Reviews

So Many Islands: Stories from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific by Kendel Hippolyte, Tammi Browne-Bannister, Fetuolemoana Elisara, Sabah Carrim, Mere Taito, Mokoyan Vekula, Erato Ioannou, Nicholas Laughlin, Marita Davies, Cecil Browne, Emma Kate Lewis, Heather Barker, Angela Barry, Tracy Assing, Melanie Schwapp, Damon Chua, Jacob Ross

oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition

(Various)

A fine anthology- somewhat uneven in quality. I was hoping for more of a showcase but the main theme of this selection was very centered on island identity and belonging or the feeling of not-belonging. All of which are fine to explore, although one of the pitfalls of being a writer from a small island seems to be a kind of pigeon-holing, an expectation that THIS is the most worthwhile thing for you to be writing about.

teenytinytina's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective sad

4.25

jureader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

5.0

balletbookworm's review against another edition

5.0

A wonderfully multi-layered collection of essays, poems, and stories from authors hailing from island nations around the globe, particularly the Caribbean and the Pacific. Many if not all of these authors will be unfamiliar to US audiences due to the small percentage of non-US literature imported to our shores. Literature can be a window and door into the world and this collection does that - look through it into those worlds and cultures you have not yet met.

bookofcinz's review against another edition

4.0

So Many Islands Is a collection of short stories, poems, essays from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. When I heard about this collection of stories, I instantly gravitated to the idea of different island people coming together to speak their truth in various written forms.

I think Marlon James's introduction perfectly summarizes this collection and the writing "It takes a big mind, or at least a big worldview to write from such a small space..." I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and I really felt at home reading this book.

The major standouts for me were:
Tread Lightly by Emma Kate Lewis (Malta)
The Plundering by Heather Barker (Barbados)
Granny Dead (by Melanie Schwapp (Jamaica)
A Child of Four Women by Marita Davies (Kiribati)
Unaccounted For by Tracy Assing (Trinidad and Tobago)
Coming off the long run by Cecil Browne (Saint Vincent and the Grendadines)

If you are from an island, currently living on an island or planning on visiting an island, you should definitely pick up a copy of this collection. Outstanding stories from amazing Islanders!

youpie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

verahuerlimann's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

shannonmallard's review

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

nini23's review

informative

3.5

michellebacon's review

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

A brilliant, thought-provoking collection of 17 short stories and poems from new writers of different island nations in the Commonwealth. The editors have done a fantastic job of collating pieces covering a variety of themes including cultural traditions, revolution, women's rights, nuclear testing and of course, cricket. Despite these wide ranging topics and without the point being laboured, as the book progresses you start to gather a sense of a common perspective of these water bound ex-colonies. The writings vary in style but are all high quality, in my opinion without the misses that you often find in short story collections.