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The Family
A Jamaican girl joins her parents in London at age eleven and makes formidable adjustments and choices to overcome the limitations of her family life. The story of a young Jamaican girl, Gwendolen Brillianton, who is born into poverty and deserted by her parents when they emigrate to London. Being reunited with her parents and the siblings she has never met does not end her problems, and she realizes she must must fight her family and take control of her own life in order to recover from abuse and take pride in her self. Originally published as Gwendolen .
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Buchi Emecheta
33 books645 followersBuchi Emecheta OBE was a Nigerian novelist who has published over 20 books, including Second-Class Citizen (1974), The Bride Price (1976), The Slave Girl (1977) and The Joys of Motherhood (1979). Her themes of child slavery, motherhood, female independence and freedom through education have won her considerable critical acclaim and honours, including an Order of the British Empire in 2005. Emecheta once described her stories as "stories of the world…[where]… women face the universal problems of poverty and oppression, and the longer they stay, no matter where they have come from originally, the more the problems become identical."
From 1965 to 1969, Emecheta worked as a library officer for the British Museum in London. From 1969 to 1976 she was a youth worker and sociologist for the Inner London Education Authority, and from 1976 to 1978 she was a community worker.
Following her success as an author, Emecheta travelled widely as a visiting professor and lecturer. From 1972 to 1979 she visited several American universities, including Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
From 1980 to 1981, she was senior resident fellow and visiting professor of English, University of Calabar, Nigeria. In 1982 she lectured at Yale University, and the University of London, as well as holding a fellowship at the University of London in 1986.
From 1982 to 1983 Buchi Emecheta, together with her journalist son Sylvester, ran the Ogwugwu Afor Publishing Company.
(from Wikipedia)
From 1965 to 1969, Emecheta worked as a library officer for the British Museum in London. From 1969 to 1976 she was a youth worker and sociologist for the Inner London Education Authority, and from 1976 to 1978 she was a community worker.
Following her success as an author, Emecheta travelled widely as a visiting professor and lecturer. From 1972 to 1979 she visited several American universities, including Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
From 1980 to 1981, she was senior resident fellow and visiting professor of English, University of Calabar, Nigeria. In 1982 she lectured at Yale University, and the University of London, as well as holding a fellowship at the University of London in 1986.
From 1982 to 1983 Buchi Emecheta, together with her journalist son Sylvester, ran the Ogwugwu Afor Publishing Company.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 1, 2023
This has to be Buchi Emecheta's best book I've read yet. If not, it definitely compares to The Joys of Motherhood and Second-Class Citizen in my book.
Now, did I end up needing to take long pauses to stare at the wall while reading this book? Yes.
Would I still recommend this book to any and everyone (who can deal with trauma and mentions of incest)? Still yes. Because no one is ever touching Buchi Emecheta's pen game.
It saddens me that Gwendolyn had to go through so much
Note: This books is also published as The Family by Emecheta
Now, did I end up needing to take long pauses to stare at the wall while reading this book? Yes.
Would I still recommend this book to any and everyone (who can deal with trauma and mentions of incest)? Still yes. Because no one is ever touching Buchi Emecheta's pen game.
It saddens me that Gwendolyn had to go through so much
Note: This books is also published as The Family by Emecheta
February 4, 2008
This is the 2nd book I've read by Emecheta, and both have been so good...somewhat heart-wrenching and also hopeful and resilient.
July 2, 2008
This may be the worst book by Buchi Emecheta I've read so far. It was truly painful. The characters seemed improbable and illogical. The better title for this would have been 'The Disturbed Family'.
June 22, 2024
This is a heart wrenching story and it gives you a lot to think about.
November 27, 2011
I could relate to this book on so many levels - the secrets we keep. Also, I love reading about the Jamaican experience in London. What happened to Gwendolyn was beyond the Jamaican experience. It happens everywhere.
Want to Read
July 2, 2012the main theme in this novel
August 20, 2023
This has to be Buchi Emecheta's best book I've read yet. If not, it definitely compares to The Joys of Motherhood and Second-Class Citizen in my book.
Now, did I end up needing to take long pauses to stare at the wall while reading this book? Yes.
Would I still recommend this book to any and everyone (who can deal with trauma and mentions of incest)? Still yes. Because no one is ever touching Buchi Emecheta's pen game.
It saddens me that Gwendolyn had to go through so much
Note: This books is also published as The Family by Emecheta
Now, did I end up needing to take long pauses to stare at the wall while reading this book? Yes.
Would I still recommend this book to any and everyone (who can deal with trauma and mentions of incest)? Still yes. Because no one is ever touching Buchi Emecheta's pen game.
It saddens me that Gwendolyn had to go through so much
Note: This books is also published as The Family by Emecheta
October 15, 2014
I enjoyed the beginning of this novel, almost quit reading it when I arrived at the middle and am glad I finished reading "The Family." It offers a unique perspective on life for this Jamaican family, and it made me think about my comfortable life.
I recommend it for anyone who's interested in immigration, culture and family dynamics.
I recommend it for anyone who's interested in immigration, culture and family dynamics.
December 4, 2011
I loved this book. I read it in middle school and while it was horrifying I also thought it was beautiful.
July 1, 2026
Poor, poor Gwendolen. My heart absolutely broke for her. She was deserted by the very people who were supposed to love and protect her, and it felt like she never really stood a chance. Her mother frustrated me beyond belief. So much unnecessary spending, so many poor decisions, and the children were always the ones who suffered because of it.
