Complicating matters, of course, are the horrors of slavery. Rhiannon’s interventions when slaves face cruel punishments tend to make matters worse, she exhibits grace for Albert’s out-of-wedlock son and his enslaved mother, and as hints of a revolt rock Jamaica as surely as the earthquakes, Rhiannon’s feelings for Fain Hill are complicated, and not just because of the centipedes. Liam, meanwhile, is soon en route to Jamaica as chaperone to a prickly young woman (“Even her curls appeared tightly wound,” Graham writes). His real mission, of course,is to see Rhiannon. One delicious twist: rather than find the young man, an abolitionist, a threat, Albert hires him on.
Graham spins the tale with brisk, engaging prose, palpable longing, and a strong sense of intrigue and gathering dread. The novel builds to inevitable but surprising tragedies but also a satisfying ending that does not diminish the weight of the history. Like Rhiannon, Graham abounds in grace, with even that tightly wound young woman proving, in the end, a compelling and nuanced creation.
Takeaway:Humane historical novel of love, law, and the horrors of slavery in the Americas.
Comparable Titles: Natasha Boyd’s The Indigo Girl, Sarah Lark’s Island of a Thousand Springs.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
