Gorgeous historical novel. I loved how Agnes created her own path from the cards in which she was dealt and I feel a lot of readers will find her story very insightful and inspirational

What a great read! Written from the point of view of two sisters in St. Lucia in the 1950s, one stays and one goes to England in search of a better life. The difficulties both faced and the joys and achievements they had made for fabulous reading, enlightening me to a whole different world. Through it , their strong characters shine through. It is wonderful to read a story from this perspective, especially the migrant experience in England. Based on the authors parent’s experiences, this book shows life at the time, with its troubles as well as the joys. Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read and freely review this book.

Agnes and her sister Ella live together in Saint Lucia. Agnes has two young children who Ella helps her care for. Their father is long gone. They struggle to survive from day to day but their sister bond is strong. Agnes dreams of leaving and coming to England for a better life. Ella wants to stay put and does not want Agnes to go. Agnes eventually does leave and promises to return. She leaves the care of her children to Ella.
Really loved this book. I believe it painted a vivid picture of what life could be like for some who came to England at that time.

Agnes and Ella are two wonderful female role models in this story set in 1950s St Lucia. They are inspiring and relatable, and sisters to the end.
I loved the call of the island song and the descriptions of St Lucia took me right back to my visit to this beautiful island.

Agnes travels to London and her journey of settling into 1950s London is eye opening. The challenges she faces and the people she meets along the way feel so true to life.

Ella remains in St Lucia and faces her own challenges and journey. Her dedication to her family has no bounds and I cried for her in this story.

Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and have sympathetic characters. There were echoes of the brilliant recent TV series written by Sir Lenny Henry- 3 little birds. Island song is a story of struggle and the promise of a different and better life that was dreamt by all of the people who came to the UK from the Caribbean. Interestingly written by Pepsi of Pepsi and Shirley fame from Wham!

A stunning novel about what it's like to leave home, live away from your family and want to find your own place in the world. For a first novel this is really impressive and inspired by the author's own family I believe. Very atmospheric. There are some tough subjects here but what a worthy and meaty read.