Missed. How can that be?

4.0 out of 5 stars canne à sucre, February 13, 2013

By 

critique50 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sugar Cane (Kindle Edition)

I picked up this book at a famous travel book shop in London not knowing about the author. But I do know Mauritius, Reunion and England and I love the taste of sugar cane, a chilhood taste for me also so her description made complete sense. The story reads quickly and there is good suspense throughout, excellent beach read or to keep the winter away. It is much more than a beach read though.
The author certainly has captured some of the difficulties about living in one country being from a different culture/colour. She expresses very well how lost you can feel - a stranger in both the land where you live/were born and in the land of your foreparents. Most probably deep personal thoughts and hurts are being exposed in a very lively, colourful and precise way. It is rare to read an author who addresses racism in such a tactful and meaningful way, yet it exists whether in England or in an exotic island. The people in the story are credible. It turns essentially between the main character and her father and the main character and her girl friend. (The relation between the main character and her friend seems to be more important and closer than the relation with the husband, a sign of the times perhaps...) (...spoiler removed....)
A very good read to take you to parts of Mauritius that you may not discover by yourself. The use of language is pleasant and does reflect Mauritius multi-lengualism although the author having lived in England and writing for an anglo saxon audience does not mix in nearly as much French and Creole as a local would do.