The World So Wide

by Zilla Jones

Felicity Alexander should be charming audiences at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, not under house arrest in Grenada in October 1983, as rumours swirl that United States troops are preparing to invade.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, the daughter of a Grenadian woman and an absent white father, Felicity is blessed with enviable beauty and an extraordinary singing voice. Arriving in London to study opera in 1965, she finds early success and joy on stage, as well as a sense of belonging in the arms of the charming Claude Buckingham. Members of the West Indian Students Association, Claude and his friends are law students and activists. They plan to return to Grenada to overthrow the corrupt dictator, “Uncle” Percy Tibbs.
Felicity and Claude’s intense affair cannot survive their diverging destinies. Claude brings revolution to Grenada and becomes a minister in the new Black Pearls of Freedom government; Felicity devotes herself to music, conquering the racism and sexism of the opera world to rise to international stardom. The brighter she shines, the more she struggles to find her place and purpose in life.
Her career in ascendance, Felicity accepts an invitation to perform in Grenada. The red sky of revolution calls to her almost as much as the hope of Claude’s embrace. But their reunion is interrupted by a coup. Surrounded by soldiers and guns, Felicity’s voice is born anew.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Fiction, Historical, Adult

414 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2025

Reviews

[Carolyn Whitzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild operatic ride through colonialism, racism, colorism and music, The World So Wide follows Felicity, a gifted opera singer from Winnipeg who is drawn again and again to her mother’s home of Grenada. In London, she falls in love with a Grenadian revolutionary and eventually ends up in Grenada during the US invasion.

In some ways, I found it hard to like Felicity. She is a remarkably lousy mother and she tends to use the men in her life, caring only for her career. She is greatly loved by many men, and sometimes it’s hard to understand why. She is, of course, taking a man’s role in a white man’s world. But one of the things Jones does well is describe obsessive devotion to craft. Even as the bullets fly, Felicity is linking the violence to her next role. A compulsively readable work of historical fiction.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really strong debut novel exploring both a region and community - Grenada/Grenadian - that I do not recall ever having read about in our literature previously.

Firmly grounded in historical events - the 1983 US coup and subsequent US led invasion of Grenada - this covers so much interesting ground: being Black, slavery, colonialism, Cold War era politics, feminism, gender relations, identity, sexuality, personal power politics, all wrapped up in the world of opera.

I remember the invasion - you would have found me out and about protesting against it - and I did a quick cross-reference of the actual series of events which confirmed that while she has made her characters fictional, she sticks very closely to the actual events, and timeline of events, as it indeed happened.

Until the last 100 pages or so I was expecting that this was going to score this a 5.

I loved the characters - and character development - in this novel (although not all characters are likeable) but Felicity really started to wear - to grate - on me for a bit. But in Chapter 46 - approx. 50 pages from the end give or take - there are two (2) revelations which had me less annoyed by what had been annoying me. And the ending - while it does wrap up in a bit of a rush - also made me more forgiving of what had been bothering me.

So I discount my score for being annoyed for a bit - but then I bump it back up a bit because I was satisfied with the reveals and the ending.

Recommended read.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy (even though I’m only getting this posted now..)

4.5 rounded up to 5

[Anne Baldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity Alexander is a fascinating main character, blazing a sensational life on and off the stage, a complicated hero gleaming with love, ambition, talent and passion.

[Marian Stokes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this novel difficult to attach to and it was a bit of a struggle to get through. Felicity certainly had her issues. Her continual whining about Claude was unbearable. Her lack of emotional maturity and the constant crying, made it hard to like her.

Her complete lack of maternal love for her daughters was horrible. She was a spoiled selfish woman.

I thought the ‘revo’ would be interesting but Neville and Claude seemed totally inept at their political ambitions. If there was any fact in this story it’s no wonder the revo failed.

Felicity’s religious mother and her aunt and cousins were all quite funny in their Grenadian slang and cultural sayings and expectations.

Felicity was a bit of a ho - she would sleep with just about anyone.

I can’t imagine that growing up 1/2 white and 1/2 black in Winnipeg was easy. Being the daughter of a single mother, poor, and constantly lectured about religion would have been unbearable.

