Customer Reviews

Unburnable

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Wow! I can hardly believe Unburnable is Marie-Elena John's debut because she wrote such a deep, suspenseful novel that had me guessing until the last page. I found it to be perfectly paced, very well written with colorful, smart characters that jumped off the page. I was both entertained and educated by this offering - a rare feat in today's literature.

The story centers on three generations of Dominican women, two of which are infamously captured in local folklore, legend, and indigenous songs. Matilda, a proud, majestic African woman rumored to dabble in Obeah was publicly tried and hanged for murder after she confessed in police custody. Iris, Matilda's daughter, was a beautiful prostitute known for her voracious sexual appetite, disreputable past and questionable mental health. Lillian, Iris's daughter, was raised by her stepmother after Iris's untimely death. Lillian eventually moves to the United States to live with an aunt in order to shield her from her foremother's legacy. We learn quickly that the proverbial fruit does not fall far from the tree. After years of self-suppression, Lillian's mental instability manifests to the point where she now has difficulty blocking the painful memories. Fueled by inner voices and haunting flashbacks, she decides to return back to Dominica to learn the truth surrounding her family. She engages Teddy, a renowned attorney, collegiate confidante (and soon to be lover), who is basking in the afterglow of a sensationalized legal case where he successfully disproves a self-confession against tumultuous odds. Lillian sensing her grandmother's innocence, asks Teddy to join her in Dominica to re-investigate Matilda's 1940's era confession to mass murder. What ensues is a loaded history of dark secrets, shocking scandal, and a cover-up that permeates all levels of class, religion and the biased politics of the day.

At the very core of the story, the author captures the essence of the African Diaspora. The complexities, struggles, and compromises surrounding the blending of races, cultures and faiths are evident in the trials and tribulations of all three women in both current and historical eras. There are even subtle observations and theories regarding African American and African Caribbean cultures which explain the mindsets of the key characters. Additionally, the author weaves a great deal of Dominican history throughout the novel, done with such care that the lessons are not overbearing, but essential to understanding the motivation and principles of key characters that eventually lead to the mystery's resolution. I loved the transition between eras - the flashbacks to Matilda and Lillian's periods were smooth and blended evenly with the modern day episodes between Lillian and Teddy. This is a great debut and I am looking forward to this author's next body of work.

Reviewed by Phyllis

APOOO BookClub

Nubian Circle Book Club

For a long time, I've been consistently disappointed with the stuff that's being put out there by Black writers. With only a few exceptions, the publishing houses seem to be pushing little apart from Street Lit and Baby Mama Drama kinds of books. So when I heard the buzz in the publishing world about Unburnable, I made a point of buying it. The best way I can think of describing this book is a Caribbean version of Alex Haley's Roots, except that it also has elements of a mystery, a love story (actually, three love stories), a detective whodunit, a historical novel, an exploration of religion, a cliff-hanger, and straight up smart, strong writing. The author doesn't shy away from sexuality (you only have to read the first page to realize that this book deals head-on with sexuality); however, the sex in the book is not gratuitous, it serves to elaborate the author's many themes - rigid class and color distinctions, for example, and how women's sexuality and child-bearing capacity is controlled to maintain class structure.

There are also a few scenes of surprising violence, too, written in such a way as to stun the reader, especially the female-on-female violence. That particular scene, which is referred to in reviews as the Coke-bottle rape, is just amazing in its ability to encompass the nature of the class structure of the day; and it also set off a chain of reactions that symbolized the beginning of the end for the light-skinned dominant class of that time in the Caribbean.

I would call this book a "Diaspora Novel" because while the majority of the action is set in the Caribbean (both in present time and in the mid-1900s), it also draws on the African-American experiences, the Caribbean-American immigrant experience, and, best of all, the underlying African heritage of former slaves in the Diaspora. To say any more would be to give too much away, because the answers to the "mysteries" of Unburnable - what is Lillian's past? Why is she tormented by it? Was her mother really a madwoman? Was her grandmother really a murderer? What really happened in her grandmother's remote village over fifty years earlier? -- are only all fully revealed at the end of the novel, and I found the end to be fitting and beautiful; again, to say more would be to say too much.

The one thing I wished for in this novel was a fuller development of the male character, the African-American public intellectual, Teddy Morgan. He underwent a transformation from a self-absorbed climber to a man who responded to the effect of selflessly loving another and giving in to that love, and I would have been interested in more about his background, especially his rise to fame around the Central Park Jogger case.

