Customer Reviews

Fruit of the Lemon: A Novel

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Faith Jackson is the daughter of hardworking, conservative Jamaican immigrants and grows up in a moderate middle-class environment. She, like many others, assimilates into a society that does not fully embrace those that are "different." All her life, she has grappled with some form of scrutiny and eventually develops a blind eye and deaf ear to racial slurs and stereotypes that she experiences routinely, even from her "best friends." For example, as a child, she is openly teased by white schoolmates that her parents journeyed to England via a banana boat. Faith discovers with much embarrassment that in fact, it is true. Despite prodding questions to her parents about their past life or relatives in Jamaica , they remain tight-lipped and dismiss her inquires with abrupt answers or sucking teeth. Talk of the past seems to be a taboo subject, so Faith eventually stops asking at a very early age.

Unfortunately, Faith swallows the British culture, music, and mindsets whole because it is all she has. Under the guidance of her parents, she adapts and employs survival techniques: she learns to smile, dress appropriately, talk properly, and project a non-threatening persona, but there is never any guidance for dealing with racial injustice or prejudice against non-whites. Having recently graduated from college, she is struggling with racial discrimination at her workplace. Couple job stress with a local hate crime, Faith's overload of internalized angst forces her into an emotional "breakdown" stemming from years of frustration, pain, and anger with no outlet or coping skills to handle such prejudices.

Her parents enlist the aid of Aunt Cora, her mother's sister in Jamaica , to entertain Faith for a two-week holiday abroad to rest and forget about things for a while. Upon setting foot in the Kingston airport, Faith experiences instant `culture shock' that eventually leads to an epiphany of sorts. Time spent in the company of Aunt Cora and her Caribbean kinfolk yields answers to questions she pondered all her life. She finds understanding, unconditional love, inner peace, and a sense of pride and confidence that was absent before. Finding strength and solace in her roots, the once embarrassing banana boat passage eventually becomes an event that no longer causes shame but inspires admiration and reverence.

Fruit of the Lemon is a wonderful multi-generational saga that spans two continents and explores the importance of belonging and sense of history. Although the novel chronicles Faith as she struggles to find her place in the world, it goes much deeper by examining the need for identity and racial pride. Faith may be the protagonist of the story, but Levy delivers so much more. She gives the reader a multitude of full-bodied, complex characters, realistic situations, and a page-turning plot sequence. I absolutely loved the unveiling of her ancestor's personal histories! Their loves, desires, and attitudes were cleverly shaped by societal views, the complex histories of the slave trade and British colonialism in Jamaica . Her handling of dialogue which captured the rhythmic Jamaican patois-laced expressions and the straight-laced British phrasing is superb. Her writing is fluid and vivid -- I could picture the characters, scenery, and the moods and vibes perfectly.

Although it is still early in the year at the time of this review, I believe this book will make my Top 10 list of 2007 releases. This is my first read from this author and it will not be my last. I intend to pick up her earlier works soon. This novel is highly recommended for those who enjoy literary reads with African Diasporic themes.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
Nubian Circle Book Club

The daughter of Jamaican migrants, Levy writes what she knows and what she knows is the experience of the diaspora of former British colonies as they try to become a part of "white" British society.

Levy writes with nuanced subtlety. Her 2004 novel, SMALL ISLAND brought her international acclaim. Now, we can look back at her earlier work. This novel, written in 1999, just came out in the US.

Levy takes some pages from her own life to form her protagonist, Faith Jackson, a young woman whose parents came to England from Jamaica in 1948. Faith lacks a sense of her family history. Her parents have worked hard to scratch out a middle class life.

Faith is the naive nestling leaving the nest for the first time. She has a new job and 3 white roommates. Her naivete' is slowly replaced with disillusionment as she finally comprehends the racism inherent in British society. Levy experienced the same thing. Born in England and being asked: "Where are you from?"

Faith suffers a breakdown. Her parents step in and send her off to Jamaica where she finds family and a sense of her place in the world. She puts down roots.

Levy tells a lovely and inspiring story.

At twenty-two, Faith Jackson is enjoying her new found freedom, sharing a flat with three roommates and a new job in the costume department of the BBC, secure in the knowledge that her parents are her staunchest supporters. Faith is more than a little shocked when her parents announce their possible intention leave England and return to their homeland, Jamaica, since both their children are grown and able to take care of themselves. Precipitously aware of her fragile place in a society still struggling over the legislature of basic civil rights for all, the casual racism that surrounds her rears its ugly head, Faith subjected to the random ignorance of her white friends, the carelessness with which they disparage the blacks in society with hardly a thought to Faith's reactions: "I knew he wasn't prejudiced. He loves animals." The stupid and insensitive remarks grow increasing irritating to Faith, who has so far isolated herself from the bitter truth.

The gradual rift widens, sundering Faith's easy security. Witnessing a random act of violence against a black female shop attendant and patronized at her job since a questionable promotion as the only black dresser, Faith pulls back from this suddenly unfamiliar world, where race is etched inescapably into daily events with casual cruelty. Betrayed on all sides, Faith abruptly withdraws, unable to contend with the demands of the world around her: "I didn't want to be black anymore. I just wanted to live." Thanks to her parents' wisdom, Faith is sent to Jamaica for a two-week visit, submerged in the riotous island culture with her Auntie Coral and Cousin Vincent. There she receives a much-needed introduction to family history, Coral disclosing the secrets of the family tree. Immersed in her intimate cultural identity, Faith achieves the necessary balance to navigate a world at war with its own worst impulses to separate and subjugate, the hearts and minds of citizens wedded to the past prejudices and assumptions.