I know I don’t have to love the heroine…

It seemed a bit far fetched that felicity recognized her dad from his obituary photo.

The ending scenes were pretty horrific for a book with little prior violence. It felt like I’d picked up a different book.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read! Debut novelist Zilla Jones nails this story of music and revolution. I learned so much! I ended up on a deep dive about opera on youtube - who knew there were so many different operatic voices? And then I went on a deep dive about the Grenadian Revolution. This learning all took place through the eyes of a sympathetic heroine. Felicity Alexander is a superstar of opera, but is also deeply human. For a literary novel, this was extremely readable. I inhaled it in two days flat.

[Carrie Hatland · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WORLD SO WIDE, by Zilla Jones, is a mesmerizing book written from the perspective of Felicity Alexander, a mixed-race woman who travels long distances, both figuratively and literally, to find love. What starts out as a quest for romantic fulfillment and external validation transforms into an understanding of self and her place in the world. Ultimately, this is a story about self-validation as Felicity navigates the complexities of race, culture, gender roles, politics, and generational trauma.

Felicity is an extremely complex character who flouts traditional gender roles in the sixties to pursue a career as an opera singer. She refuses to be limited by marriage or motherhood, and her musical journey takes her to the biggest stages in the world. Ultimately, she finds herself in Grenada, during the United States invasion of the island in 1983, as the past comes crashing down around her.

This book will stick with me. I forgot I was reading and became Felicity, seeing the world through her eyes. What hit me most was the underlying theme of loneliness and the dichotomy between Felicity’s strength and vulnerability as she navigates through imposed societal and familial expectations while developing her craft. Music becomes her own personal form of resistance in a world that seems intent on silencing her voice.

Zilla creates a world that doesn’t shy away from political tensions, colonization, or how female sexuality can be both an expression of pain and empowerment. She introduces really important questions, such as how much of our identity is imposed on us? How much of our lives are we free to choose? Where is home? In Felicity's experience, as her family traverses between Canada and their ancestral home of Grenada, home is always the place she is not.

My favorite part of this book is the ending. I was left mulling over my emotional response in a deep silence that mirrored the pause in an opera between when the orchestra has stopped playing and before the audience begins to clap.

It is rare to find an ending where I wouldn’t change a thing.

[Alison Gadsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Felicity Alexander’s mother tells her that she should stay away from boys because “If you have a baby, your life is ruined” Felicity wonders if she ruined her mother’s life? Her own answer becomes a truth that lingers. Felicity is unlovable.

A gifted singer, she earns a scholarship at a prestigious school in London where she must prove to her peers and professors that while “blues may be her inheritance,” she belongs on the opera stage. While Felicity appears impulsive, tenacious and unapologetic in her approach, the reader feels her vulnerability, we see her fear. She lives in a world where racism and colourism categorize her as sometimes black or not black enough (her father was white). After she has sex with a lover for the first time, he says, “Next time I want your hair to be curly.” And her first piano teacher says, “you people do naturally have a good sense of rhythm.” This sense of unbelonging has Felicity pushing boundaries and forcing herself into situations to relax the tension and pain of existing just as she is. The reader is also confronted with the future of her daughters Mara and Adele – each with white and black fathers – who are faced with their own potentially unlovable futures.

The fight to belong and the struggle to be loved leads Felicity to Grenada in 1983, days before a military coup that threatens the life of a man she’s loved for twenty years. But is he owed the fierce passionate loyalty she’s reserved all these years? Written with a candid and brilliant voice, Zilla Jones takes us on an historical journey through merging timelines from July 1958 to October 1983. From Winnipeg to London, the Metropolitan Opera to Grenada, we follow Felicity on her journey from unlovable girl to world-renowned opera singer to house arrest, culminating in an operatic scene that finally has Felicity taking centre stage in her own life.

