Read The World - Jamaica - Here Comes The Sun

 Book: Here Comes the Sun

Author: Nicole Dennis-Benn

Pages: 352

Book takes place in the country: YES

Author is from the country: YES

I have visited: NO

This is my 88th read for the year

I have 24 books left to read in my Read The World Challenge.  I should be done by now, but the move and "still moving" has really stopped me.  Plus I did take a big break from it and read some off challenge books.  Just needed a break.  My HOPE would be to have this challenge done by the end of the year, or if not - soon after.

This is the story of two sisters - Margot and Tandi.  Margot - who is about 15 years older than Tandi - has never cared for anyone more.  Their mother - who barely gives them the time of day - relies on Margot to work to support the family.  Margot works at a hotel on the island but has to perform sexual favors in order to give Tandi everything she needs.  She wants her sister to go to school, get good grades, and get away this place.  She does everything she can to make that happen.  Tandi, though, has other ideas.  She wants to be an artist.  She wants to fall in love with a boy.  She wants to be lighter skinned.  All things she doesn't dare share with her family knowing they are looking to her to make something better for herself.  Margot wants financial freedom and to spend the rest of her life with Verdene.  Their love must remain a secret and Margo must continue to sell herself so that she can escape as well.

This was a pretty good book.  It is written in the Jamaican language, so you have to read slowly to get through the dialogue.  It sets you in the space even further - picturing the people among the Jamaican scenery.  You become involved in the lives of these two sisters and can picture their struggle.  I cannot say that I particularly liked either of the girls - Margot who seemed to be mostly out for herself with her sister's best interest as second in line.  Tandi - who wanted to be anything but herself - not willing to accept the gift of schooling and ability to make things better for herself.  But I felt for them.  Which I think is what the author was trying to do.  They were both in desperate situations and could see no way to get what they really wanted.

I would recommend this one.  I don't get to read many fiction novels for my Read The World challenge, so I am glad I found this one.

Stars: 3 1/2