Fruit of the Lemon cover art

Fruit of the Lemon

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Fruit of the Lemon

By: Andrea Levy
Narrated by: Ayesha Antoine
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About this listen

The third and most ambitious novel from this unique and acclaimed writer, Fruit of the Lemon establishes Andrea Levy alongside Arundhati Roy and Meera Syal in the first rank of British fiction.

Faith Jackson fixes herself up with a great job in TV and the perfect flatshare. But neither is that perfect—and nor are her relations with her overbearing, though always loving, family. Furious and perplexed when her parents announce their intention to retire back home to Jamaica, Faith makes her own journey there, where she is immediately welcomed by Aunt Coral, keeper of a rich cargo of family history. Through the weave of her aunt's storytelling, a cast of characters unfolds, stretching back to Cuba and Panama, Harlem and Scotland, a story that passes through London and sweeps through continents.

©1999 Andrea Levy (P)1999 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Americas Caribbean & West Indies Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Caribbean Heartfelt

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All stars
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I've read all by Andrea Levy, she is great with a Jamaican twist. Excellent

Excellent

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Very entertaining and enjoyable. So many of the anecdotes from Jamaica remind me of my life in Africa. I laughed out loud many times whilst listening to this book.

Excellent dialogue & fabulous narration

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The character are so true to life, the reading is beautiful like someone giving you a hug

A enjoyable read/ listen

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This is my third Andrea Levy book, and she does not disappoint her listener

The writing is suffused with intense description that you are transported to south London and Jamaica, smelling the aromas, feeling the emotions, and immersion in sights and sounds of it all.

The storyline was sensitively and empathetically covered, giving the listener an in depth understanding of all the characters.

Ayesha Antoine narrates faultlessly the London and Jamaican accents giving palpable life to the story. Her soft Jamaican lilt was nectar to the ears.

Brilliant book, highly recommend.

The prose is palpable

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Loved it! As a child of Jamaican parents the story resonated with me so much as I’m sure it will with many children of immigrants who visit the homeland for the first time,

Resonated with me

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To be grounded, it's best to know about your heritage. Even if you visit the country where your parents are from as a tourist, do it. Do it as often as it takes for you to feel a part of your family history.

It's great to know about your heritage

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a white British person of a certain age I recognise the casual racism of the post war era which we had whilst patting ourselves on the back for our inclusivity. It is time we addressed the fact that although Britain is better than most countries, there is still more to do to achieve equality.

An eye opener

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What a wonderful book. So enjoyed listening to it. I was brought up in Notting Hill around same time as in the story and although my family were Irish immigrants it is so relatable. It is so tenderly written and all the characters so real . The reader did a great job too. It managed to be very funny( I laughed out loud many times)but also completely meaningful and important.

Fantastic listen

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Andrea Levy really is one of Britain's best writers. She covers often complex Black Jamaican history and family psychology in such a readable way. Two of her acclaimed books have been adapted by the BBC and I wish this one was too. Ayesha Antoine is a Superb reader and brings so much life to the book. Excellent must listen.

The Complexities of Growing Up Jamaican

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I loved everything about it; the story; the characters and all enhanced by the brilliant narration.
An excellent listen!

Brilliant book

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