Product Description

In her lovingly written, richly imaginative and effortlessly joyful memoir, poet Lorna Goodison weaves the history of her family - 'the fabulous Harvey girls' - with the history of Jamaica. It is a powerful love letter to the people and places that have shaped her. 'Throughout her life my mother lived in two places at once: Kingston, Jamaica, where she raised a family of nine children, and Harvey River, in the parish of Hanover, where she was born and grew up.' When Lorna's great-grandfather, William Harvey, discovered a clearing at the end of a path trodden by the feet of escaping slaves, he gave his name to what was to become his family's home for generations. For Lorna's mother Doris, Jamaica's Harvey River was the place she always called home, where she was one of the 'fabulous Harvey girls' and the rich local bounty of yams, pimentos and mangoes went hand in hand with the Victorian niceties and comforts of her parents' house. Years later, when her fortunes changed, it was a place she returned to in her dreams...She and her husband relocated to 'hard life' Kingston and encountered the harsh realities of urban living in close quarters as they raise their family of nine children. Peopled with a cast of wonderfully drawn characters and written in a lush, vivid prose textured with the cadences of Creole, Lorna Goodison's memoir weaves together memory and island lore to create a vivid and irresistible tapestry.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #194789 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
"'Captivating... Being introduced to the cast of From Harvey River is like sitting down at the family dining table. You'll stay for the day and then on into the evening as each new character pulls up a chair. You could not be in better company.' New York Times 'Beautiful is the life Goodison evokes from the far-distant past... A window that opens onto a society that most of us will never know.' Washington Post"

About the Author
Lorna Goodison is a poet, author of eight books of poetry and two collections of short stories. Her work has been widely translated and anthologized. In 1999 she received Jamaica's Musgrave Gold Medal. Born in Jamaica, Goodison now teaches at the University of Michigan. She divides her time between Ann Arbor and Toronto.

Customer Reviews

Even better with the voice in my head
I heard this being read on Radio 4. I only caught it because it was a bank holiday otherwise I would have been at work. The voice was so hynoptic, I stopped what I was doing and listened and only found out what it was when the program was over. Reading the book brings back the voice and I can hear those beautiful tones bring the characters to life. You don't need the voice but it is a bonus.

A mesmerizing family saga
This is a great read. Lorna Goodison conjures up her family in a way that's almost magical. The characters spring from the page, each with their own voice and manner. It was like spending time in good company and I'd recommend anyone with an interest in Jamaica, language or family to read this lovely book.

From Harvey River
Like the people who have reviewed this book it came to my attention via Radio 4's Book of the week. Immediately I found the book spellbinding to listen to. It also tapped into my family heritage as my maternal grandmother is from Lucea in Hanover which is a parish in Jamaica and she to made the same journey Doris(the main character), made with her family to Kingston.

Lorna Goodison takes you on a journey with 2 generations of her family. This journey is not only touching and heart felt one but it is also tinged with saddness. It also shows the strength family and how they can overcome setbacks they have encountered. This reminded of what life might have been like for own maternal grandmother growing up in Jamaica.

This book will appeal to anyone who likes to get into the jounrney the writer takes you on and Lorna Goodison does not fail to deliver on this.

What a fanatasic book.You will not regret buying or reading it. Thank you Radio 4 and Amazon and not least Lorna Goodison.