I read a review of Unburnable in Essence saying that this author will be a major new voice in fiction. I agree fully and look forward to her next book. In the meantime, I know for sure that I'll read Unburnable at least one more time, not only to savor being so fully immersed in the experience, but because it's the kind of book where there's so much under the surface that each re-read will bring fresh things to light.

This novel is destined for "Caribbean Classic" status.

While I am mindful that many writers hate being "compared" and although I concede that the literary styles, politics and and subject matters of the two novels are vastly different in many respects, there is a compelling case for comparing "Unburnable" with Jean Rhys' "Wide Sargasso Sea".

One obvious similarity is that both novels are set in Dominica (there must really be something magical about about that little rock); another is that both novels were authored by Caribbean women. The most important similarity, however, is that both authors insist that the Caribbean woman's (and by extension the Caribbean peoples') right to dignity must be acknowledged. Both authors are bellicose in their refusal to accept the self hatred which is part and parcel of the legacy of colonialism.

Alienation is an important theme in both novels. Antoinette in Wide Sargasso Sea and Lillian in Unburnable are women ill at ease in their environments, uncomfortable in her own skins, who nevertheless, fight tooth and nail to assert their right "to be".

Both novelists challenge the still prevailing view of polite Caribbean society that "obeah is wicked and its practitioners are charlatans; praise Jesus that our colonial masters liberated us with christianity". Christophine in Wide Sargasso Sea and Matilda in Unburnable are both healers and protectors; superheroines a la Wonder Woman, Mighty Isis and Xena Warrior Princess. They right wrongs, punish evil and defend the downtrodden. They are the christian god in earthly female form, with the appealing bonus of being strikingly beautiful. (An interesting aside: obeah is still illegal in most independent Caribbean states. In this very year there was a prosecution in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for "attempting to pervert the course of justice through the use of obeah". The magistrate agreed with the argument of counsel for the defendant that the charge was too absurd to be maintained and the case was dismissed on a no case submission).

The question which arises is, why are there such startling thematic similarities between a novel penned in the early 20th century by a white woman, born in colonial Dominica and one written at the dawn of the 21st Century by a black woman, a product of the Post-Independence Caribbean? Is the answer simply that the legacy of five hundred years of colonialism cannot be undone in under a century? How far does the truism of the universality of the human experience apply?

But I intended to discuss "Unburnable". Marie-Elena John is a natural story teller. Like all the other readers, I could not put the book down because the story was so gripping. What facinated me is that she manages to weave in discussions on gender relations, feminism, Caribbean nationalism, Pan-Africanism, the nature of faith, the nature of bigotry, Caribbean class structure and many other "heavy" themes without making the story suffer; without boring the reader to death with self conscious diatribe.

Although I am somewhat handicapped in the arena of making predictions (all the good obeah women having been driven underground by this year's prosecution and, therefore, unavailable to offer assistance) I will venture this; Unburnable will appear on the book lists of CXC, CAPE and UWI's degree programmes in English in a very short time.

Unburnable begins with a startling hook: a woman's execution by hanging. Then it further grabs the reader by introducing the "murderer's" daughter with a fascinating physical description and riveting portrayal of her inner conflict. Just when the reader may think the multigenerational links will focus exclusively on the women, the writer presents the men, who are equally developed, their physical features, temperments, motives so detailed and nuanced, that I could "see" these people.

John successfully interweaves sub-themes, e.g., religion (Catholism vs. traditional African practices), cultural survival and diasporas (Carib and African). The mystic realism technique: I've read several Caribbean and Latin American authors, many of whom employ mysticism and cultural symbolism. Marie-Elena John does this better than most; she serves up what is fantastic to Western readers so well that the unbelievable becomes believable.

After closing the book, I re-read the final chapters so that I could return to savoring the protagonist's understanding and acceptance of her history. I would have liked a fuller conclusion. Just one more chapter of this great novel.

