Island in the Sun: Growing up in Jamaica 1948-1954 by Monica Carly Published by Shakspeare Editorial on September 11, 2023
Genres: History of Jamaica, Social Customs & Traditions
Pages: 214
Format: eBook
Source: ZooLoos Book Tours
Buy on Amazon/Bookshop.org
An absorbing account of a young English girl experiencing the joys and facing the challenges of her unique pathway through adolescence, against the backdrop of an island people intent on breaking away from their mother country and taking up an independent role in the world.
My Thoughts
Monica outlines an intriguing comparison between her early days as a child in Jamaica and the life being lived there now after visiting the area. Therefore, she does a lot of descriptions of day-to-day life that would be foreign even to most of the current generation’s childhood. It is a window through which the many ebbs and tides of that time emerge, yet in an individual and enlightening way. Overall, this is an enjoyable, informative read that gives us a broader view of Jamaica’s history from the other side.
Thank you to Zoé from ZooLoo’s Book Tours and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.
About Monica Carly
Monica Carly was born in Peterborough in 1936 and spent her early years living through the war with all its dramas and privations. At the age of 12 she moved with her family to Kingston, Jamaica, the next 6 years being rich in a wide variety of sights, sounds, tastes and experiences, including surviving a devastating hurricane.
Back in England she gained a B.A. Hons degree at Bristol University and taught English and French at secondary level before raising her family. She has always loved writing and has experimented in many genres such as short stories, children’s stories, and poetry. More recently she has written 2 novels, and at the age of 87 has produced a memoir of her life in Jamaica, which has been very well received.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
