This debut transports us to the Carribean and yanks us back and forth in time. We begin in New Felicity, a small beach town in Trinidad where the villagers are suspicious of an increasing number of Ibis birds, seen as a bad omen. Soon after, fishermen are taken hostage in Venezuela, an American journalist turns up asking questions and the villagers find themselves taking in a young refugee just as the government are cracking down on undocumented Venezuelans.
Then in other chapters, we see the village as a slave plantation and, as the novel unravels, we begin to see how this history affects the place and its people up to present day. This novel taught me a lot which is what I love about reading. I was engrossed in a time and place I haven’t read much about before and Justin Haynes was a wonderful writer to introduce me to it. I must admit that the multiple perspectives threw me off a little though, there were so many characters to keep up with at the beginning that I found it hard to grasp what was going on and paired with the allegorical prose, I fear some things went over my head. That said, it’s a beautiful story that has a powerful impact on its reader and I recommend to all. Just make sure you’re in the mood to pay full attention.
Reviewed by Abi
Published on 13/03/25 by Abrams & Chronicle
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