I did not finish- I found it really hard going, despite it being short. The cover is absolutely beautiful but the contents are not as engaging as I’d hoped.

Confession: When I started reading this book, I did not know where Guadalupe is. You don't need to know exactly to understand the book; context makes it clear that it's in the Caribbean and there is a Haiti (which I do know) storyline. About half the book takes place in Strasbourg, France, as well.

I start with this because I love immersing into new places, cultures, and ideas via reading. I looked up Guadalupe on the map and could imagine the movement of current characters, as well as the slave trade that brought their ancestors there and continues to inform their lives. I could see both ends of the phone lines on the international calls from France, and feel the loneliness of the characters with all that ocean between them. I could grasp the isolation and hopelessness that many of the characters felt on a small island surrounded by huge water.

A lot of big topics are explored in this novel, but it's through the small moments of connection, conversation, choices, and revelations that the emotions and characters sunk into my heart. I'm glad to have met Salomon and his family and their stories will remain with me for a long time.

I really enjoyed reading this book as it was a great work of literary fiction. The family conflict was set against the backdrop of the Haitian dictatorship in the 1960s and the family’s immigration to Guadalupe which made this an interesting read. The tensions that arose due to events happening in this time period really helped explain a lot of the family conflicts at play in this book. I thought that the viewpoint of this conflict coming from the son Salomon, and how it impacted his future in Part 2 provided a compelling storyline. I also enjoyed learning about Gwada culture and how the characters navigated this identity while moving to France. I thought the plot line surrounding colorism and identity was brilliantly done.

I do wish however, that we would’ve gotten to see more of the immediate fallout after the Junior’s car crash as I felt that was an important part of the storyline. Often, I felt like the impacts of the tragedies that took place in this book on the character were not always fully described, and kept me wishing for a more detailed account. Overall this was a really captivating and unique read, and that author is clearly a remarkable storyteller.