A Tall History of Sugar

by Curdella Forbes

'Brimming with magic, passion and history' New York Times
'Captivating from the very first page' Jennifer Egan

Shortlisted for the Fiction category in the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
Shortlisted for the Kitschies Red Tentacle Award

Discovered amidst a tangle of sea grape trees, Moshe Fisher's provenance is a thing of myth and mystery; his unusual appearance, with blueish, translucent skin and duo-toned hair, only serves to compound his mystique. Equally feared and ridiculed by peers as he grows up, he finds a surprising kindred soul in the striking and bold Arrienne Christie, but their complex relationship is fraught with obstacles that tear them apart as powerfully as they are drawn together.

Beginning in the late 1950s, four years before Jamaica's independence from colonial rule, A Tall History of Sugar 's epic love story sweeps between a rural Jamaica, scarred by the legacies of colonialism, and an England increasingly riven by race riots and class division.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Audiobook

Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

CURDELLA FORBES is a Jamaican American writer who lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, and teaches at Howard University. A Tall History of Sugar is her latest novel.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down for a book of uneven literary fiction. The first third of this book uses the Jamaican patois spoken by most people in Jamaica. Sometimes there is a translation. When there is no translation, you must sound out the words phonetically. I found this to be a distraction. The book is a love story between two people who are attracted to each other from childhood. But life intervenes and they are separated for several years. Some of the narrative is in the form of stream of consciousness of various characters, which I didn't enjoy.
Pros: The prose was lyrical at times.
One quote: "The grandmother, a longheaded woman of the countryside, tells me, Yu nuh need fi to deh so,' you do not need this long explanation of watery origins, since the ancestors of every Jamaican came over the sea, most of them in the ship's cakka, and moreover are we not an island, surrounded by water? So anyone born here is a child of water, and no more to be said."
It took me 19 days to read this book.
Thanks to Akashic Books for sending me this book through LibraryThing.

[Brown Girl Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

My actual rating for this novel is 3,75 stars. This is a very creative story which encompasses many themes. It's a story of love between Moshe and Arii while being an epic tale of sugar and of course Jamaica. Each word is chosen very carefully and from scene to scene, while Forbes challenges the readers's knowledge of literature along the way. It took quite a few pages before I really got into to the novel. I'd say around page 50. By then I was all in. Where the first half of the book was more to my liking the second half had me perplexed in places. The frequent change of the narrator's voice as well as shifting back and forth in time made it difficult to understand some parts of the novel. Even though, I feel this is not a book for everyone, it's good and has a lot to say. This book needs to be studied. I would have loved to have read this book in an academic setting because I'm sure I would have then been able to understand everything. Filled with themes of sugar, paternity, difference, family, community, history and culture, A Tall History of Sugar is an ode to Jamaica in words and song and is worth the read despite it not being perfect.

[2TReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

'No, but not everybody is mixed up in such a way that the pieces don't come together in any way that makes sense or form'-Moshe.

A Tall History Of Sugar by Curdella Forbes weaved a story that has the elements of a great story: mystery, superstition, complex family dynamics, a unbreakable friendship and a love that transcends the physical.

I loved this book because it showed how King Sugar shaped the landscape of my homeland-Jamaica; the use of my dialect(patwa); it tells a love story that is not only romantic, but familial and communal; it features superstitions both known and unknown to me; it depicted community relationships that felt real, as most, if not all rural communities operate and exist like this, and it is beautifully strange while covering a journey that many will find familiar.

Forbes' writing is flowing yet twisty with the weight of the story she is telling and will hook you from the very first chapter. Thanks to Akashic Books for answering our call; thank you to Curdella Forbes for gifting this story of home.

[Seymone · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I was so excited to read this novel. However, that excitement died, almost immediately.

The overuse of complex multi-syllabic words made the prose - muddy, murky and disjointed. I love a big word but not at the expense of clarity and flow of a sentence.

Secondly, I just couldn’t connect with this coming of age story, even though the storyline was unique to me. Could be why it has taken me a month to read.


Definitely would recommend listening on audiobook rather than reading the physical book.

[Richard Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hugely impressive novel written with nerve and poetic sensibilities. The tale of a man born without skin in post colonial Jamaica and his decades spent discovering himself, his art, his love, his country, and the remnants of the Empire that bound it all. Forbes is a poet and it shows in her lyrical writing and her willingness to eschew traditional narrative structures. A beautiful book.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! After hearing from a friend that it was pretty heavy with Patwa, I decided to go with an audiobook accompanying my reading. It was a great decision because one of my favourite narrators, Robin Miles, was reading it. While according to those more familiar with Patwa, her accent is not quite right, to my untrained ear it was fine. I could listen to her read all day long.

There were so many great elements to this story that I loved: a birth story shrouded in mystery, a friendship of mythic proportions, a love that runs deep and true, and a story we see out from the beginning to the end. Arrienne and Moshe were such strong and flawed characters, and I really got drawn into the story from the start. I really appreciated how Forbes explored so many different issues through Moshe's ambiguous racial identity and sexuality. It definitely felt like you were seated at the feet of your grandmother listening to her weave a beautiful and historical tale about ancestors you wish you had the chance to meet. There was definitely something fable-esque about the story and it made me feel the way A Long Petal of the Sea by Allende did, like I need to cherish the time I spent in the book. Such a great read/listen.

*I also wanted to add that it is so disappointing to read so many reviews with low ratings say that they didn't understand the Patwa/Patois because it was too much effort, too confusing so was skipped, too different to bother, etc... If you pick up a book from a culture not your own, how privileged to expect you will not need to invest you time in understanding it. Such a lazy way to read. Keep your stars to yourself if that is the case.

[Jherane Patmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may forget the plot in a few months but I won't forget the rich symbolism and critiques this book brings. The narrator is a griot sharing her (their) story from the 60s - present-day Jamaica and just like any good Jamaican telling their story it is non-linear and filled with code-switching.

Full review on Like A Real Book Club podcast A Tall History of Sugar

I loved the use of Jamaican language in this book. It starts off a bit irritating because of how accurately Forbes captured our language, yet insisted on translating it. This irritation soon died for me because the translations became less direct and then became a funny commentary in the form of translation, and about a halfway through the book the translations ended. It was almost as if Curdella was teaching non-Jamaicans about our language and how our language reflects our culture, sense of humour and pain. Beautiful.

And when it comes to sugar... oh boy. Curdella presented sugar in such rich and complex ways, she uses sugar as a beautiful metaphor to comment on how colonialism built the wealth of the UK, and years later damages the health and psyche of our people.

I can go on and on about this, check out the podcast.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

On Arrienne Christie’s first birthday Rachel Fisher found an infant in the reeds outside the small town in Jamaica where she lived. She named him Moshe and from the time he and Arrienne met on their first day of school, they formed two unlikely halves of one whole. She, fierce, black and beautiful. He, quiet, pale with mismatched eyes and hair “long, wavy, and bleached blond in front, and short, black, and pepper-grainy in back…” They communicated, not with words, but in thought and navigated the world in this way until the onset of puberty and the introduction of a third person, Alva, into their otherwise closed world. Then everything changed. There are more pages to read. Moshe leaves Jamaica, his art becomes famous, but he remains anonymous. Moshe writes letters to Arrienne. Arrienne doesn’t reply. Alva remains the third person in their lives, but is more visible than Arrienne. Life goes on. The story continues.

And what does this have to do with the history of sugar?

I wanted to really like this book and I didn’t dislike it. There was just so much that escaped me. And I was often thrown by the sudden shifts in language. I would find myself reading along at a certain pace and then was stopped short by the shift. It didn’t help my concentration. I finally came to the conclusion that just as Moshe didn’t know whom he was, I didn’t know what the book was really about and who Moshe was either. Too bad.

[Eduardo Santiago · Rating 2 out of 5]

More effort than I was willing to invest: jarring changes in narrative voice (third person to first and back) and style; impenetrable patois in crucial moments; inconsistent rules for the magical elements; and, ultimately, lifeless characters. A novel more about ideas than people.

I really wanted to love this book. I tried so hard, coming close to abandoning almost a dozen times, persevering each time. I tried switching to the audiobook — beautiful voice, enchantingly read, but no luck. Forbes writes beautifully, I loved getting wrapped up in her words, but I’m just not smart or talented enough to learn Jamaican at my age, nor am I kind enough to care about characters whose principal problems boil down to an inability to communicate and unwillingness to learn.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tall History Of Sugar was an emotive and engaging read – the prose lyrical and involving and a very different read for me, one I embraced entirely.

This is a love story and an historic coming of age tale, with some beautifully descriptive settings and a sprawling, imaginative feel throughout. Telling the story of Moshe, a boy without place, brought up by adoptive parents who find him as a baby, A Tall History Of Sugar takes you over years of personal discovery.

A talented writer, an addictive and intelligently woven tale, that has a lot to say and says it with flair and authentic quality.

Highly Recommended.

[Tundra · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In the end, what this man is whom I love escapes even me. We went inside because I took his hand and the wind was really railing.”

“The Sky is a bowl turned upside down with its load of stars spilling out, about to fall on the rain forest, the villa, the hotel yard, our hair, any moment now”

This is a beautiful tragic love story. What happens when you love someone too much? It is also a a tale of loneliness, colonialism, and not belonging. The writing is beautiful and the way the narrator slips between these people who are two halves of a whole nearly breaks your heart. The ‘Jamaican English’ did require a great deal of concentration from me but it was entirely worth it.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had potential. It sounded interesting. It was not. It was pure struggle. It was frustrating to read. It didn't flow smoothly. Switching back and forth between characters wasn't super clear and then the back and forth between Patois was worse. I tried reading allowed at some points to understand what was being said and nope. None of these characters are likeable- except for MAYBE Noah and Alva, but they aren't in the story much. At one point I wondered if everyone was just one schizophrenic person.

[Laura-Ann Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I somehow made it to page 106, but I can't do it anymore. My inner monologue while reading this book: "Who exactly is Moshe? Why am I supposed to care about him? Who's supposed to be narrating again? Huh? Say what now? Uh huh...wait let me read that entire page again because I have no idea how those sentences relate to each other..." etc.

[Rani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Fisher and her husband Noah are childless in late 1950s Jamaica until Rachel finds an abandoned baby who they raise as their son. Moshe's unusual features leave him isolated among other children until he meets Arrienne.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not what I wanted or expected--I was hoping for a book that would have some sort of explanation about the nature of sugar in the Jamaican economy and culture, perhaps fictionalized but at least a worthwhile historical novel.  Instead, this book is an award-bait kind of novel that was not very enjoyable to read although it is the kind that is deliberately seeking critical praise.  This book has a lot of the elements one would expect for being award baity, from its celebration of a nearly incomprehensible patois, its complex jumping forwards and backwards in time to disrupt linear story flow, its elements of religion and superstition, the fact that it is about a man but has a strong female character, deals with questions of race, politics, and sexuality, as well as having a fondness for art and a critique of American society.  From its hatred of white Americans to its discussion of the aftermath of rape and sexual trauma, this novel has all you want in a literary novel except being morally worthwhile and enjoyable to read, but these are small considerations for those who award prizes to unworthy novels like this one.

In terms of its narrative, this book explores the complex friendship between Moshe and Arianna, two Jamaicans only a year apart who grow up together and find themselves involved in a magical realistic scenario where they are sheltered somewhat from the sexual experimentation and rampant premarital sex of their culture, find themselves present in each other's minds, and find that their relationship with each other is made much more complex by their relationship with others.  Puberty distances them from each other and then they make a series of decisions that bring them still further apart, from furtive sexual exploration to an ill-advised marriage, even as the difficulty in coming to terms with the past and with one's own identity is explored in a thick patois that is by no means easy or enjoyable to interpret.  This is not a novel written for people to read unless they are the sort of people who find the author's approach to be breathtaking in its feminism and in its discussion about the world of art as well as what it means to be an outsider in Jamaica and the UK and anywhere else, and in the awkwardness of a private life for someone who has a near telepathic connection with someone else.

I can see why someone wants to write a novel like this.  The author is herself a Jamaican who is living in the United States as a professor at a HBCU and this is not in any way surprising in reading the book, given that the main character can be assumed as somewhat of a stand-in for the author's strident leftist politics and in her irritating feminist agenda, to the point where she assumes that Moshe is taking her for granted simply because he has secrets with other people and not just her.  The author vividly portrays what it is like to be a jealous woman conscious of her own strength and determined to be respected by others, but the fact that the author portrays this convincingly does not mean in any way that the feminism of the book is in any way appealing.  The fact that this book is focused on the life and experiences of a man who himself would be moderately appealing in his ambiguity and vulnerability but is told largely through the point of view of an unsympathetic female makes the book all the more frightening.  If it is a common critique of male authors that they struggle to make convincing women, this novelist makes a convincing but unappealing woman and an appealing but not very convincing man.  It may make for an easy novel to receive awards, but not an enjoyable one to read if one does not share the political worldview of the author.

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure if I can capture exactly what I feel about this novel.

What I liked about the novel was the descriptions of Jamaica and the use of language (patois). The author does a great job developing the characters. They felt like people I may have known sometime in my life. I also enjoyed the slow revealing of the story. It reminded me of having conversations with older people where you may not get a direct story but one revealed in riddles and long descriptions.

This style of storytelling leads to what I didn’t like about the novel. The author dropped so many nuggets/questions in the beginning of the book that could have been explored or answered in a different way toward the end.

This book is a challenging read because of the shifting narrators. To combat this I listened to the audio book. Robin Miles excellently narrates the audio book.

Those who enjoy literary fiction, Caribbean literature and interesting family dynamics will enjoy this novel.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that grabbed me with this one was the cover. It is just so gorgeous. The next thing you notice once you start reading is the story that it is this heartening tale of discovery that spans years. This one reminded me of a very old movie that was out ages ago called Powder in that one the main character was albino and in this one the main character had no skin. At first it sounded very weird to read a book such as this but once you start you will be hooked. This was a beautiful story with a lyrical flair, with wonderful characters and great pacing. And I can't wait to check out this author's other titles because this one is unforgettable!

[Allison Thwaites · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll review after I finish hugging the book and getting my emotions together

[Aoife · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Tall History of Sugar is a story about two people, twin souls Moshe and Ariana who were born a year apart but from the moment they met, were connected by something that could only be described as beyond human learning. As they grow older, Moshe's differences within his community, the way he looks and communicates with the world as well as the mystery behind his biological parents pull him away from Ariana and his adoptive parents, and his homeland of Jamaica as questions about everything from who he is, his sexuality and what he needs to do in life to find peace plague him.

This book was very lyrical and I found parts of it enjoyable - I actually didn't mind the Jamaican patois in this book, and didn't find it too hard to understand. This may be because I recently read Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks which also had similar patois in it so my mind was slightly attuned to reading and translating it.

I do love the setting of Jamaica, and I appreciated learning more about the history of the people from the history of sugar plantations, and how integral sugar is to everyone who lives in Jamaica as well as the history and shadow of colonisation. Moshe and Ariana's childhood was simple and idyllic in many ways but we also see how Moshe's family struggles as well and while he didn't need much, there wasn't a whole lot to give him anyway despite his parents' love and struggles to provide for him.

I think the book lost me a bit by the time Moshe left Jamaica, and his rift with Ariana started. It felt like the plot was confused and I didn't know if the story was centered around Moshe and who he came from (which we never found out anyway), or more about the deep relationship between Moshe and Ariana which although is love, I question if it's the type of love either of them needed.

There was a lot of back and forth in the latter half of the book in terms of timeline as well, and there were times when I couldn't figure out where in the timeline we were and it took a couple of pages to catch up.

I just don't think I understood the deep message of this book, and that's okay too as I think I maybe wasn't meant to. This is by no means a badly written book and I'd happily read more from the author - it's just one that didn't do it for me.

[Inês · Rating 4 out of 5]

writing good endings is more and more a craft i appreciate because so few people can do it. after an extraordinary story, the end just feels so chewy.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one knows quite who Moshe’s parents are. Unlike most of the people around him in Jamaica, he has pale translucent skin and duo-toned hair. He was found by his adopted mother, Rachel Fisher in the reeds outside her home. He would grow up loved by his parents, but he never quite fitted into life at school and the village.

He does have one friend though, Arrienne Christie. They bond strongly and at times they are inseparable, communicating through a silent language and being the crutch that each other needs at that point in their lives. However, their friendship is fraught with things that threaten to drive them apart.

Moshe has a talent as an artist and it is a skill that takes him from the glorious weather of the Caribbean to the grim cold climate of the UK. He grows in stature as an artist, but he avoids the limelight and fame. But his home country is calling him and he knows it is time to return.

I must admit that I did struggle with this book for several reasons. Firstly the Jamaican patois takes quite a bit of getting used to and I would have to end up reading it a couple of time to get the gist of what they were asking. I found the plot overly convoluted. I think that it would have been better developing the themes of her characters not quite fitting into the societies of Jamaica and the UK in Moshe case as she writes about the racism in the late seventies. It did feel a little overwritten at times, though there were points where the prose was quite lyrical. Glad I gave it a go, but it isn’t really one for me.

[Garry Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

"...wait to be seated". In a pub? In London? In 1978? I don't think so. A rare did-not-finish from this reviewer: I struggled through two thirds, waiting for something to happen, for the language to shine in the way the reviews suggested. But that pub was the last straw.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a slog.

Found it super tough to follow due to the narrative voice switching from first person, to third, to stream-of-consciousness with little to no warning. The timeline was hard to follow also, I quite often felt lost and had no concept of where I was within the story. There were some hints of folklore and the characters seemed so interesting but sadly these elements of the story just got lost due to the novel being such hard work to read.

I don’t think I could actually tell anyone what this book is about if they asked :/.

[Jenny Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moshe is born in Jamaica in the late 50s, shortly before Independence. He has a very strange appearance, described in the book as being “without a skin”. Having been abandoned by his mother at birth, he is adopted by Noah and Rachel Fisher. On day one of school he meets Arrienne, a beautiful, opinionated, strong girl who becomes his soul mate and his protectress. They form an unlikely relationship and become so close that they do not need words to communicate and are almost like two halves of the same “whole”. This book tells the story of their relationship and how it progresses into adulthood and beyond.

I will start with the positive points, but I am afraid it will be the shorter of the two sections. There are some very unusual characters in this book. Moshe and Arrienne are interesting in both character and appearance, and some of the peripheral characters also stand out as being eccentric or remarkable in other ways. There are hints of mysticism and folklore interspersed with the narrative, something which I am not usually comfortable with but, in this instance, I thought it was done well and didn’t take the storyline too far from reality. Also, despite the fact that I generally found the book difficult, there were some lighter moments when the story moved on much more quickly and the language was comprehensible. At these points I can honestly say that I was enjoying it but unfortunately they didn’t last long enough.

And so to the downside, and sadly this section is going to be quite densely populated!! If you get as far as Chapter 4 in this book (around 60 pages in), well done. Quite frankly you deserve a medal (although things do get slightly easier from here on in). I very nearly gave up on multiple occasions. Not only are many of the sentences badly constructed, but conversation is written in dialect and it is totally incomprehensible. Some of it is translated for the benefit of the reader, the rest you have to either skip over and create a story to fill in the gaps or struggle through and try and make some sort of sense of it. It really is very hard work indeed. Also, despite the fact that the two main characters were described in some detail I still didn’t really feel that I had a clear picture in my mind of what they looked like. Yet another confusing aspect of the book was that there were different narrators. Worse, sometimes the story was told in the third person and sometimes in the first, without any warning that things had changed. This meant that quite a lot of the time I didn’t know whose perspective on events I was listening to. In addition, it jumped around between timeframes which was another minefield to negotiate. And then, just as I was congratulating myself on having nearly reached the end, with about 15 pages to go the narrator suddenly lapses into a stream of consciousness narrative which would have put Virginia Woolf to shame. It nearly finished me off and I wasn’t at all sure I was actually going to make it. There were pages, literally, with no punctuation at all. Whilst I do understand the reason for adopting this style at this point in time, it did add an extra hurdle just as I was approaching the finishing straight. Deary me.

Would I recommend this book? Unfortunately I don’t think I can. I only gave it 2 stars as I can’t forgive the drudgery of the first three chapters and the work which was required to read the remainder. However, ultimately I am glad I persevered so you will really need to make your own minds up.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tall History of Sugar delivers a tall order of beautiful language, a giddy, glorious and, yes, intoxicating order. Just as I wrote this, one tiny example came to mind, two words only -“ploughing darkness”. Dark, but lovely, isn’t it? How recognizable to any of us afflicted by the human condition. Hard work, that ploughing, and usually fruitless. Next time I find myself cultivating my particular patch in the “slough of despond” I’ll know what to call it.
OK, OK, this intoxicating novel of modern day Jamaica. Ms. Forbes’ enchanting words took me to Jamaica right away, a sugar rush of language and culture. Growing sugar cane is and has been pervasive in Jamaican history: plantations enriching the British Empire, labor supply feeding off the slave trade, the black smoke of cane fires blanketing the island to this day. And so begins the love story of Moshe and Arrienne .
When newly born, Moshe (Moses) was found abandoned in the sea grapes and taken in by childless Rachel and Noah. Through some defect of birth or, perhaps, his mysterious parentage, he is strikingly different and will be all his life. His skin bleeds at a touch and is white as milk, but his facial features are those of a black man. One eye is blue, the other brown, and his hair is a combination of blond and straight, black and curly. Moshe and Arrienne meet as school children. She is a growing beauty and dark as midnight. She’s also fierce, practiced in tae kwan do and readily assumes the role of protector and constant companion to Moshe. She thinks of the two of them as twins or, sometimes, “nottwins”, and they can communicate without speaking. As adults, they lose this ability and are estranged, but there remains an inexorable pull, a need for each other.
While Arrienne is out-spoken, quick to anger and fully human, Moshe, to me, was more of a being than a person – perhaps (probably?) purposely. I usually step lightly around symbolism because you can always find something if you want to, but Moshe’s character struck me as Christ-like. Not without sin, but tormented and stoic, paying for something, bleeding. Hmmm, well………you’ll have to come to your own conclusions. Ms. Forbes is a writer-to-the-bone, and I won’t presume to speak for her.
Intoxicating, yes, and as lyrical as Jamaican patois. Sorry, I’ve rambled on too long, but it’s my word hangover talking. Speaking of patois (way to segue), I was intrigued and went online to explore. Guess what? There are lessons! Some say it is a language, and others call it a dialect, but, no matter, it’s beautiful – as is Ms. Forbes’ moving book. Worth the word hangover.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A TALL HISTORY OF SUGAR: A NOVEL is written by Curdella Forbes.
Ms. Forbes is a Jamaican writer who lives in Maryland and teaches at Howard University.
An ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of A TALL HISTORY OF SUGAR was sent to me by the publisher, Akashic Books.
The title consists of 6 Parts with 33 Chapters and Acknowledgements.