Adrift in confusion and growing angst in England, it is Faith's Jamaican experience that that restores her soul and enhances her sense of family support. In true Levy style, the dialog is spot on, both the sharp English quips of the roommates and lilting patois of the Jamaicans. With a particular talent for portraying the daily struggles of her protagonists as they tackle the inevitable challenges of their lives, the author delivers once again, this time a young black woman's identity crisis and racial awakening, the questing Faith renewed by the roots of ancestry. Luan Gaines/2007.

The opening few paragraphs of this novel about the precise way in which Faith Jackson's parents arrived in Great Britain from Jamaica capture perfectly in miniature the bewildering predicament she finds herself in as the daughter of black immigrants--the many ways in which the same facts can be viewed as both stereotype and truth.

Her parents have worked hard to raise Faith and her brother Carl to be well-educated and "respectable" members of British society who will marry hard working black people like themselves. Perhaps in hopes of facilitating their children's acculturation to British life, Faith's parents have never spoken much about their lives in Jamaica--Faith knows virtually nothing about their personal histories or their families. They have also sheltered Faith from the knowledge of the racial stigma they have experienced, and as she enters independent adult life the increasing discontinuity between what she has been taught and the prejudice she now encounters socially and professionally pushes her to an emotional breakdown. Her parents decide on a cure: send Faith to Jamaica.

If the first part of the novel is slow to get off the ground (can anyone be quite as willfully naive as Faith in this period?), the second part, which describes Faith's visit to her Jamaican relatives, is wonderfully rich and lively. The stories about her family, and the gradual accumulation of a family tree, are enchanting and compelling. How the destructive experience of race and color prejucice weaves itself through her family history along with the threads of love, humor, and struggle teaches Faith her place in the world, which is a complicated and interesting one. If the novel fails ultimately to integrate Faith's experiences into a totally natural turn of events, it still is a very worthwhile exploration of these important themes.

Fruit of the Lemon promises to be a unique take on the issue of a British-Jamaican woman's journey to discover who she is. The book is separated into two sections: the first half in Britain, the second half in Jamaica. The first half of the novel is excellent. It is darkly humorous, yet contains some truly powerful scenes, including providing insight into both the subtle and overt racism in Britain.

Unfortunately, when Faith (the protagonist) travels to Jamaica to meet with her relatives for the first time, the novel's quality sharply drops off. Levy completely changes her narrative style in this section, with each chapter containing a section where one of Faith's relatives will tell her a story. These stories come off as very disjointed, and the reader is never given an opportunity to truly become attached to any of these secondary narrators. Levy posits that Faith has grown through her experiences in Jamaica, but, since most of the second half of the novel is simply someone else telling her a story, Faith's "growth" appears extremely rushed.

This novel had promise, but I would recommend something else.

I liked this book as it was a great reflection of what so many of us know that blacks in the UK are not treated well and that 2nd generation Caribbean immigrants often suffer psychological distress otherwise referred to as "wucklissness" or "lack of identity." The book demonstrated the importance of knowing one's roots and having a sense of identity particularly as a black person in a "developed" nation where racism can be very subtle yet very real.

This book had some major flaws which kept it from earning a five star. It was obvious that the writer has not been immersed in Jamaican culture. Ocho Rios was referred to as "Ocho" when in fact Jamaicans refer to Ocho Rios as "Ochie." The author also placed items in the wrong time period. For example, the period in which this book was set did not allow for "bag juice" to be drunk. "Bag juice" was a product that rose in popularity in the late 80s. "Sky juice", "snow cone," "suck suck" or "shave ice" would have been more time appropriate drinks of choice. Such blatant errors in knowledge of Jamaican culture were taken in good spirit as I felt the author seemed to really be emphasising the importance of knowing your roots, particularly as a black person living in a white nation. This is reflected in Etana's beautiful reggae song "Roots."

Wonderful story about the daughter of Caribbean immigrants to th UK who goes back to the islands to recuperate after an apparent nervous breakdown.
Andrea Levy also wrote A Small Island- a terrific book that was made into a wonderful tv series.

In Fruit of the Lemon, Levy describes a woman's journey to understanding herself and her past. This book creates an amazing portrait of a family and beautiful part of the world - Jamaica. The imagery and style of this book is fantastic. I'd definitely recommend it, and I would even reread it myself (if I had the time). Levy's writing is delightful, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Given the premise, I really wanted to like this book, but by 100 pages in I just wasn't hooked. Most of the books I read beg to be opened and finished. This one just sat on my nightstand until it was replaced.

This book could have been so much better if the author wouldnt have watered it down with fillers .Long repetitive descriptive parts ,pointless dialogues.Life is too short to waste it on reading a book that could ve been easily a short story.Mrs Levy is a talented writer however,in this novel she fails to deliver an entertaining ,well structured novel .