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Fruit of the Lemon

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Fruit of the Lemon

By: Andrea Levy
Narrated by: Ayesha Antoine
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About this listen

The third and most ambitious novel from this unique and acclaimed writer, Fruit of the Lemon establishes Andrea Levy alongside Arundhati Roy and Meera Syal in the first rank of British fiction.

Faith Jackson fixes herself up with a great job in TV and the perfect flatshare. But neither is that perfect—and nor are her relations with her overbearing, though always loving, family. Furious and perplexed when her parents announce their intention to retire back home to Jamaica, Faith makes her own journey there, where she is immediately welcomed by Aunt Coral, keeper of a rich cargo of family history. Through the weave of her aunt's storytelling, a cast of characters unfolds, stretching back to Cuba and Panama, Harlem and Scotland, a story that passes through London and sweeps through continents.

©1999 Andrea Levy (P)1999 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Caribbean & West Indies Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Caribbean Heartfelt
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What listeners say about Fruit of the Lemon

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Excellent

I've read all by Andrea Levy, she is great with a Jamaican twist. Excellent

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Excellent dialogue & fabulous narration

Very entertaining and enjoyable. So many of the anecdotes from Jamaica remind me of my life in Africa. I laughed out loud many times whilst listening to this book.

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A enjoyable read/ listen

The character are so true to life, the reading is beautiful like someone giving you a hug

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The prose is palpable

This is my third Andrea Levy book, and she does not disappoint her listener

The writing is suffused with intense description that you are transported to south London and Jamaica, smelling the aromas, feeling the emotions, and immersion in sights and sounds of it all.

The storyline was sensitively and empathetically covered, giving the listener an in depth understanding of all the characters.

Ayesha Antoine narrates faultlessly the London and Jamaican accents giving palpable life to the story. Her soft Jamaican lilt was nectar to the ears.

Brilliant book, highly recommend.

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Resonated with me

Loved it! As a child of Jamaican parents the story resonated with me so much as I’m sure it will with many children of immigrants who visit the homeland for the first time,

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It's great to know about your heritage

To be grounded, it's best to know about your heritage. Even if you visit the country where your parents are from as a tourist, do it. Do it as often as it takes for you to feel a part of your family history.

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An eye opener

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As a white British person of a certain age I recognise the casual racism of the post war era which we had whilst patting ourselves on the back for our inclusivity. It is time we addressed the fact that although Britain is better than most countries, there is still more to do to achieve equality.

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Fantastic listen

What a wonderful book. So enjoyed listening to it. I was brought up in Notting Hill around same time as in the story and although my family were Irish immigrants it is so relatable. It is so tenderly written and all the characters so real . The reader did a great job too. It managed to be very funny( I laughed out loud many times)but also completely meaningful and important.

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The Complexities of Growing Up Jamaican

Andrea Levy really is one of Britain's best writers. She covers often complex Black Jamaican history and family psychology in such a readable way. Two of her acclaimed books have been adapted by the BBC and I wish this one was too. Ayesha Antoine is a Superb reader and brings so much life to the book. Excellent must listen.

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Brilliant book

I loved everything about it; the story; the characters and all enhanced by the brilliant narration.
An excellent listen!

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