Ratings10
Average rating3.7
"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.
Reviews with the most likes.
The story is interesting, relentlessly dark and bleak and the characters are compelling. There are quite a few strong moments in this book and some beautifully worded sentences but overall I just really didn't vibe with the writing style. It came across as breathy and confusing, for me, and I sometimes had to back track to remember who we were looking at.
Lala's story was entirely engrossing and beautifully written. I loved the dialogue here, and the book was brutal and riveting. The only complaint I have is that I would have loved to see more of Mira's story.
The language in this book is lovely and poetic. Jones is masterful at setting scenes. I was not prepared for the content, however. It was all so sad and depressing. Maybe at another time (not during a pandemic when all sorts of misery are around), I would have received this book better. As it stands though, I found myself constantly saying ‘NO' while reading.
I also expected a bit of funny mixed-in based on the title. There was nothing funny in this book!