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Title:	How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
Authors:	Jones, Cherie
Genre:	Fiction
Pages:	308
Year:	2021
Language:	English
Description:	Wealthy tourists flock to the tropical delights of Baxter's Beach, Barbados, but for the locals who never get to leave, life in the 1980s is far from idyllic. Lala, whose home is a beachside shack, was raised with the cautionary tale of what happens to girls who disobey their mothers, but still the intergenerational trauma continues. Lala's husband Adan, her grandmother Wilma, her friend and champion Tone; they all tell a different story of this Caribbean paradise, of hardship and violence as the sun shines and the sea sparkles. Told from a variety of perspectives, this is a powerful and haunting story of paradise lost.
Categories:	Fiction, Culture/Ethnic/Racial, Gender Issues, Relationships, Larger font, Barbados, 2024 Titles

Reviews

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By: FERN 001		2024-06-10 10:29:12

Loved the insight into Caribbean culture and parallels to our own bicultural society - different but somehow the same. The generational dysfunctionality of families, the hopelessness, superstition, acceptance of violence, and fear which prevents seeking help are strong themes, presented in wonderful lyrical language.

By: WHITBY 002		2024-05-19 09:50:20

Not an enjoyable book but one that we all thought worth reading. We found it very confronting, honest and authentic, easy to read once we got used to the vernacular. Lala's chapter on "How do you learn to love a man", listing all the types of violence she experiences, was extremely powerful and moving. Not a book that would encourage one to visit that part of the world!

By: KAUKA 001		2024-04-29 10:18:54

The group loved this - thought it was very well-written. We can't wait to see what she writes next.

By: QUEEN 006		2024-04-29 10:17:49

A very thought-provoking book, though graphic and horrifying. Good character portrayal. The book title doesn't indicate the subject matter, and some of us wouldn't have read it but for BookClub, but we are pleased we did. Excellently written ( some did, some didn't enjoy the "pidgin" speech!).

By: QUEEN 001		2024-04-17 11:37:38

Great discussion - excellent book.

By: PARAPA 001		2023-09-11 13:32:45

The subject matter was challenging. Weak ending. No knowledge gained of the actual culture but was easy to read. Not enjoyed or read by all.

By: OTORO 002		2023-02-08 14:33:13

Very thought provoking read, but also confronting and violent. We didn't regret reading it but are not looking for anything similar in a hurry...