recommend The Girl from the Sugar Plantation to anyone who enjoys reading family sagas, enjoys meeting members of the family from each generation and most importantly, enjoys meeting a fictional family whose dynamic and life-stories are interesting and a pleasure to read about. I look forward to reading all the books in The Quint Chronicles.
*My thanks to the publisher (Bookouture) for granting me access to a digital copy of this novel via Netgalley*
My initial pull to this novel was its location, Georgetown, Guyana – the birthplace of my father, and it made me so happy to learn more about Guyana through this novel. It’s always a beautiful touch when you read something in a novel that resonates with you in real life, for example, my dad has long been a fan of the sport of cricket, and every time these characters went to play cricket, it made me think of my dad and the times, as a little girl, I would go and watch him play. I toyed with the idea of playing myself, until I was hit in the face with a cricket ball! This novel certainly had a sentimental pull to it and I thank Maas for really allowing the culture of Guyana to shine through in her storytelling.
But that’s not to say you need this sentimental value to enjoy this novel, The Girl from the Sugar Plantation is a touching read, rich in history and characters, creating a pleasant reading experience for all. With strong themes of social injustice and prejudice, Mary Grace struggles to find her place in a world where skin colour determines your social status. Being mixed-race, her mother said she cannot marry a black man because that would mean to marry down in social status and that simply will not do, but to upper white class society, her skin is simply too dark.
Set against the backdrop of the onset of the second world war, this novel is also a coming-of-age story for Mary Grace and Maas does a brilliant job of developing her character, from her somewhat sheltered life to the harsh realities of the society she lives in. Where love is not as simple as it should be, where family secrets threaten to tear her world apart.
Winnie was my favourite character in this novel, a confidant to all, a strong woman who knows her own mind. But I did enjoy the portrayal of Jock’s character, his determination to right the wrongs of his family but he’s about to find out just how hard it is for change to come from above – from a white privileged background, can Jock be a catalyst for change?
I’d recommend The Girl from the Sugar Plantation to anyone who enjoys reading family sagas, enjoys meeting members of the family from each generation and most importantly, enjoys meeting a fictional family whose dynamic and life-stories are interesting and a pleasure to read about. I look forward to reading all the books in The Quint Chronicles.
*My thanks to the publisher (Bookouture) for granting me access to a digital copy of this novel via Netgalley*
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