Bev Clarke

"My God, I've got two women expecting children from me at the same time",, April 21, 2014

This review is from: Born in the Briar Patch (Paperback)
received as free download in return for review

This is a novel that will appeal to readers who like family sagas, twists, turns and long-kept secrets.
I don't normally choose books like that, but found myself getting increasingly caught up in this one, and just had to see it through to the end!
Set in Barbados, it follows pretty mixed-race Nellie Peterkin, a servant to 'handsome and rugged plantation owner' John Bottomsley and his unpleasant racist wife Sarah (I started off thinking this was set in the era of slavery, but it soon became apparent it took place in the early 20th century,) but life hasn't changed much for the black inhabitants:
" There ain't much difference between what we are now and what we used to be. we still get treated like slaves.'
"This is what you call free?...Look at the way we living. Look at this little hot place we have here with the sun scorching us to death. Running and jumping every time they call our name ."

The choices Nellie makes, the very convincing characters of Miss Ella and Miss Una, two elderly ladies and friends of hers, and of course the up and coming new generation, form a very readable book. I would be glad to give the sequel a go some time!… (mehr)