Bernard and the Cloth Monkey: A collection of rediscovered works celebrating Black Britain curated by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo
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Reviews
I was glad that my book group chose this book to read as I have been aiming to read more diverse fiction and discover authors who I have not heard of before. This series is a great idea to give a platform to some almost forgotten books - well done Bernadine Evaristo!
This particular book covers some distressing subject matters but in a subtle way which leave the reader to make up their own mind about this families past. I found it quite a realistic relationship between the two sisters as they range from not talking or telling each other anything to having these outburts of emotion. The descriptions of 1990s London was almost like going back in a time machine and there were some twists which made earlier parts of the book make sense, so I would stay stick with it if you find some parts a little too subtle or random. The title will also make sense once you have finished reading! I will definitely be reading other books in this series!
An at times painful read about two sisters Beth and Anita rediscovering each other and their childhood home as well as facing up to the reality of their relationships with their parents - in particular their father - in the wake of his death and while their mother is away. I liked some the storytelling devices which included fairytale style writing to fill in these two women's back stories. I did want some of the text to be a little more explicit in some parts as it leaves the reader open to interpretation of what has happened in this family, however this makes for a good book group discussion. The absent father figure looms over the house with his words being echoed in the sisters' thoughts and what they say to each other as they come to terms with the past and the people that they have become and how this has been influenced by their parents. "At the end of the day, I was only given one mummy and one daddy. I had to make the most of them. Even if they didn't always make the most of me."