[Lori Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her brilliant debut novel The World So Wide, author Zilla Jones provides a masterclass in storytelling, and it remains difficult to peg it as one specific genre, even after a second read. Romance and political intrigue lend themselves to historical fiction, yet I would venture to place Jones’s book in a newly popular, broader genre: autofiction. By blending her own experiences with activism, colonialism, and the complexities of being a woman of mixed-race descent facing racism from both sides, the author creates a deeply flawed, yet relatable female protagonist: Felicity Alexander. Jones also draws from her own musical background and her writing soars with lyrical prose from the very first page.
“Fireflies lit the night with circling brightness, tiny moving stars. The heat draped over Felicity’s shoulders like a wet towel, laced with the scent of the ocean that glinted in the distance.”
Moving seamlessly through different countries and timelines, Felicity eludes a façade of confidence despite a deep-seated loneliness as she moves from one love affair to another. Felicity eventually falls in love with a rebel and her loyalty is tested between Claude and the revolution in Grenada, and her own blossoming career in opera. In this way, Jones shows us the irony of love, that it is our greatest desire, yet it is often not enough to keep two people on the same path in life. In Felicity, Jones also shows the necessity of self-love and being true to yourself above all others.
From tender beginnings to the bitter end, Jones sings us a literary song of resilience and love, the importance of listening to your own voice, and that the show, much as life, must go on.

[Lenna Halkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid reader and aspiring writer, I have been following Zilla Jones since she hit the CBC list of new writers to watch for. I have enjoyed her published short stories and had eagerly anticipated the release of her debut novel, and it did not disappoint. I won’t give a plot summary here, as others already have, but rather touch on some points that made me want to give five stars. This novel is written in very close third person. In all her uniqueness, Felicity is alive from the first page. I was immediately invested in her story. Despite her many faults ( which Jones did not shy away from ) I cared about her. In fact, her faults only enriched her character, making her more vivid and relatable. The depth of knowledge on subjects of the opera and the history of Grenada, and its people, are impressive. Threaded themes of racism, generational trauma, sexism, motherhood, and political divisions are carefully interwoven throughout and are evocative. By the end of the second last chapter I had Goosies. The final chapter packs a wallop and left me shuddering. This is a raw and honest book full of beautiful language and prose. A must read by a wonderful Canadian author who is not only a rising star, but one who has arrived.

[KianaRea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me 4 months to gather my thoughts to write this review and that's not necessarily a bad thing. There was just a lot to process.

I will start off by saying I HATE Felicity's character. The way she kept throwing herself at her main love interest made me want to throw up - literally. Oh wait, she kept throwing herself at every single man in this book. I understand the difficult relationship she has with sex but please Felicity, go to therapy. She was also a terrible mother to both her girls and that was hard to read. There was really no character development throughout the book, which was frustrating because I was hopeful that we would see some change. Her character is so draining and very annoying.

As a Grenadian, I had incredibly high expectations for this novel from a historical aspect but I was completely let down. I'm curious to know why Zilla decided to flip the roles between Neville and Claude? Claude is not known as a big shot caller in the history among Grenadians (the flip in roles really put me off, and had me fact checking amongst Grenadians who lived during that time)As far as the coup, folks being under house arrest, the bloody scenes, the soldiers, the rape- those are all painful correct.

Overall, not a bad debut for Zilla.

[Rob Forteath · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're meant to cheer for Felicity, but that is a difficult thing to ask of us. She is selfish and self-centered, cares almost nothing for anyone but herself, thoughtlessly hurts people but cries rivers of tears whenever somebody says anything the least bit critical of her, ...

She agonizes over her love for Claude, but never bothers to care much about his lifelong struggle for Grenada freedom. She doesn't care about her daughters, or her mother, or the endless string of men she has and discards.

The chapters move between time periods, which doesn't help make us care about her train wreck love life. It's like, "oh, Felicity is crying yet again about some man. Now back to the coup in Grenada." She is angry that the Grenada revolution figures are openly disdainful of her, yet the only reason she is in Grenada during the fateful weeks in 1983 is that she hopes to hook up with Claude.

I found it difficult to get through the book, even though I was curious to read about the final days before the US invasion. I kept hoping that Felicity would grow into someone better, or at least more involved.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It tells the story of Felicity Alexander, who has both Grenadian and white heritage. In Winnipeg, where she lives, she is considered Black. But when she goes to Grenada, she is considered white.
The novel uses multiple timelines. Felicity, who becomes a famous and renowned opera star, goes to Grenada to perform in a musical showcase, and finds herself in the middle of a coup.

