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pbobrit's review against another edition
4.0
This will be a short review as I will have to write about this for school. But an excellent portrait of the reaction of English to the presence of colonial natives on English soil and in society. Well written, and compelling characters.
peterp3's review against another edition
4.0
Tricky to review this book! On the one hand it’s a brave and laudable choice for Garnett to feature a black African woman as the heroine of his story - the first person to do so in English literature, apparently! And on the other hand, the language that Garnett uses is very racist by today’s standards, which jars a lot to my modern sensitivities.
However, if we forgive him that (the book was written 100 years ago), he’s penned an excellent story showing how the petty superiority and racial prejudice of the inhabitants of an English village are completely outclassed by the quiet, assured confidence of the young African bride who has been brought there as the wife of a sailor returning to his homeland.
(And the setting in the Dorset countryside is very realistic too. Garnett obviously knew the area well.)
However, if we forgive him that (the book was written 100 years ago), he’s penned an excellent story showing how the petty superiority and racial prejudice of the inhabitants of an English village are completely outclassed by the quiet, assured confidence of the young African bride who has been brought there as the wife of a sailor returning to his homeland.
(And the setting in the Dorset countryside is very realistic too. Garnett obviously knew the area well.)
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