Book 46 - Andrea Levy "The Long Song"

Andrea Levy "The Long Song" (Tinder Press)




“The Long Song” is the fictional story of July, a former slave who is writing her autobiography at the urging of her publisher's son, Thomas. July is a former slave born on a Jamaican plantation. One fateful day as she is out with her mother, July is chosen by Caroline Mortimer, the plantation owner’s sister, to be her personal slave. While this means respite from the harsher work of the fields, it also means a tragic separation from her mother.

A heartrending portrait of slavery on the Jamaican sugar plantations, the novel offers a profound exploration of the impact of slavery and relations between whites and blacks during and post-slavery. The characters are compelling; July learns how to survive in a precarious world at a young age, and her voice as she shares her story is like listening to a neighbour talk to you over coffee. It’s a plain-spoken, honest, and profound voice that illuminates the far-reaching impact of slavery as well as the power and goodness of love and hope.