In the other timeline, we see Felicity at a British university, where she has acquired a scholarship to study opera. It is here that she meets a bunch of people from Grenada, people involved in politics and the revolution. She meets the love of her life, Claude.

I found the history in this book so interesting, because I have never read anything about Grenada or the Grenadian coup. Felicity was an excellent character because she was so flawed. She was tough as nails, but also used her sexuality for power. And occasionally, she is the recipient of sexual violence.

There's a lot to chew on in this book, which is one of the reasons why I really liked it.

[Joanne Culley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The World So Wide by Winnipeg author Zilla Jones follows opera singer Felicity Alexander along two timelines, one from the 1960s when she is studying on scholarship at a prestigious music school in London, England, where she meets radical law students in the West Indian association who are fighting against apartheid in South Africa and to end colonialism in the Caribbean island of Grenada. She becomes involved in their struggles to work to improve the lives of Grenadians, where her heritage lies. The second timeline is in the 1980s when she returns to Grenada, and is taken under house arrest with those same radicals whose government has been overthrown. In Felicity, Jones has created a passionate character who loves deeply and widely. The book provides a glimpse backstage into the world of opera, as well as into the lives of the idealistic, committed politicians. Jones is an African-Canadian author, anti-racist educator lawyer, and singer. The book was inspired by her own aspiring opera career.

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first page, "The World So Wide" pulled me into Felicity Alexander’s world- one of haunting beauty, longing, ambition, and heartbreak. Zilla Jones has crafted a protagonist who is unapologetically complex: infuriating, wounded, yet always compelling. There was much about her that could be unlikable, yet I always cared, and that, to me, is the mark of exceptional storytelling.

Set against the backdrop of the 1983 Grenadian coup, the novel renders history not as distant, abstract fact, but as intimate and human experience. I was drawn into a story that gave faces and voices to a piece of the world too few are familiar with.

This is the kind of novel I didn’t want to finish. Not because it dragged, but because I dreaded leaving its world. I have no doubt you will feel the same. I cannot more enthusiastically endorse this book.

[Graciela Mtz-Zalce · Rating 5 out of 5]

La primera novela de Zilla Jones es un libro inteligente, bien escrito e investigado y muy disfrutable. No se puede soltar.
La protagonista es un personaje muy complejo, lleno de contradicciones, admirable y aborrecible. La narración recrea un mundo prejuicioso y racista, donde los personajes tienden a convertir a lxs otrxs en meros estereotipos y la heroicidad y los ideales son dudosos porque no logran separarse de la ideología.
La construcción del personaje principal, a través de escenas de diversas épocas de su vida, logran explicar la complejidad de una mujer que sufre violencias de todos tipos y también las ejerce. Las idas y venidas en el tiempo del relato corresponden al espíritu musical de la narración y su culminación recuerda esos finales donde todos los instrumentos de la orquesta suenan al unísono para dejarnos con el aliento entrecortado de emoción.

[Jim Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of historical fiction that’s well-written. It’s a real skill to seamlessly blend characters and a plot into actual historical events, and when done right, it creates a captivating story that you just can’t put down.
Zilla Jones is such an author, and her gripping novel, The World So Wide, is a fantastic read.
The protagonist, Felicity Alexander, is a mixed-race girl whose life intertwines with real historical events, leading up to the revolution in Granada and the eventual American invasion. I was really impressed by how well Ms. Jones crafted her own storyline, taking us through the world of opera singers, from Winnipeg and New York to London and Granada. The story seamlessly fits into the events that occurred in Granada during the last uprising and the American takeover.
Bravo.

[Mike Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book has so many issues in it, including:
Black power, both in Canada and Grenada.
Sexuality, did she use her body to help her be successful or just enjoy her sexuality….or both?
Strong, independent woman, despite her love and need for Claude, she is a highly successful woman.
Cold War
US Marines, treatment of her when they arrive.

It was genius how the author plays each of the above in both positive and negative light.
It is so well written, I like how the author goes back and forth in time, eventually having the two realities converge.
This book, Felicity is written on the basis of her love for Claude, it is there throughout. Yet, it really is about her life, her place in the world, her being both Canadian and Grenadian.

