Journal Entry 1 by veganknitter from Bolton, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 19, 2005

This book was chosen by my Book Group and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It has an interesting overlapping narrative charting the lives of several people who live in a house in London and how their lives interact. The author has obviously done her research and the book charts the experiences of Jamaican immigrants in the post-war years but also covers the characters' experiences of the Second World War. I have lent it to my mum who served in the Wrens during WWII; she enjoyed it too and has lent it to her best friend. 

Journal Entry 2 by veganknitter at Given to a Family member in -- By post or by hand --, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, May 09, 2005

Released 7 yrs ago (5/9/2005 UTC) at Given to a Family member in -- By post or by hand --, Greater London United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

As my mum currently has this book and is planning to pass it on to her friend I am making release notes for it in the book-crossing zone "given to friend / family member". 

Journal Entry 3 by veganknitter from Bolton, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Since I lent this to my mum it has been read and discussed by my college bookgroup.

Most of us loved it and all had different opinions of it.

Highly recommended! 

Journal Entry 4 by veganknitter from Bolton, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Friday, July 15, 2005

Sent to Lady Mondegreen today.

(Getting a copy of Surfacing by Margaret Atwood - my favourite author via a Bookray).

Hope you enjoy it - I'm sure you will. 

Journal Entry 5 by Lady-Mondegreen from Eastleigh, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, July 21, 2005

Thanks so much for sending this to me. I am looking forward to reading it, after which I will make it available to others. (btw veganknitter my late mum also served in the wrens. surfacing is now with swanofkennet and she will send it to you next). 

Journal Entry 6 by Lady-Mondegreen from Eastleigh, Hampshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Amazon Synopsis:
It is 1948, and England is recovering from a war. But at 21 Nevern Street, London, the conflict has only just begun. Queenie Bligh's neighbours do not approve when she agrees to take in Jamaican lodgers, but Queenie doesn't know when her husband will return, or if he will come back at all. What else can she do? Gilbert Joseph was one of the several thousand Jamaican men who joined the RAF to fight against Hitler. Returning to England as a civilian he finds himself treated very differently. It?s desperation that makes him remember a wartime friendship with Queenie and knock at her door. Gilbert's wife Hortense, too, had longed to leave Jamaica and start a better life in England. But when she joins him she is shocked to find London shabby, decrepit, and far from the golden city of her dreams. Even Gilbert is not the man she thought he was.
.......................................

This terrific book was by turns funny, upsetting and extremely moving. An raw, honest and no-holds barred account of the prejudice people experienced when trying to make a new life for themselves in the country they had been brought up to love and admire, representing to them a pinnacle of achievement. This made me feel quite angry, as the reality when they arrived was so different to what they dreamed it would be. I often hear that Great Britain is today a very tolerant society with people of many different ethnic backgrounds living side by side. I would truly love to believe that some of the reactions that Gilbert and Hortense received wouldn’t happen nowadays but sadly that quite clearly is not the case as we know from recent tragic events in the news. A very compelling read that I could not put down. I am glad to have read this book. I hope to release this soon either by post or at a meet-up if I can get there tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 7 by Lady-Mondegreen at BC HANTS Meet up in Winchester, Hampshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (8/17/2005 UTC) at BC HANTS Meet up in Winchester, Hampshire United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Released in The Cart and Horses at my first BC meet up 

Journal Entry 8 by nyassa from Deal, Kent United Kingdom on Thursday, August 18, 2005

I have been wanting to read this for some time! Thank you to Lady-Mondegreen and also to veganknitter. 

Journal Entry 9 by nyassa from Deal, Kent United Kingdom on Friday, December 30, 2005

A wonderful book which I have just finished in record time. Very compelling. I particularly enjoyed the four different narrators - I could almost hear their individual voices. 

Journal Entry 10 by Starry-Starry from Llandrindod Wells, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, February 11, 2006

Thanks very much Nyassa. I'm a sucker for prize winners so I'm looking forward to reading this one! 

Journal Entry 11 by Starry-Starry from Llandrindod Wells, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, July 22, 2006

I really liked this book. It was a little slow to start, but it soon became the sort of book I have to carry around with me in case I have a chance to snatch a few moments reading time. What impressed me most was the characterisation, Andrea Levy manages to speak for four completely different characters with such assurance that you understood them completely - their motivations and actions. Gilbert was my favourite character, his story was a revelation. When you first meet him, through Hortense's eyes, he seems like such a fly-by-night character, after a quick buck and a little harmless fun, but the depth of his thinking and his insights are wonderful. I just hope his dream came true and he trained to be a lawyer rather than ended up driving a big red bus!

I will be seeking out more books by Andrea Levy!

29th July 2006
Offered on the bookrelay (UK Only Recentish fiction) and claimed by Katybean, going in the post today. Hope you enjoy it as mych as I did Katybean! 

Journal Entry 12 by katybean from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Wow, that was quick delivery!!

Many thanks for the book - I'll journal again when I've read it.

Katybean

note to self - teachie would like this after me!! 

Journal Entry 13 by katybean from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, January 18, 2008

I thought this was a brilliant read, I loved how you saw the story told through the different characters in the book. I read this when I was on a Caribbean cruise so it made the story slightly more interesting to me.

I also left this book in the Caribbean, so who knows where this will go next!!!

Katybean 

Journal Entry 14 by katybean at Departure Lounge in Grantley Adams International Airport, St. Michael Barbados on Friday, January 18, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (1/16/2008 UTC) at Departure Lounge in Grantley Adams International Airport, St. Michael Barbados

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I left this book in the departure lounge, hoping someone would find it and take it to read on the plane - hopefully it got found!!