Dear The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter,
I can't say I have ever read another book quite like you. You were such a compelling mix of a coming of age story, magical realism and a folk tale. You mixed the sisters voices so beautifully, as they narrated and navigated their lives. I learned a lot about the different Anansi tales, and the deep way that stories can affect people's lives. I loved Sasha and Zora. They were so different from each other, but so similar at their core, and their relationship rang so true to me. You were not the easiest if books to read, with themes of sexual identity and infidelity at your core, but you also beautifully tackled the concept of finding family and home.

THE HUMAN ORIGINS OF BEATRICE PORTER AND OTHER ESSENTIAL GHOSTS was a confounding novel with many themes, plot points, and moments weaving together to create a timeline that I just couldn't keep up with. My true rating may be closer to a 2.5 simply because I did enjoy the writing itseld. Soraya Palmer surely is talented and gifted in what she does, but I couldn't immerse myself in this story in the way that I wanted to.

This was such a incredible story and I enjoyed every moment of it. This was haunting and chilling and this was all that I needed to enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed this debut novel covering themes of family, history, the importance of stories and storytelling, and the effects of multi-generational trauma. The structure was unique, with a seemingly omniscient storyteller with their own story to tell and the two sisters’ POVs, all of which bounced back and forth in time. I listened on audio and the narrator was fantastic but I spent the first 25% or so of the book pretty confused about who was speaking and where in the timeline we were. I think reading a physical copy would solve most of that difficulty. Overall, this was a thought-provoking novel that I’m glad I requested on a whim based on the title and description, and I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance listening copy!

Format: Audiobook, courtesy of netgalley but views are my own.

Plot:

This is part coming of age, part family drama, and part African folktale. As two sisters come into their own, they face various family hardships. Between these scenes are stories of their parents youth and their interaction with the ghosts, spirits and deities of their homeland.


Pros:

I think there is a lot to love about this book - the inclusion of such vibrant folklore, the relatable family affairs, the gender exploration, the sexuality representation, it is all very current and fresh feeling.


Not-so-pros:

It felt a little disorganised to read, perhaps a little chaotic. Which could well be a narrative choice, but for me distracted from the real quality of the book. I think a stronger central plot or image or theme to carry the story throughout would have helped keep focus.


Final:

A really enjoyable read, focusing on an underrepresented part of our world in most modern popular fiction, and some great diverse representation.

This was an excellent novel, with multiple narrators and story threads, and the narrators did a great job, the author wrote a wonderful story and created a great family, especially related to the sisters

DNF

It has been a long time since I haven’t finished a book, but I just couldn’t get through this one. The stories were mildly interesting, but I just dreaded continuing, so I stopped.

I really enjoyed this book, however it was a deceptively slow burn for me I started and put it down a few times and almost DNF I think my problem is more the narrator then the story itself . The fluctuation between scenes don’t flow well together . However I loved getting to know these characters and and their stories mixed in with folklore .
I absolutely loved learning about the Jamaican - Trinidadian legends and beliefs . Nigel’s violence could have been toned down a bit it was a little heard to get through that.

All in all I would rate a 3.5 great job !!

Sasha and Zora are Jamaican-Trinidadian sisters growing up in Brooklyn in the 90s in a tumultuous household where their mother is always ill and their dad is unfaithful and violent. They weather the storms by telling each other the stories they grew up hearing from their parents with new twists but those stories can’t always keep their demons at bay and as the girls grow older, their fears grow as family secrets come to light.

This story was beautiful and complicated and not wrapped up in a tidy bow. I don’t think I’m smart or imaginative enough to understand all of the folklore but I loved hearing about such complicated main characters from a Caribbean perspective

This debut novel was so intriguing and uniquely layered with a magical realism twist. It takes you on a journey through sisterhood, family drama, culture, storytelling, and the complexities of discovering yourself. This is probably the third novel I’ve read that involved magical realism and was the only one that surpassed my expectations.

It’s something about a book that can immerse you into the plot and make it easy to connect with the characters. While this may not be an easy read for some due to the timeline jumps and magical elements the novel was so vivid, well-developed, fast-paced, and detailed.

It follows two sisters Zora and Sasha Porter as they begin to drift apart in the midst of dealing with their father’s mistreatment & infidelity, along with their mother becoming ill, and uncovering hidden truths about their families past. Zora is on the road to self-discovery and dreams of becoming a writer. While her sister Sasha struggles with sexuality, gender identity, and finding herself. The novel also highlights the power of mythical storytelling featuring the Rolling Calf who haunts butchers, Mama Dglo who lives in the ocean, a vain tiger, and an outsmarted snake.

Overall this book was nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend if you’re into magical realism or just want to give it a try this book is a must read. It’s a perfectly woven novel with a solid premise. I enjoyed the audiobook so much I ordered a physical copy. Special thanks to the author, Catapult, & netgalley for my advanced audio copy!!!

I listened to this audiobook and I very much enjoyed it. Great story that just kept me reading.