[Taleisha Doiron · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book, I swear. But in all honesty, this is the worst book I’ve read this year, and probably one of the worst books I’ve read in a decade.

The lead character is one dimensional, predictable in her behaviour and completely unlikable. Her overwhelming number of sexual encounters left me confused and bored.

I wanted more of the story to focus on the Grenadian revolution but instead we get a repetitious tale focused on the lead character’s operatic escapades. The book was 100 pages too long and violent in its conclusion. Do yourself a favour and skip this one.

[Andrea Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World so Wide is beautifully written. The characters, especially Felicity, drew me in with their complexity and imperfection. Through story, complex issues of history, art, racism, and colonialism are explored. The plot was surprising and layered. Whether the setting is Winnipeg, London, New York, or Grenada, the settings are vividly conjured. The love story is so beautiful and complicated, it kept me turning pages. And made me cry.

[Autumn Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a letdown. The characters felt a bit flat and underdeveloped. Making it hard to care about the story and the journey they take. The ending was really disappointing due to it being rushed. Important plots were wrapped up quickly and it didn't feel like it was fully put together. Towards the end it felt like reading to just finish it and not a well earned conclusion

[Ryan Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving exploration of race, migration, colourism, and sexual assault in this debut novel from Winnipeg author, Zilla Jones. We’re featuring this novel for Black History Month this year in our Diocese and it’s raising some great intersectional questions set against the backdrop of the Grenadian revolution which has (unfortunately) far too many rhyming moments with the headlines of our own time.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of interesting themes in this book (Granadian revolution, different levels of Blackness, minority in a white-dominant field), but the writing is just a hair away from a romance novel and it could've been 100 pages shorter. I disliked all the characters and the ending did nothing to redeem them.

[Sarah Buhler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel. It felt fresh and original - about opera and anti colonial revolution set in Winnipeg, Grenada, and London. The main character felt very alive - brilliant, headstrong, passionate, messy, straddling worlds, seeking love, yet often hurting her loved ones in the process. A complex ‘diva’. However the ending seemed disconnected from the rest of the book.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 This was such a deeply personal and layered book that could be dissected and analyzed through so many lenses. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of identity in relation to opera and how the author depicted the struggles of belonging.

[Leonicka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just waiting for everyone to read this book so we can argue. It is such a raw and complex depiction of life, love, and struggle. I am honored to have worked on this project!

[Valarie Sawka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for me, just couldn’t really get into it.

[Michael]

My conversation with Jones discussing the book here:
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story spans the Canadian mid-west, London England, Grenada and NYC from the 60s to the 80s. Moving through the world as a light-skinned Black woman in the arts world has its unique challenges that have not been explored enough in literature.
This novel weaves Caribbean politics, feminist career objectives, toxic men, and love -- of convenience and of conviction.
A courageous debut that appears well-researched.



[I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review].

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World So Wide is easily one of the best Caribbean fiction novels I’ve read this year. Jones’ debut is crafted with unflinching honesty. In Felicity Alexander, we get one of the most complex, compelling, and unapologetically flawed characters I’ve encountered in a long time. Felicity doesn’t just leap off the page, she soars like one of her arias. She demands that we not just witness her, but hear her. She challenges readers to sit with her contradictions, to confront their own judgments, and to see the world through her eyes.

At its heart, this is a novel of revolution: of body, of gender, of sexuality, of identity and politics. It interrogates the heavy labels society presses onto us and asks what it means to redefine them on our own terms. For many women of colour, Felicity will feel both familiar and confronting. You’ll love her. You might even hate her. But you won’t forget her.

At a time when so many stories are being banned and when truths are erased or distorted, The World So Wide stands as a bold act of resistance. It blurs the line between fiction and history with an urgency that feels both timely and timeless. Zilla Jones hasn’t just written a novel, she’s composed an aria of truth. One that demands to be read and read again.

[Yasmine Halevi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in the beginning, what with all the Grenada stiry I knew nothing about, but then it turns into an 18th century opera.
I found the protagonist unbearable. A woman that sleeps with ALL the men in the story and has not one female friend, wth.