Kerry Young

I picked this up in my local Waterstones based on the fact that it had been shortlisted for the Costa first novel award. It's not a book I would have considered reading otherwise but the nomination caught my eye and the subject matter sounded interesting.

I came to it full of hope and interest in it but found after a while that it just didn't grab me in the way I hoped. My first major bug-bear is the way Young writes using the accents quite often. After a while I found this quite irritating and in certain parts of the book it was hard to follow. Apart from that I just found it to be a bit flat. The story as a whole was ok but apart from Pao I didn't really feel involved with any of the characters.

The big redeeming feature of the book for me was the tie in with Jamaican history. The changing face of the country was well portrayed albeit from just one point of view. The Sun Tzu quotes fit in with the story well but can get a little tiresome after a while. There was little descriptive detail to the characters and setting to really grab me although that may well be down to the style in which is was written from Pao's point of view.

I really thought that this would be a quick read for me but somehow it just wasn't. I didn't hate it, there were some parts that I liked but all in all I found this a disappointing book.… (mais)

As young teenagers in 1938, Gloria Campbell and her sister Marcia flee Jamaica's countryside for Kingston following a violent incident in their home. With few connections or skills, alone in an unfamiliar city, the sisters end up in a brothel run by a pair of strong women willing to take them in. Here Gloria meets Pao, a racketeer and enforcer in Chinatown, who soon becomes more than a customer. The changing political tides make it difficult for Gloria and Pao to be together, but encourage Gloria to become part of a larger social upheaval, allowing her to recognize her own value and strength.

Within the early pages of Gloria, Kerry Young easily transports readers to streets Kingston. Instantly noticeable is the strong Jamaican dialect, which is used throughout the novel, fairly easy to adjust to and does wonders for setting the overall tone. Without ever having traveled the region, it is possible to fully visualize Gloria's world through Young's vivid imagery.

That world is filled with more than a simple coming of age tale. Over the course of several decades, Gloria examines forgiveness, social justice and, ultimately, acceptance. Gloria herself is a beautifully developed, strong female character - a perfect companion for Young's vibrant setting.

While some readers may avoid reading novels written in dialect, in this case they would be missing out. Kerry Young's Gloria is a unique piece of historical fiction, rich with culture and full of transformation.

Blog: River City Reading… (mais)

This was another serendipitous find - having finished the book I was reading and not having my Kindle to hand i needed something to read on the journey home, and picked this up by chance as it was on special offer in Waterston'es at Trafalgar Square.
It proved to be an intriguing debut novel from Kerry Young following the life of Philip "Pao" Yang who at the age of 14 flees from China in 1938 following his father's death. He and his mother come to live with his "uncle" Zhang who has already established a robust protection network within the burgeoning Chinese community in Kingston, Jamaica. Zhang is a committed adherent of Mao Zedong, and brings the young Pao up to believe in the necessity to display social responsibility, though this guidance is bolstered with immersion in the teachings of Sun Tzu.
Pao grows up learning the ropes of protection, benefiting from the steady source of income but never forgetting the responsibility to help his "clients" when necessary. He falls in love with Gloria, a beautiful prostitute, though he marries Fay Wong, daughter of another senior figure within the Chinese community.
The novel gives an interesting insight into Jamaican history (a subject about which I knew precisely nothing). Pao, despite his criminal activities, is essentially a very sympathetic character, and he takes great care of all of the people with whom he has any extended dealings.
Very different to my normal reading material, but very enjoyable, too.… (mais)