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. Excellent job especially for her first novel. The characters were intriguing well researched and portrayed and true; the entire read was unpredictable which I loved. The flow was good and it was a book you find hard to put down. Looking forward to her next novel. Great job Marie-Elena

UNBURNABLE, the debut novel by Marie-Elena John, is the tale of Lillian Baptiste and her quest to learn her family's true history. Although her mother, Iris, and grandmother, Matilda, are the source of legend and folklore in their Dominican community, her adopted mother, Icilma, protects Lillian from knowing these women are a part of her lineage. But at the age of 14, Lillian learns the awful truth that the infamous Iris in the chante` mas songs is her biological mother. She knows the meaning of the songs and the knowledge of this being her legacy drives her to run away from home. She is later found at Iris' grave with her wrist slit. She is then sent to her aunt in America to be sheltered from her past.

Distant emotionally and a loner, Lillian is not comfortable in her skin. Haunted by visions and voices in her head, she questions whether it is her mental state or her grandmother's spirit from the grave. Matilda is said to have claimed responsibility for the devastating massacre that occurred in their quiet, secluded village of Up There, Noah. Believing her grandmother is innocent of this heinous crime, Lillian returns to her native Dominica with her boyfriend, Teddy in tow. Will the secrets she uncovers be enough to quell the unrest in her soul?

Beautifully written, UNBURNABLE grabs the reader from the first page. The resplendent prose is truly impressive for a first time author. John was able to switch from modern times to the era of the 1940s and 1950s effortlessly. There were moments in the book where the author provides too much information and took the story down paths that seem to take the book off course. Another discretion I found was when they were seeking witnesses for the trial, all were said to be over a hundred years old but Lillian's godmother, who testified at the trial, was in her seventies. This infraction should have been caught during the editing process. Other than that, I would suggest you pick up UNBURNABLE to experience this new author's exquisite style of writing and to learn of the rich African and Caribbean history she shares.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson

of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I have been blessed enough in the last week to read not one but TWO great books this one being the greater. I will admit I wasn't wrapped up in the book by page two but by page ten I was all caught up in this story. Marie-Elena John is an EXCELLENT story teller. Her words are beautiful and her descriptions come off the page so effortlessly. I could've easily believed this was her third novel instead of her first. I laughed, I cried and I called all my friends and advised them to please read this book. I did not know anything about Dominica before picking up this novel and now I cannot learn enough. This book intrigued me to no end and I cannot wait to read future publishings from Marie-Elena John. This story is not in the least predictable and her knowledge on the subject matter is outstanding! If you are looking for a mind challenging novel that will shock and educate you at the same time then look no further.

I will admit that you have to be intelligent to read this wonderful book. Marie-Elena John trusts that her readers won't appreciate being spoon-fed, and will enjoy the challenges she throws at us. She delivers a page-turning adventure to places and psyches that many of us have never experienced before.

Bit by bit, she unravells a plot that rivals any cliff-hanger; but it was the DEPTH of this book that took my breath away. Buy this book for a rich experience that will stay with you long after you read the final line.

I learned a few new things about Carib culture in this book, and I always love it when a book teaches me a few things! :D The shifting storylines between Lillian and her mother/grandmother were easy enough to follow and entertaining as bits of the whole story are revealed.

Some people here say they don't like the ending or found it confusing. Personally, I feel that a concrete and happy ending would have spoiled the story. Legends and magic were a big part of this story, and while I do feel that some parts could have been more fleshed-out or clarified, this story was still very good. The ending of this book added to the general feel of the story, with Lillian becoming part of the legend/magic herself, and you can decide for yourself whether she does live or not. Overall a good story.

As a Dominican who now lives in Antigua, this book was a captivating read for me.

It is a well known fact that the more scandalous village incidents/happenings were captured in history in the form of carnival songs and thus passed from generation to generation. As this story unraveled it left me digging through stories told by my Grandmother and Mother when I was growing up, to see if any of those are reflected in this book.

I usually get fully hooked on a book about half way to three quarters depending on the book, but this one grabbed my attention from much earlier. I'm ashamed to say I struggled for two hours to put the book down so I could get to an appointment, and just couldn't seem to tear my eyes away long enough to shut it. The first few words of the next chapter seemed to call out that if I just read a little more, then I would have reached a good point to close the book. I was wrong on all counts. It is a page turner. I finally gave up, made myself comfortable and read to the end. The appointment was postponed.

Some of the expressions on the first few pages were a bit shocking to me, but a few chapters in, and the book flows seamlessly. After reading it a second time, I am still not happy with the ending. It was a bit abrupt and left me devastated. Thankfully the story line is intriguing enough to more than make up for this slight shortcoming.

This novel is a must read for the `Caribbean Curious' and especially Dominicans. I look forward to the next book by this talented writer.