1859. Unrest is brewing in the South as Emily, an actress from England, arrives in Georgia to begin life with her new husband Charles.
On arriving, Emily realises that Charles has been keeping a terrible secret from her - he is a slave-owner. On the surface, Emily appears to reconcile herself to his way of life, whereas in reality she finds herself irrevocably caught up in the lives of the slaves - befriending them, and helping them in secret. But as civil war threatens, Emily's world becomes increasingly divided - and dangerous - and she realises her secret could cost her everything.
Set against the brilliantly realised backdrop of the months leading up to the American Civil War, Sugar Island is a story of freedom and of loyalty in a time of chaos.
Sugar Island
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'An absorbing novel inspired by the life of the famous English actress and writer Fanny Kemble, with a good helping of imagination thrown in. It's gripping, entertaining and entirely on the side of the angels'
(The Times )'Completely absorbing . . . A surprise delight that will please romantics with a conscience hugely'
(City AM )'This thought-provoking book is based on a true story . . . well-written and moving, though at times it is uncomfortable reading. This is partly due to the descriptions that make us feel as if we are actually witnessing the events and experiencing the places. The author . . . is to be congratulated on her excellent research and her ability to translate it into such a gripping and informative novel'
(Yorkshire Gazette )'Beautifully written, the contrasts between the luxurious life of the rich and the horrific, cruel lives of their slaves are vividly recorded and stay in the memory for a long time'
(Press Association )'A well-researched and sensitive story evoking a "twisted version of paradise". O'Connell writes with passion'
(Oxford Times )'A diverting read'
(Irish Examiner )'One of the ten books to look forward to in 2011'
(Irish Post )About the Author
Sanjida O'Connell is a TV presenter and producer. She is the author of three works of non-fiction, Mindreading: How we Learn to Love, Lie, Sugar: The Grass that Changed the World and Nature's Calendar, and three novels, Theory of Mind, Angel Bird, and THE NAKED NAME OF LOVE. She also has a PhD in Theory of Mind.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Rosie Hardy
Format:Hardcover
Sugar Island tells the story of Emily, a young English actress who, while working in America, falls in love with and marries an American lawyer. Not long after their wedding he is called back to run his family's sugar plantation on St Simon's Island off the coast of Georgia. Emily had no idea that he was anything other than a lawyer and so it is a huge shock to end up living as the wife of a slave owner. She keeps a diary of her life there, detailing the horrific and cruel practices that were common on plantations. As the novel is based on real diaries written at the time - late 1850s - the detail is as harrowing as it is authentic. The beauty of the island provides a stark contrast to the horrors being perpetuated on the plantation. The colours, textures, scents and sounds convey a real sense of place and combine to underline the terrible dichotomy of Emily's life there. Her life is a struggle to come to terms with the fact that the man she loved can be so brutal and she finds that her attempts to improve the slaves' lot actually make it worse. She can't leave the island as she has too much to lose, yet how can she stay and live a life of relative luxury in the midst of such deprivation. This novel is beautifully written and, though harrowing to read, it is ultimately rewarding for its depiction of Emily's struggle and her determination to stay true to her principles.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Dee Dee
Format:Hardcover
I found Sugar Island a thoughtful and, in many ways, a powerful piece of writing. While I broadly expected the plot to follow the pattern it did, its originality consisted in the way that the story was treated. I waited with trepidation for the denouement; it was handled superbly. Throughout the book much of the interaction of the characters was deftly described with no words wasted and yet whether black or white rendered in their full humanity or lack of it.
I was taken with the scenic descriptions, they were sensitively and knowledgeably woven the background into the story and into the sensitivities of the characters.
The main character, Emily Harris, was obliged in a sense to follow the path of liberal reformers in that kind of situation. But O'Connell blended her original naiveté with a horrific sense of the gradual discovery of the injustices and horrors of Southern slavery, not least the manner in which the blacks were trapped within the system and the plantation owners imprisoned in the cages of their minds.
I read the book quickly which is what one should be able to do with a novel. Its action, and indeed its thinking, moved at a pace that kept the reader's interest going.
I was taken with the scenic descriptions, they were sensitively and knowledgeably woven the background into the story and into the sensitivities of the characters.
The main character, Emily Harris, was obliged in a sense to follow the path of liberal reformers in that kind of situation. But O'Connell blended her original naiveté with a horrific sense of the gradual discovery of the injustices and horrors of Southern slavery, not least the manner in which the blacks were trapped within the system and the plantation owners imprisoned in the cages of their minds.
I read the book quickly which is what one should be able to do with a novel. Its action, and indeed its thinking, moved at a pace that kept the reader's interest going.
Format:Paperback
This book is an interesting, if harrowing, read and provides details of a brutal and terrible time in history. The juxtaposition of the mesmerising island with its beautiful plant and animal life and the hell on earth of the life of the slaves makes this a worthwhile, if sometimes difficult read. My issue is with the main character, Emily. For a well educated woman, a published writer no less, and a celebrated acress she is portrayed as excessively naive and annoyingly slow on the uptake of her situation. A slightly more feisty heroine, which the original Fanny Kemble on whom the book is based, undoubtedly was, would have been preferable.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
enjoyable read
I enjoyed this book, its is written in a slightly whimsical way in parts, true to the time period its set in.
Touchng on terrible treatment of slaves, but not too deeply. Read more
Touchng on terrible treatment of slaves, but not too deeply. Read more
Published 12 months ago by penny
3.0 out of 5 stars
Just OK
I heard this book being reviewed on the radio and got the impression that it was a five star read. However, I was disappointed in the style of writing. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Kindler
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sugar coated Mills and Boon
This was a book group choice otherwise I would never have purchased a hardback with such a whimsical cover. Read more
Published on 24 April 2011 by patsabfab
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sugar Island
An absorbing and harrowing fictionalisation of a brutal time in human history, this story details not only the plight of black slaves but also the powerlessness and struggle of... Read more
Published on 13 April 2011 by emiliadarling
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth a read
Sugar Island is a fictional story, although it is loosely based on the life of Fanny Kemble, a noted British actress and writer, set around the time of the American Civil War. Read more
Published on 10 April 2011 by Penny_Elle
2.0 out of 5 stars
sugary nonsense!
Sugar Island is Sandija O'Connell's second book which follows from her first historical version of the sugar trade. Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2011 by Mr. D. McKenna
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