Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (3273)

Content

ClareR (5885 KP) rated Love After Love in Books

Apr 17, 2020

Love After Love

Ingrid Persaud | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I absolutely loved Love After Love, but I will start this review with a warning. The first chapter goes in to graphic detail about the domestic abuse that one of the main characters, Betty Ramin, suffers at the hands of her husband. It does set the scene well, and explains not only why she is such a strong character and her motivations, but also the cultural attitudes behind domestic abuse.

I really liked the characters in this novel (other than Betty’s husband, of course), particularly Betty and Mr Chetan. Mr Chetan is the glue joining Betty and her son Solo together for a time, until Solo learns a terrible secret about his mother. After this, Solo goes to live with his paternal uncle in New York. I expected to not like his uncle, but he turned out to be another lovely character, who treated Solo like his own son. Solo becomes increasingly lonely, and struggles with his mental health.

The end of this book broke my heart completely. It was so sad and unjust and again, highlighted cultural attitudes.

I loved the way this was written, and became immersed in the Trinidadian turns of phrase, made all the more immersive by the author recording themselves reading the first chapter so that we on The Pigeonhole app could hear them.

It’s a beautiful book, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.