Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, The Long Song, by Andrea Levy is the epic tale of Miss July, who was born into slavery in Jamaica, but who ends her days as a free woman. Persuaded by her well-to-do publisher son, July writes her story in her own words. She tells of her mother, Kitty, who is abused by the overseer on the sugar plantation of Amity, the result of which is July, a pretty girl who, as she grows, comes to the attention of Caroline Mortimer, the widowed sister of the plantation owner. She removes July from her mother, as she wants her to be her housemaid, and renames her Margueritte. Through the eyes of July, we witness the heart-breaking treatment dealt out by white men and women on their fellow human beings. I find it so hard to comprehend how a life could be deemed to be so worthless by those in power, and that people were totally at the mercy and whims of the plantation owners, who grew fatter and fatter while their slaves withered and died. July grows into a young woman and finally sees the abolition of slavery - but it is not the joyous event they all felt it would be, for not much really changes. Almost everyone stays where they were, doing what they were doing. Things do change over time, and a new overseer to Amity brings love into July's life. But this can't possibly last! This book does not hold back on the grim nature of slavery, but manages to do it in such a way that the reader is not hit over the head with it. There is plenty of humour which bring bright shards of light into the dark and heavy subject matter. But do not think that this is a slog to read, for it is not. I loved the device of the narrator coming to what might be a natural end, but then moaning that she must continue because her son is telling her that she must write about some of the things she has merely touched upon, or not even mentioned. This helps the reader to see that no matter how grim things are appearing to be for July, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I read the audio edition and I think that the narration by the author herself really helped bring this book to life. I was so eager to keep going with the story that I found myself putting it on first thing in the morning whilst I was doing my yoga session. If you want a book that contains pretty much the whole range of human emotions and are not afraid to look the evil of slavery in the eye, then The Long Song should suit you very well.
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 432 print pages.
Price I paid: Free, it was a gift.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD: unabridged audio download; ebook.
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