- Paperback: 188 pages
- Publisher: Small Beer Press (12 Aug 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1931520666
- ISBN-13: 978-1931520669
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14 x 1.5 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 746,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Redemption in Indigo: a novel
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
"The impish love child of Tutuola and Marquez. Utterly delightful."--Nalo Hopkinson
Karen Lord's debut novel, which won the prestigious Frank Collymore Literary Prize in Barbados, is an intricately woven tale of adventure, magic, and the power of the human spirit.
Paama's husband is a fool and a glutton. Bad enough that he followed her to her parents' home in the village of Makende, now he's disgraced himself by murdering livestock and stealing corn. When Paama leaves him for good, she attracts the attention of the undying ones--the djombi--who present her with a gift: the Chaos Stick, which allows her to manipulate the subtle forces of the world. Unfortunately, a wrathful djombi with indigo skin believes this power should be his and his alone.
Bursting with humor and rich in fantastic detail, "Redemption in Indigo" is a clever, contemporary fairy tale that introduces readers to a dynamic new voice in Caribbean literature. Lord's world of spider tricksters and indigo immortals, inspired in part by a Senegalese folk tale, will feel instantly familiar--but Paama's adventures are fresh, surprising, and utterly original.
"Fantasy as a genre does not have boundaries," writes Lord. "It has roots. You may call it fantasy. I call it life."
Karen Lord was born in Barbados in 1968. She holds a science degree from the University of Toronto and a PhD in the sociology of religion from the University of Wales.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
The Chaos Lord Goes to School
1 Oct 2010
Format:Paperback
What a wonderful novel this is! It is utterly enchanting from beginning to end, truly a pleasure to read. Both editorial reviews mention that this book is a retelling of a folktale, which is wrong. The first few chapters retell the tale of our heroine Paama, yes, but after that Paama's adventures are of the author's invention. And what invention! A surprising array of delightful characters, human and otherwise, make appearances in this deceptively slim novel, but really this is Paama's story. Paama is not THE chosen one of destiny, on a quest to do a deed, but rather A chosen one, still free to make her own choices, on a quest to try to learn which choice to make. This is a fantasy not about being a winner, but about living your life, living well in the face of adversity. As such, for all its antic moments, this slight novel is in the end much more satisfying than any number of the sort of relentlessly grim, heavy, often cynical fantasies that are so popular these days. And all the book's adventures, the whimsical and the weighty, are perfectly related by the narrator, a masterfully digressive and captivating storyteller (although I did not get the "feminine yet authoritative," whatever that means, mentioned in a review above). This is a charming novel that inspired more laughs and smiles than anything else I've read in some time, yet also had enough substance that it was more than a mere amusette. Highly recommended.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Promising but doesn't deliver
11 Mar 2011
Format:Paperback
It's hard to go up against two starred reviews from twp prestigious review journals, plus a perfect five from everyone else. But I'm trying to be honest here.
I loved the first several chapters. For me, the story began to unravel somewhere in the middle. For one thing, the use of magic seemed excessive and injudicious. The magical characters (djombis) flit through time and space, foretell the future, erase the memories of those they encounter, conjure great wealth, disguise themselves as animals and insects, shape shift, etc. etc. When characters can do just about anything, I stop taking them seriously. One of these characters confesses that he can't "read minds." Yet, he does everything else. Shortly thereafter this same character tells in great detail what's going to become of a certain little boy. With these kinds of powers, it hardly matters if he can't read minds. The future's already known.
There's no real conflict in this story, partly because the magical characters are so overwhelming but also because it's hard to tell what some of the characters really want. We're told over and over what an extraordinary woman Paama is, but I wasn't feeling it. Certain plot elements are introduced, but not developed: the brooch, the dreaming pillow, the Sisters, even the chaos stick which is only used once. We never really get to see what it can do.
Yet the voice of the narrator is charming and the humor, at times, is delightful. And there's a compassionate spirit that permeates the book. But overall, for me, a frustrating read.
I loved the first several chapters. For me, the story began to unravel somewhere in the middle. For one thing, the use of magic seemed excessive and injudicious. The magical characters (djombis) flit through time and space, foretell the future, erase the memories of those they encounter, conjure great wealth, disguise themselves as animals and insects, shape shift, etc. etc. When characters can do just about anything, I stop taking them seriously. One of these characters confesses that he can't "read minds." Yet, he does everything else. Shortly thereafter this same character tells in great detail what's going to become of a certain little boy. With these kinds of powers, it hardly matters if he can't read minds. The future's already known.
There's no real conflict in this story, partly because the magical characters are so overwhelming but also because it's hard to tell what some of the characters really want. We're told over and over what an extraordinary woman Paama is, but I wasn't feeling it. Certain plot elements are introduced, but not developed: the brooch, the dreaming pillow, the Sisters, even the chaos stick which is only used once. We never really get to see what it can do.
Yet the voice of the narrator is charming and the humor, at times, is delightful. And there's a compassionate spirit that permeates the book. But overall, for me, a frustrating read.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
sharp, witty writing of a terrific tale
5 Jan 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book - based on a Senegalese folk tale - was a great read. The trickster and a few other characters vividly reminded me of American Indian folktales, yet the story has a distinct African flavor. The writing was very witty and sharp and the story was excellent. I'd really like to see more from this author.
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