BLOG TOUR: This Other Island by Steffanie Edward @EdwardsaEdward @bookuture @absltmom

My review

A child who was left in St Lucia, a Caribbean Island, by her parents is cared for by her aunt and grows to the age of five, with another child, Dionne, the aunt is raising. remains in St Lucia. After five years, Ruth is sent to England, now the home of her parents and not only does her environment change but her name now is Yvette.

Her home life in not easy as her parents seem to struggle against both the environment and being with one another. After some time, they separate and Yvette is left to stay with her mother, Dolina. Over the years, Yvette becomes estranged from her father, a man she once had a deep connection to, but when she finds he has been stabbed, she rushes to his side. It’s not a serious wound but later a very serious illness is discovered in her father, Joe, and eager to find someone who has haunted his life, Yvette begins an investigation into the past that will reveal secrets and lies.It is Joe’s final wish that this person be found and Yvette is determined to grant his desire.

As the story moves forward, we learn more of the family, a cold sort of distant mother, Dolina, who herself holds a big secret and her father, Joe. We also learn that Yvette reestablishes a connection with Dionne and the two women link up to find the truth of both who they are and why their lives have been set upon a course they never could fathom.

Initially, the dialect interspersed throughout the story, took some time to get used to, but the actual story was one that kept this reader involved as the events play out that molded and affected many lives.

Secret and lies are many times never to be escaped from!

Many thanks to Steffanie Edwards, (A new author), Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this engaging story due out May 21, 2021.

and here’s the author:

Steffanie Edward was born in St Lucia, brought up in London and now straddles between the two.

Anancy, Crick-crick and other Caribbean folk stories have been a part of her life since childhood. In her late teens she enjoyed reading Susan Howatch and books on slavery. Her absolute favourite reads have been Wild Seed by Octavia E Bulter, and Woman At Point Zero by Naawal El Saadawi.

Her writing career started with short stories, five of which have been published. Her first attempt at writing a novel was over twenty years ago, whilst living and working in Abu Dhabi. That novel, Yvette, didn’t make it into print, but the main protagonist, Yvette, has muscled her way into Steffanie’s debut novel, This Other Island.