Name: Rebekah Drapeau 's review of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
Item: How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
Rating: 3
Author: Rebekah Drapeau

Cherie Jones

A debut novel in the tradition of Zadie Smith and Marlon James, from a brilliant Caribbean writer, set in Barbados, about four people each desperate to escape their legacy of violence in a so-called "paradise." In Baxter Beach, Barbados, moneyed ex-pats clash with the locals who often end up serving them: braiding their hair, minding their children, and selling them drugs. Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the Baxter Beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom -- and their lives.

A Novel

How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House

Rebekah Drapeau 

Kristen Claiborn

After reading some other reviews, I see that I am in the minority here. I didn't like this book at all, but I did finish it, so it got more than one star. I found it to be full of relative unlikable characters, REALLY unlikable characters, and terrible circumstances. There just didn't seem much "good" here and I really dislike books like that.

Elle Geoghegan 

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set against the backdrop of Barbados, this is a beautifully written novel of a woman in an abusive marriage; her mother and grandmother; her sociopath husband; and a family devestated by murder. Everything weaves together into one of the most heartbreaking stories I have read. 

There is an emphasis on class, race, and generational damage and dysfunction. The timeline does jump around, but it adds to the power of the novel.

Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 SHORTLISTED 'Jones's atmospheric debut has a multiracial, multigenerational cast who are brilliantly and even-handedly portrayed' Sunday Times 'Rare is the first book that reveals the writer fully formed, the muscles and sinews of her sentences firm and taut, the voice distinctly her own' Washington Post 'A hard-hitting and unflinching novel from a bold new writer' Bernardine Evaristo 'A bright new star. Cherie Jones draws us with skill, delicacy and glorious style into a vortex of Bajan lives on the edge' Diana Evans In Baxter's Beach, Barbados, Lala's grandmother Wilma tells the story of the one-armed sister, a cautionary tale about what happens to girls who disobey their mothers. For Wilma, it's the story of a wilful adventurer, who ignores the warnings of those around her, and suffers as a result. When Lala grows up, she sees it offers hope - of life after losing a baby in the most terrible of circumstances and marrying the wrong man. And Mira Whalen? It's about keeping alive, trying to make sense of the fact that her husband has been murdered, and she didn't get the chance to tell him that she loved him after all. HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE is the powerful, intense story of three marriages, and of a beautiful island paradise where, beyond the white sand beaches and the wealthy tourists, lies poverty, menacing violence and the story of the sacrifices some women make to survive. 'An extraordinarily hard-hitting and evocative novel that packs a tremendous punch with its repercussions of generational trauma, pin-sharp characterisations and strong sense of place' Daily Mail

Shortlisted for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction

Elizabeth Hisserich

The sense of place and character were really strong. However, I found the violence to be so unrelenting that the reader becomes somewhat desensitized. 

Harriet Moar-Smith

I'm not sure if I liked this book a 5 stars amount or if I just fell in love with Danielle Vitalis's narration. Before I started listening someone described this book as containing nearly every type of violence apart from war and I'd say that's about right really. I was so prepared to be furious with the ending but was pleasantly surprised.

Emir Andrés Ibañez

Situada en Baxter Beach, Barbados, esta es la historia de cuatro personajes cuyas circunstancias y pasados los terminan conectando de una forma u otra. El argumento es bastante sencillo y creo que abarca unas pocas semanas, pero a medida que estos personajes nos van contando los hechos a través de sus perspectivas, van revelando detalles de eventos pasados (como se criaron, como se conocieron, etc), así que la línea temporal no es lineal, va y viene.
Tenemos a Lala, una muchacha que trabaja haciendo trenzas a los turistas en la playa y que actualmente está embarazada. Su marido, Adan, un criminal reconocido que en uno de sus últimos "trabajos" se manda una cagada, y a partir de ahí se va todo al garete.
La novela me encantó. Me costó un poco acostumbrarme a la narrativa, porque no era un inglés al que estuviera acostumbrado, pero una vez que le agarrás la mano se pone interesante.
Es un estudio de personajes y al mismo tiempo un retrato/crítica social, en donde se abordan temas durísimos como la violencia de género, el clasismo, el racismo, la corrupción, etc. Un pantallazo de las vidas de estos personajes que, al final del libro, terminás pensando que realmente existen.
La primera palabra que se me viene a la cabeza al recordar este libro es: abrumador. Todos estos personajes son golpeados emocional y físicamente, o están atravesando un duelo, o siendo manipulados, etc.
Si me tengo que quedar con los temas, no es una novela que recomendaría a toda hora. Es demasiado doloroso. Pero sí hay que reconocer que está muy bien escrito, que la estructura y el desarrollo de los personajes están muy bien ejecutados y, además, jamás había leído nada situado en el caribe y fue muy lindo conocerlo así.

This is not a book for the faint of heart. It is about trauma and women being on the receiving end of domestic abuse and other situations. It is very detailed and very heavy to read. But it was also very well written.

Lindsay

Lauren Wightman

Elin Keller

Sarah Jackson

In the tradition of Zadie Smith and Marlon James, a brilliant Caribbean writer delivers a powerful story about four people each desperate to escape their legacy of violence in a so-called "paradise." In Baxter’s Beach, Barbados, Lala’s grandmother Wilma tells the story of the one-armed sister. It’s a cautionary tale, about what happens to girls who disobey their mothers and go into the Baxter’s Tunnels. When she’s grown, Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven into the Tunnels by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom – and their lives. How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is an intimate and visceral portrayal of interconnected lives, across race and class, in a rapidly changing resort town, told by an astonishing new author of literary fiction. One of 2021's Most Anticipated New Fiction The Millions * Lit Hub * O Magazine * Elle.com * Entertainment Weekly * Minneapolis Star-Tribune * Bustle

Mari-Claire Parrin

Kay Sutherland

Amelia C 

Liezel van der Walt 

"In Baxter's Beach, Barbados, Lala's grandmother Wilma tells the story of the one-armed sister. It's a cautionary tale, about what happens to girls who disobey their mothers and go into the Baxter's Tunnels. When she's grown, Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven into the Tunnels by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk their freedom - and their lives.How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is an intimate and visceral portrayal of interconnected lives, across race and class, in a rapidly changing resort town, told by an astonishing new author of literary fiction."--Provided by publisher.

Rebekah Drapeau &
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

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Rebekah Drapeau &How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones

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Rebekah Drapeau &
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones