Island Song
This beautifully written family saga is set in the 1950s and follows the lives of sisters Ella and Agnes Deterville. They live on the island of Saint Lucia in the isolated settlement of Canaries. Older sister Ella is sensible but cautious, held back by her fear of the unknown, while Agnes is adventurous and dreams of travelling to England to make a life with more opportunities for her young family. Agnes works hard to buy her passage to London, while Ella remains behind on Saint Lucia. Agnes discovers that the reality of life in London isn’t what she was expecting, but along the way she finds a community to belong to, and the possibility of love. Ella has to learn to be brave, so that she can nurture her own community in Canaries.
I found this novel gripping from the start, and I was soon fully engaged in the characters’ lives. It highlights the bleak reality of what life was like for immigrants coming to the UK from the Caribbean during this period, and the fortitude and resilience they needed to start afresh. I was left with a renewed sense of awe for their courage and determination. I particularly like that Ella and Agnes are both strong women, while having very different temperaments. While there is a very believable and sympathetic love story element to this novel, it is a secondary storyline to the strained, but loving relationship between the sisters parted by an ocean.
This novel is full of vibrant descriptions of Saint Lucia, perfectly contrasted with those of a muted London. I think that this story would lend itself to a film adaptation. I would definitely go and see it! This is a must-read book for 2025.
