BookBrowse Highlights
Hello,

This week, we bring you two Editor's Choice reviews, both of which feature characters who are Jamaican immigrants. Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You is a collection of linked short stories revolving around a young American-born man named Trelawny who feels alienated from his Jamaican family and out of place everywhere he goes. Escoffery's debut made it onto the National Book Award longlist for 2022.

We also review Mike Gayle's All the Lonely People, a novel about an octogenarian Jamaican immigrant to the UK who attempts to break out of his shell after years of living in relative isolation. Our Beyond the Book article accompanying this review is about the Windrush Generation — immigrants from the Caribbean who arrived in Britain from 1948-1971. If you've read this one, make sure to stop by our Book Club discussion to share your thoughts.

All the Lonely People is one of many books categorized as uplifting on BookBrowse. You can learn more about our uplifting category below, as well as our current and upcoming Book Club lineup.
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Davina Morgan-Witts
BookBrowse Publisher
Editor's Choice
If I Survive You
by Jonathan Escoffery

Review and article by Valerie Morales

In If I Survive You, author Jonathan Escoffery portrays a family falling apart with grace. Main character Trelawny, the sensitive second son of Jamaican immigrants, endures racism and confusion. His overwhelmed parents can't nurse his insecurities; mostly they embarrass him, particularly when they speak patois in public. Trelawny is Jamaican by proxy. American by birth.

When Trelawny asks his mother if he is black, it feels like a profound moment. But Sanya doesn't understand the point of his question and offers a chaste genealogy lesson. Frustrated when he keeps pressing, she blurts, "I was never asked such stupidness before coming to this country. If someone asks ... you tell them, you are a little of this and a little of that." Trelawny knows that a threshold has just been crossed. He now has permission to hopscotch around identity based on the situation. ... continued
Beyond the Book:
The Rise of Vehicular Homelessness in the U.S.

The data tracking vehicular homelessness is spotty at best, particularly on the federal level, but Los Angeles County statistics show that, as of 2019, more than 40% of the homeless population there was living in vehicles such as cars, vans and RVs. HUD (the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) defines those sleeping in "a place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation" as "unsheltered homeless."

There are a multitude of reasons why people sleep in their vehicles. Job loss, other income struggles, domestic violence, and lack of support for mental and physical health issues, along with lack of family or friends who are able or willing to help, can all lead to people using their cars, vans, RVs or campers as a form of affordable housing. These vehicles grant a sense of safety and privacy that other forms of temporary housing for the homeless, like shelters, don't have. ... continued
Editor's Choice
All the Lonely People
by Mike Gayle

Review and article by Kim Kovacs

Mike Gayle's charming novel All the Lonely People introduces us to Hubert Bird, an 82-year-old widower who lives alone in Bromley (a London borough) with just his cat for company. He leads an isolated existence, his only meaningful contact a weekly phone call with his daughter, Rose, who moved to Australia nearly 20 years prior. This starts to change when single mother Ashleigh moves in next door with her toddler, Layla. The effervescent young woman is determined to know her neighbors, and as Hubert reluctantly lets her into his life, his world changes in ways he couldn't have imagined.

Alternating with this storyline is the tale of Hubert's past, beginning with his departure from Jamaica when he was in his early 20s. Part of the "Windrush generation," Hubert joins his friend Gus in England as a low-wage laborer, and over the ensuing years marries, has children and generally prospers.

This delightful work is almost two books in one. The section set in the present reads like a fable or fairytale; it's a feel-good story, a pleasant read that speaks to the theme of loneliness. And it's certainly timely; our society has become increasingly insular, encouraging one to have many "friends" on social media platforms without truly knowing much about them or interacting with them beyond the screen. ... continued
Beyond the Book: The Windrush Generation

The protagonist of Mike Gayle's novel All the Lonely People is a member of the "Windrush generation," which refers to people from the Caribbean who emigrated to the United Kingdom between 1948 and 1971.

The HMT Empire Windrush ("HMT" stands for Hired Military Transport) arrived in Jamaica to pick up servicemen who were on leave during the time when these pro-immigration policies were under discussion, and an advertisement was placed offering free transport on the ship to anyone seeking employment in the UK. Many were eager to respond to the call from the "mother country." Some saw it as a way to escape financial hardship — Jamaica's economy had been decimated by a recent hurricane — while others were pulled by the opportunity for an adventure. Regardless of their motivation, the ship's logs show 1,027 passengers — mostly male, mostly Black — arrived at the Port of Tilbury (the principal port for London) on June 21, 1948, beginning a wave of immigration that many scholars point to as the start of modern British multicultural society.

Although their labor was sorely needed, most of these immigrants weren't welcomed with open arms. ... continued
Uplifting Books
In addition to entertaining and enlightening us, books have the power to elevate our moods. If you're looking for a great read with a positive spin — for yourself, for a friend or for your book club — check out our blog post highlighting books in our uplifting genre category.

Whether you're looking for a cozy mystery, a travel adventure, a societal critique with a funny and optimistic bent, or a story that celebrates the strong ties between people maintained over years or generations, we have something for you.
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