Customer Reviews

Beyond the Limbo Silence

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4 star:		(1)
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The widely respected and extremely talented author of When Rocks Dance and Bruished Hibiscus, Elizabeth Nunez brings us another powerful, lyrically superb piece of writing in BEYOND THE LIMBO SILENCE. Among a growing list of gifted writers from Trinidad-Tobago, Nunez chronicles the agonizing personal struggles of Sara Edgehill as she leaves her native Trinidad for a Catholic women's college in radically different Wisconsin. But there's much more to this story than merely "making cultural adjustments in a new environment." The author skillfully and brilliantly interweaves and delicately balances socio-politics and artistry into a bold intellectual defiance of literary convention by inviting the reader into the sometimes unfathomable mysticism of Caribbean reality. And what better historical vehicle to employ than the explosive dynamics of the 60s? I have had the pleasure of hearing Ms Nunez speak before a live university forum and this story to me reads more like a stolen page from her own life that she has chosen to share with us than a fictional account of a young girl experiencing college life in a faraway land. this is vigorously commanding storytelling which I admire greatly. This is a MUST READ novel.

Alan Cambeira
Author of Azucar! The Story of Sugar (a novel)

Not being familiar with Elizbeth Nunez, I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty of her writing. It was poetic without being overwhelming. She excels at setting description and character development. The plot moved fluidly along. I was kept intrigued, and found the book difficult to put down.

There was a need for a more full description of the spiritual terms and rituals in the book, either in text or perhaps in footnotes or glossary form. Because of the lack of this, confusion marred an otherwise delightful read.

I look forward to reading Nunez's other offerings.

Reading this book took me back, vividly, to the era of my youth. Ms. Nunez does a superb job of telling it like it was without being preachy or condecending. I knew right away that I had to pass the book on to my children. My children are so innocent. They just don't seem to realize the hidden pitfalls and subtleties of prejudice. I think this book, with its surprisingly gentle manner of revealing a violent time, will help them understand.

Nunez's book stands out from the many other novels by Caribbean women who have come to America because of the time and political context in which it is set. This makes for a very interesting story, but the novel doesn't meet its full potential because of poor editing. There were many passages that could have been worded more smoothly, and the book as a whole could have been much tighter.

Beyond the Limbo Silence, the story of a young woman with a passion
for books who left the opulence of her beautiful Trinidad to attend
a college in rural Wisconsin, reads like a fable with legends and
mythic creatures. Sara Edgehill left home because she felt she was
a sad reminder of what her mother could never have. She needs to
accept that this time in America is her destiny.

Sara's arrival in the early 1960's to this cold alien place where
she is neither loved nor understood is the beginning of a tumultuous
journey. She meets Sam, a young, charismatic African American man
and is immediaely drawn into the turbulence of the civil rights
struggle. And as she struggles to find a place in America without
selling her soul, Sara layers her awakening with the evocative
mysticism of her West Indies culture and she illuminates the pages
of the book. And finally she finds her empowerment.

This coming of age novel about the courage of the sixties is a candid

look at the differences and the sameness of both countries as they
struggled to obtain equality. It is an overwhelming display of the
strength and resiliency of the African dispora. Ms. Nunez has written
a captivating story in a beautiful prose, that's sprinkled with magical
realism. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by aNN Brown

This book was so good that I don't even know what to say about it. First of all, Nunez is a phenomenal author with an excellent talent for weaving a beautiful and intricate tale while simultaneously offering the reader a great deal of knowledge. I felt as though I learned a great deal about West Indian culture and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. The characters were very well developed. I felt their truimphs and their short falls as my own. Sarah is a brilliant character, and her relationship with fellow exchange student Courtney, although strange and disturbing, was intriguing as well. This one comes highly recommended to all.

I just love the way Ms Nunez tells her stories. I have gone on to read her other tales because I enjoyed this one so much first. You will love her too.