I very much recommend.

This was so interesting! I loved the way Palmer switched between the narrators and the constant “Let me tell you a story” refrain - it was incredibly engaging. While Beatrice isn’t necessarily likable, she is understandable. I loved Zora and Sasha and their relationship - how it evolved and devolved. But what was really intriguing to me was the fantastical element. I know nothing of Jamaican-Trinidadian legends and beliefs, so hearing them told in this manner was eye opening. Highly recommend - and the audio version is absolutely terrific!

Thank you netgalley for early approval for this audio book.

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts was a story I was not expecting to capture me the way it did.

This novel intertwines the lives of two daughters and their mother and tells us what are stories and ghosts.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Human Origins of Beatrice Potter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer. This book rich with a complex family unit, dreams of Folktales and spirits. This book keeps your interest till the very end.

3.5

“Mothers never die. Children love to resurrect us in they stories.”

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this audiobook 

Folktales and spirits animate this lively and unforgettable coming-of-age tale of two Jamaican-Trinidadian sisters in Brooklyn grappling with their mother's illness, their father's infidelity, and the truth of their family's past.

I loved the weaving of family story telling/folk stories into this family saga but found it was often disjointed and took a while to get back into each time you stopped and then picked it up again, it might be less so in a physical or electronic version versus the audiobook

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Many thanks to the author Soraya Palmer, publishers Dreamscape Media, and NetGallery for the AAC (advanced audio copy) in exchange for my honest review.

I can not believe this is a debut novel. The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts is brilliant story of families, the bonds of sisterhood, cultures, rich folklore, explores diverse family dynamics and LGBTQ+ characters.

Human Origins was very well written and captivating. Highly recommended. ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to #NetGalley and @Dreamscape_media for the Audio-ARC
Now Available

This is an interesting book. Weaving Caribbean tales of Anansi the Spider with sexuality in a multi-generational tale of a Jamaican-Trinidadian-American family. The characters are well developed and rich. The movement between narrators was relatively easy to follow, and filled out the character development. The pain of rejection, physical abuse, domestic violence, and infidelity run deep in this book, creating the ghosts that haunt the characters. This is a book of loss and redemption, of identity and expectation.

The world that Palmer builds is rich and full. I loved the time markers from pop culture used, especially the very specific Buffy the Vampire references.

This is a deceptively slow read. Maybe it was violence that had me leaving and returning, or maybe it was just the narrator’s voice work. Especially in the first half I needed to walk away for a while before coming back, but in the end I am glad I got to read this tale. There are some very important feminist critiques built into this narrative, to go along with comments on homophobia and racism.

I wish I had read this book, instead of requesting the audio. Gray is not my favorite narrator, and her choices with accents and voices feel over the top to me. Some of the Caribbean characters almost sing the dialog until it starts to morph into an almost faux-Irish accent.

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer
Format: audiobook courtesy of Dreamscape Media and NetGalley

Yes, that is the full title of this book, and much like the title, this debut novel by Soraya Palmer has a lot going on. After checking out the stunning cover art and reading the blurb, I knew I had to see what this book was about.

Told from a variety of points of view, this book journeys through the experiences and perspectives from members of the same family- sisters Sasha and Zora, their mother Beatrice, from Trinidad and Tobago, and their Jamaican father, whose name escapes me. This book talks about family, culture and heritage, the power of stories and folktales, and the struggles of immigrants coming to New York City in the 1990s. Unfortunately, for me the larger meaning behind these woven stories was lost. The narrator's voice was beautiful to listen to, but this may have been a better book to read for the first time, that would have made it easier to follow.

The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts is one of those books where ten different people can read it and get ten different reactions. I can see how some people can fall in love with the poetic use of language, the evocative folktale retellings, and be vested in the journey of the sisters and their mother. I wish that I was one of those people, but instead I got lost in trying to understand what the book was trying to tell me. Ultimately, this book was not the right fit for me, and I DNF’d at 60%.

I enjoyed the magical realism of this story & how it intertwined into the characters life. The perspective of allowing the narrator to have their own voice was both creating & original, like breaking the fourth wall in the story.

This was a GREAT story and I think I would've loved it if I had just read the actual book (E or print) but the audiobook narration wasn't completely it. As a person of Caribbean descent (specifically Trinidadian and Haitian), the accents really turned me off. The narrators accent was from someone's Caribbean country but did not sound like a Trini at all...not a Jamaican one either (I grew up around a lot of Jamaicans so I've heard plenty). Because the accents weren't great, it took away from the experience of the book. The narrator's voice was great outside of the awful Caribbean accent.

I did enjoy the incorporation of Caribbean mythology, talks of practices/beliefs and weaving in storytelling. I didn't like Anacoana being reduced to a jumbie (she's closer to a saint or a Goddess, IMO) but I appreciated that her history being talked about. I also liked that there were varying timelines and perspectives. It also took me through a range of emotions, which is always the sign of a great book.

I would recommend this book but NOT the audiobook.