Product Description

"She wondered what kind of world she had brought her two daughters into ? the tedious cycle of rural Jamaican life. No chance for them to set off upon adventures and see the outside world." But sisters Jenny and Hortense Rodney, descendents of the fierce Maroon people, do get to see the world, and 'Island Songs' is their story. Growing up in rural Claremont, working amid the hustle and bustle, lawn parties and 'houses of joy' in Trenchtown, the two sisters take a chance and move to England with their husbands, that far-off land of riches, where they settle down to motherhood amongst the jazz cafes and bleak streets of Brixton. A beautiful evocation of twentieth-century Jamaica, its history and traditions, and equivocal status as an overlooked outpost of the dwindling British Empire,' Island Songs' is an epic of love, diaspora, and sorely tested family loyalties. Many stories are told, but many more secrets are never revealed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28673 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

The Times
`A triumph...a pro in prose...one of the most exciting writers of
the black urban experience'

New Nation
`Unfolds like the photo album of almost any Jamaican family...
a fitting tribute to a beautiful island and its people'

Daily Mail
`Plain, unsparing, and heart-rendingly poignant'

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Read
Alex Wheatles' Island Songs takes us on a remarkable journey through years of struggle and tradition in Jamaica. We follow the main characters, Hortense and Jenny, through their childhood and into their twiglight years. His portrayal of family life, the loves, lies and loyalty are heartrendingly accurate. The conversations and quickfire exchanges throughout are a pleasure to read, again Wheatle manages to combine the humour and pain of the situations, leaving the reader feeling a deep empathy for his characters.
This is a very good read, not just a novel, but also a social study of 20th Century Jamaica

Authentic heartfelt portrayal of Jamaican life
This book is a fabulous read for anyone interested in Jamaican culture, history and family life. Wheatle's vivid descriptions and patois dialogue transport you into the heart of Jamaican life. But ultimately,the novel is a story about love on multiple levels, between parent and child, husband and wife, and siblings. Great read!

A fantastic read for all Jamaicans
I was in my local library one day and just picked this up because of the cover, never heard of the author but after Island Songs i will be reading much more by Alex Wheatle. My parents came to England in the sixties and every part of Island Songs is their story from back home in Jamaica to England. My dad told me the exact stories as Alex wrote, and the Jamaican partois is great. I laughed so much. My husband is Turkish and i read extracts from the book to him and there is one powerful incident in the book that made us choke up emotionally it was very moving,i cried tears. Please get this book, thoroughly enjoyable.