I also really struggled with reading the Jamaican dialect. I understand why Buchi Emecheta wrote it that way, and it added authenticity, but I found myself having to reread quite a few passages before they clicked. And honestly... screw all the men in this book because what the actual hell? The abuse, the silence, the excuses—it made me feel sick. What angered me even more was that everyone seemed to know exactly what was happening, yet nobody really did anything. The church did nothing. The community did nothing. The people who were meant to protect children just carried on as though silence was somehow the better option. That was probably the most heartbreaking part of the novel for me.
One thing I always notice in Emecheta's books is how honestly she writes about family, poverty, and womanhood. I understand that in many African cultures, having children is seen as one of life's greatest blessings and achievements. But I will never understand the expectation to keep having children when you can barely afford to look after yourself. It is always the children who pay the highest price.
This wasn't my favorite of Emecheta's novels, but it was still a powerful read. It left me angry, heartbroken, and honestly just wishing Gwendolen had been given the chance at the childhood and life she deserved.
I also really struggled with reading the Jamaican dialect. I understand why Buchi Emecheta wrote it that way, and it added authenticity, but I found myself having to reread quite a few passages before they clicked. And honestly... screw all the men in this book because what the actual hell? The abuse, the silence, the excuses—it made me feel sick. What angered me even more was that everyone seemed to know exactly what was happening, yet nobody really did anything. The church did nothing. The community did nothing. The people who were meant to protect children just carried on as though silence was somehow the better option. That was probably the most heartbreaking part of the novel for me.
One thing I always notice in Emecheta's books is how honestly she writes about family, poverty, and womanhood. I understand that in many African cultures, having children is seen as one of life's greatest blessings and achievements. But I will never understand the expectation to keep having children when you can barely afford to look after yourself. It is always the children who pay the highest price.
This wasn't my favorite of Emecheta's novels, but it was still a powerful read. It left me angry, heartbroken, and honestly just wishing Gwendolen had been given the chance at the childhood and life she deserved.
May 17, 2026
Buchi Emecheta doesn’t announce her themes. She smuggles them in, and by the time you feel the weight of what she’s saying, you’re already too deep to look away.
I finished The Family and sat with it for a moment, because that’s what this book demands. It doesn’t let you rush away. Emecheta writes with the kind of unflinching honesty that makes you forget you’re reading fiction. The joy, the frustration, the pain of her characters don’t stay on the page. They get under your skin.
What struck me most was her craft. The themes don’t arrive with a warning. She builds quietly, layering tension beneath ordinary moments, so that when the story pivots, and it does pivot, the surprise feels both shocking and inevitable. That is not easy to do. It takes a writer who trusts her readers, and Emecheta clearly does.
The characters are alive in the truest sense. Their struggles are particular, rooted in specific culture, specific bodies, specific histories, yet the emotions they carry are deeply human and universal. I felt their world. I grieved with them. I hoped with them.
The Family is raw in the best way: unpolished where life is unpolished, brutal where life is brutal, and quietly beautiful where grace sneaks through. Emecheta doesn’t flinch, and this book is all the more powerful for it.
An absolute must-read. Buchi Emecheta deserves every flower she is given.
I finished The Family and sat with it for a moment, because that’s what this book demands. It doesn’t let you rush away. Emecheta writes with the kind of unflinching honesty that makes you forget you’re reading fiction. The joy, the frustration, the pain of her characters don’t stay on the page. They get under your skin.
What struck me most was her craft. The themes don’t arrive with a warning. She builds quietly, layering tension beneath ordinary moments, so that when the story pivots, and it does pivot, the surprise feels both shocking and inevitable. That is not easy to do. It takes a writer who trusts her readers, and Emecheta clearly does.
The characters are alive in the truest sense. Their struggles are particular, rooted in specific culture, specific bodies, specific histories, yet the emotions they carry are deeply human and universal. I felt their world. I grieved with them. I hoped with them.
The Family is raw in the best way: unpolished where life is unpolished, brutal where life is brutal, and quietly beautiful where grace sneaks through. Emecheta doesn’t flinch, and this book is all the more powerful for it.
An absolute must-read. Buchi Emecheta deserves every flower she is given.
December 12, 2022
Such an amazing book!
June 8, 2024
Buchi Emecheta's book was enlightening to read. It gave me an insight into Jamaican life in London in the 20th century.
It was intriguing to investigate the distinctions between the immigrants from Africa and the Afro-Caribbean region as they attempted to figure out how their lives would be in the country of the White man.
As is customary for the author's writing, she examines deeply troubling subjects like rape, abuse, complicated family dynamics, the female identity, marriage, infidelity, and more. The author writes in a very strong yet moving style that inspires thoughtful reflection and understanding of extremely emotive and deep issues.
One of the most memorable chapters in the book was when Gwendolen’s mother travelled to Jamaica after her mother’s death and she started rediscovering herself and her purpose without the usual trappings of the female identity such as marriage and motherhood.
It was intriguing to investigate the distinctions between the immigrants from Africa and the Afro-Caribbean region as they attempted to figure out how their lives would be in the country of the White man.
As is customary for the author's writing, she examines deeply troubling subjects like rape, abuse, complicated family dynamics, the female identity, marriage, infidelity, and more. The author writes in a very strong yet moving style that inspires thoughtful reflection and understanding of extremely emotive and deep issues.
One of the most memorable chapters in the book was when Gwendolen’s mother travelled to Jamaica after her mother’s death and she started rediscovering herself and her purpose without the usual trappings of the female identity such as marriage and motherhood.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews