A Tall History of Sugar, Curdella Forbes
A Tall History of Sugar, Curdella Forbes
1 Rating(s)
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A Tall History of Sugar

Author: Curdella Forbes

Narrator: Robin Miles

Unabridged: 14 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/29/2019


Synopsis

A Tall History of Sugar tells the story of Moshe Fisher, a man who was "born without 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.

The narrative begins with Moshe's birth in the late 1950s, four years before Jamaica's independence from colonial rule, and ends in the era of what Forbes calls "the fall of empire," the era of Brexit and Donald Trump. The historical trajectory layers but never overwhelms the scintillating love story as the pair fight to establish their own view of loving, against the moral force of the colonial "plantation" and its legacies that continue to affect their lives and the lives of those around them.

Written in lyrical, luminous prose that spans the range of Jamaican Englishes, this remarkable story follows the couple's mysterious love affair from childhood to adulthood, from the haunted environs of rural Jamaica to the city of Kingston, and then to England—another haunted locale in Forbes's rendition.

About Curdella Forbes

Curdella Forbes is a Jamaican writer who lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, and teaches at Howard University. Her books include A Permanent Freedom, Flying with Icarus, and Ghosts.


Reviews

Goodreads review by 2TReads

'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 a......more

Goodreads review by Seymone

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......more

Goodreads review by Richard

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 lyrica......more