The story of the Windrush Generation, against the backdrop of wartime London.

Genre : Fiction / wartime drama

Pages : 530

First published: 2004

Original language: English

The plot: Centred around four characters (Londoners Queenie and her husband Bernard, and Jamaican immigrants Hortense and Gilbert), this is a far reaching story moving between pre-war London and Jamaica, to London in 1948. Hortense and Gilbert emigrate to London in search of a better life, living as lodgers in the home of Queenie, whose husband (Bernard) is away fighting in India.

They soon learn that it is not the golden land of their dreams, and experience racial discrimination to an appalling degree. Queenie likewise experiences her own journey, from a loveless marriage of convenience to the dull Bernard, to discovering connection and friendship with Hortense and Gilbert, and forbidden love in the form of Michael, another Jamaican on leave from the RAF.

What did I think of the book?

It was very long! Parts of this novel felt very lengthy, and the extensive sections detailing the male character’s experience of battle and the rigors of military service felt like a slog. Long passages of the novel struggled to hold my attention, and I confess I almost gave up. The female characters (Queenie and Hortense) were far more interesting. They are the backbone of the story, and I found their stories to be much more engaging. Perhaps that’s because I’m a woman and related to their experiences more.

What was most interesting about this book?

The racial discrimination experienced by Gilbert and Hortense, and the stark nature of the language used, upset me greatly. I detest racism in all its forms, and I found myself feeling ashamed of previous generations for whom this language and way of thinking was the norm. It led to me to feel thankful that such blatant discriminatory treatment cannot take place in workplaces or on the street today due to equality laws. But the same time I was saddened that racism does still take place, albeit in the form of, for example, far right politics, microaggressions and social media misinformation.

What am I going to take away from this book?

This piece isn’t intended to be a diatribe on racism, wartime or any other potentially inflammatory subject. However, whilst reading this book I found myself reflecting on how lucky we are to live in a world where we no longer need to make sacrifices on the level of the characters in Small Island. We can love whomever we choose, with little fear of reprisal. Likewise, we can live anywhere we choose and build a life for ourselves as we see fit. And yet racial discrimination still exists. This book for me highlighted how important it is for all to stand together against racism. We must work together to ensure we don’t go backwards.

Will I enjoy this book?

You might. It’s a divisive book, and seems to be loved and disliked in equal measure. While not a difficult read in a language sense, parts of the novel are very slow and struggled to hold my attention. If you’re familiar with the historical context and this novel is tied to your ancestry, you may feel differently. But it’s definitely not a book for everyone.

Star rating : 3/5