A TALL HISTORY OF SUGAR tells the story of Moshe Fisher, a man who was born “without a skin,” so that no one is able to tell what race he belongs to; and Arrienne Christie, his quixotic soul mate who makes it her duty in life to protect Moshe from the social and emotional consequences of his strange appearance. (Press Release)

The story is written in the manner of creating or relating a myth, a legend, a fairy tale. There is a sense of exaggeration, of magic, of the supernatural. The writing is very lyrical.
One needs to be a patient reader. Most of the conversations are written in a patois that seems indecipherable at first, but becomes very interesting and easier to understand after practice.
I quite liked the passage (pp. 48-49) that described Moshe’s becoming a mystic.
I found all the descriptions of medicines and home remedies, the salves, the oils, the herbs and plants to be very interesting.
I liked the passages that described Moshe and Noah’s relationship. (pp. 57-59)
I was quite intrigued by “The narrative of Flight Lieutenant George Horatio Hannibal St. Aloysius Christie, being the father of the princess Arrienne, in which he was captured by the Japanese when his plane crash-landed at a place called Changi, near the sea at Singapore.” (pp. 83-85)
I appreciate books with a strong sense of place and location. The author brings a sense of belonging and familiarity to Jamaica, in general, and Tumela, in particular and to Brixton.
I liked reading about Noah in the ‘interval’ beginning on p. 300.

A TALL HISTORY OF SUGAR is a very special book; a very special story. It is highly recommended.

[Porshea DiMera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warning: rape, child abandonment, suicide, homophobia

Released in paperback edition two weeks ago, A Tall History of Sugar lives up to its praise during its original hardcover release. Namely, as the New York Times Book Review noted, it is ‘a gift for grown up fans of fairy tales.’

As an avid fan of fairy tales—new to me and retold—A Tall History of Sugar uses the unrealistic aspects of the main character’s life as well as traditional African diasporic lore to craft a unique story about Moshe Fisher, a boy who was born skinless. Taking place in fictional Jamaica initially in the 1950s, the novel is a bildungsroman that uses Moshe’s fairytale-esque looks and gospel-like adoption story as a device to probe at the ways that human insecurities and atrocities affect individuals and communities. This novel maintains this fantastic vibe by exploring a range of pre-destined relationships among childhood friends to lovers, adoptive parents, and a mysterious Seer who claims relation to Moshe. From his adoptive mother, Rachel, finding him just when she’d wanted to love a child most desperately (invoking “The Baker and his Wife”), to the discovery of this child in a water driven basket a la Moses, Moshe’s origin spells out the trajectory of his full story. He spends most of his life wondering who he is and what he is supposed to want and do all while wishing that those responsible for his birth were around to guide him. A lot of his journey revolves around unfulfilled wants—his own, his parents’, his childhood best friend’s, Arríene Christie, and one-sided love interests further building on the wistfulness of fairy tales. In fact, what makes much of Moshe’s adult life interesting is his self-imposed exile to Europe after he is ostracized by peers at college in his home country of Jamaica after being linked to gay men—making him a prodigal son, of sorts.

Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2022/01/...

[Charlee Rowe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly? I DNF’d this book (do not finish) It was so lack lustre for me, I read 30% of it and I cannot explain to you what happened, because there is nothing to tell. It does read a lot like a history book with backstories about the country, the town, and all the characters apart from the main 2, Moshe and Arrienne.
It does have a lot of phonetic conversations - written how you would hear the accent - which could trip some people up, however sometimes with the longer sentences the author explains it.
I got sucked in by the BEAUTIFUL cover design, and from the blurb I was expecting something a lot different to what this book seemingly is.

[Reta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I really tried. But, for me it was so slow moving. The dialect was a problem for me, the writing style and the changes in narrative were just to much for me to over come. I thought the characters were lifeless and I couldn’t really care what happened to them. DNF. Made it to page 181 and refused to spend anymore time reading it.

[LaTrice McNeil-Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh where to begin 🤔...If this book wasn't for a book club, I would have DNFed this right away. The amount of info dumping and unnecessary details drove me absolutely crazy. I also feel like nothing was resolved in the plot and I could not wait until this book was over. I would not recommend.