Small Island
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3 months free
Small Island
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Narrated by:
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Andrea Levy
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By:
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Andrea Levy
About this listen
Small Island by best-selling author Andrea Levy won the Orange Prize for Fiction, as well as many other awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Whitbread. Now a major BBC drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Naomie Harris, its enduring appeal will captivate fans of Maya Angelou and Zadie Smith.
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....
©2004 Andrea Levy (P)2015 Headline Publishing Group LtdListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
'A great read...honest, skilful, thoughtful and important.' ( Guardian)
I got so much more from it by doing this.
I was born in 1940 so was just a baby during the war and this was a real eye opener for me.
If ever Andrea Levy tires of writing she could surely earn a living with her talent for narrating!
A breath taking saga.
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Interesting
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superb!
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Highly recommended
Loved it
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very enjoyable and thought provoking
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The story is written with humor even though it is a heavy hearted topic, you will surely be laughing aloud. I read/listened to it with a smile and a tear, and am sure that I will reread/listen to it again!
Small island - a must read/listen
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Thought provoking
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What made the experience of listening to Small Island the most enjoyable?
Andrea Levy's wonderful accentsWhat was one of the most memorable moments of Small Island?
The different perpspectives taken by the characters, and the language used - loved it allWhat about Andrea Levy’s performance did you like?
Andrea Levy's accents were spot onWas this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Too long for one sitting, but looked forward to listening every time!Absolutely Brilliant!
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What did you like most about Small Island?
The characters are well written and it describes times past without being political or judgementalWhat other book might you compare Small Island to, and why?
It reminds me the Midwives seriesWhat about Andrea Levy’s performance did you like?
The performance kept my interest and added to my enjoymentWas there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Too many to pick out oneAn interesting historical perspective
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Beautifully written and read
exceptional
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