In the tradition of Zadie Smith and Marlon James, a debut novel, set in Barbados, about four people confronting violence and love in a beachfront \u201cparadise\u201d<\/p>\n
In Baxter\u2019s Beach, Barbados, Lala\u2019s grandmother Wilma tells the story of the one-armed sister, a cautionary tale about what happens to girls who disobey their mothers and go into the Baxter\u2019s Tunnels. When she\u2019s grown-up, Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men, driven into the Tunnels by desperation and greed, who attempt a crime that may cost them their freedom\u2014and their lives.<\/p>\n
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House<\/a><\/em><\/strong> by Cherie Jones is one of 2021\u2019s most anticipated releases. In fact, it landed on O, The Oprah Magazine\u2019s 55 of the Most Anticipated Books of 2021. Once you start reading this novel, you quickly realize why Cherie Jones\u2019 debut belongs on this list.<\/p>\n Cherie Jones packs a lot of emotion and trauma into 276 pages. Her writing style is unique. There is little dialogue \u2013 most of the action is in the characters\u2019 thoughts. The story is mainly told from the perspectives of Lala, Mira and Wilma \u2013 three very different women whose lives collide \u2013 in Lala and Wilma\u2019s case through familial bond and in Mira\u2019s case through circumstance. Jones mentions in interviews that Lala\u2019s voice just came to her and Lala is the character whose voice you want to hear throughout the novel.<\/p>\n How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House<\/em><\/strong> is not for the faint of heart. It is a wrenching, brutal novel that depicts how violence and abuse impacts the lives of women. You do get the male perspective, in a limited way, and this serves to move the story forward. Either way, you get a real understanding of the poverty, wealth and violence that exist in this tropical paradise.<\/p>\n Jones writing style is so rich and visual. You can picture what is going on with each of the characters. The narrative and action is so real. There isn\u2019t one wasted word or moment in the carefully edited story. Jones has a gift for writing \u2013 part stream of consciousness and part Maya Angelou<\/a> shown in the simplicity of the language melded with the complexity of the situation. It is an empathetic thriller that shows the will to survive.<\/p>\n When you finish the book, you will feel drained, but it is one of the best debuts from a writer who isn\u2019t afraid to tell a story that many writers wouldn\u2019t. We can\u2019t wait to see what Cherie Jones will do next.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you cannot call his name, cannot make him stop because like the wave that crests and falls and disappears somewhere beneath the wooden floorboards, he is out of reach.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This line describes Lala\u2019s relationship with her husband Adan and the violence that was a constant in the book.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Favourite Line From the Book<\/h2>\n