Small Island

So I'm reading this book, and I start finding myself spending a lot more time scrolling aimlessly on Reddit rather than reading my book; this is a red flag.

One of the problems is that the book starts off with Hortense narrating, and she is a truly unlikeable character, just off-putting in the extreme. Then from her experiences we switch to Gilbert's, which are full of racism and very difficult to read (I know, I can't read about what other people lived through, I'm horrible). By the time it switched over to Queenie's chapters I was not getting any pleasure from reading this book, and was not really interested in what she might add to the mix. It was obvious that things were just going to be shit for these people, and they were not interesting enough to make me sit through that. I made it about halfway through the book, and most of that was because I was unconsciously afraid I would look like a racist if I didn't read and finish this book. Then I remembered that reading is my hobby, and reading (or not reading) something out of fear of what others might think is sick. So I returned the book to the library and grooved on.

read this for class and was genuinely taken aback at how much i loved this. and how much i learned!

you can argue that small island is trying to do too much...lots of POVs and lessons to learn here. but each one was given its proper time in my opinion.

i found bernards sexual issues to be particularly interesting. We've seen bullies and racists written but we seldom hear about their sexual and romantic repression brought on by the very same racism they keep close.

and queenie is a scarily accurate illustration of white allyship, specifically in an individual who is truly convinced there is very little learning involved in it (and that being an ally for selfish reasons is good enough). i respect queenie so much for being able to break some barriers and ruffle feathers. at the same time, i think she enjoys ruffling them and does not consider the danger of it, especially for her tenants who will ACTUALLY be affected by that danger. which i think is such a frustrating part of white allyship...you don't get to stir shit up and say “hey look what i just did!”. she can't keep her tenants safe from these people shes angering and bernard's reappearance (and the theatre scene) are great examples of that. lots of allyship comes from resistance to the people who brought us up. and once that rebellion is no longer fun, it's only about what you can get from it (ie, being a white knight to feel better about yourself or fucking the men you're meant to be advocating for.) i did all that talking to say that queenies character felt so real to me. and i also don't hate her! i think she's doing her best and that's obvious to me in her selfless act at the end. maybe it's not selfless to you but let's consider the alternatives! no black child should live in a world that will grow to hate or resent it for literally no reason. you can argue that sheltering them from it (aka bernard) will only make them unprepared for it (aka racism) but our parents and our childhoods are some of the most formative tools we have. why make a kid suffer for the sake of preparation? some of us were simply ignored and talked to harshly as a kid and it still affects our ability to communicate and love. so i think it's pretty selfless to give him the opportunity to not live in a household with a man, however caring he is now, that will resent his skin, his face, his heritage. and let's also be honest. bernard is only soft towards micheal because he's a literal newborn. the minute he made a mistake, perhaps fulfilling a stereotype, michael would be just like the rest of them. can you tell i feel strongly about this? this anger is good. it means bernard is real too, which is terrifying! frightening even.

anyways. i thought hortense and gilbert's slow love story was one of most impressive aspects of the story. but i think the whole micheal situation coming full circle was expected and at the same time, did not feel believable. things happen i guess! ultimately though all my lil negative tidbits did not actually affect my reading as a whole and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

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.

Book #5 of 2020 – Small Island by Andrea Levy

5 out of 5 stars

Queenie Bligh owns a boarding house in England around the time when World War II is coming to an end. She decides to take in a number of black lodgers, she simply sees them as paying customers but others in the boarding house are in disagreement. The book also tells the story from the perspective of others including Queenie's husband and two of her lodgers Gilbert Joseph and Hortense Roberts.

This book deals with racism, if you find this subject difficult it may be extremely challenging. I did find this story difficult to read at times but it was also very eye opening. I didn't know the extent of racism in the England, much of this book is based on Andrea Levy's parent's experience, but using those she has woven together an excellent story of her own.

I loved this book, it is shocking at times, it is difficult at times but it is very much worth the read.

I enjoy books about people of nationalities different than mine. This story took place during World War II. I initially thought it would be about Jamaica, however it became more about Britain. The differences between black and white skin was a major factor in the book. The book extracted many emotions from me: happiness, sadness, anger, frustration & sorrow. I recommend it.

Sometimes we readers find a book we love so much we can't put it down and end up reading it late into the night until we get to the end.

Sometimes we find a book that we love so much we force ourselves to set it down and save it for another day, dragging out the enjoyment of the book for days or even weeks.

Small Island was a save-it book for me. Beautiful language. Fascinating characters and setting.

I dragged this book out for weeks. Highly recommended.