I absolutely loved reading this book. I could not stop until I had finished reading it. The writing, the story, the themes, the characters, everything is magnificent. Never have I read a book with so vivid imagery; I feel like I know Riverbank now! This is a must read. My words can't do justice; people need to read this book.

I've been reading a lot of books about 'mothers' of late, a run of them that wasn't intentional but just the way my TBR was rolling. Of all of these, I dare say that Delores takes the cake in the super bitch category. She is mean, cruel to her children and others and opportunistic. These traits have rubbed off onto Margot and whilst I felt much empathy for her, she too is a bitch. This book is dark, its about a bad time in Jamaica circa '94 with property developing into big resorts catering to tourists and pushing the poor further and further into poverty and out of their villages and homes and separating social and family circles apart. The characters are abused and desperate. It was a difficult read, but I kept going until 5am this morning to see where the dice would fall.

As a tourist myself, currently sailing through the Caribbean (no plans to visit Jamaica this time around), I feel so bad for some of the poverty I have seen on the outskirts of the ports where I've anchored. The very resorts such as the "Palm Star Resort" in Here Comes the Sun that sit in prime seaside locations and hill-tops probably have pushed minor communities out and destroyed families and their livelihood on these magnificent Islands. I am conflicted.

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What a powerful, gut-wrenching read. This novel shows us the depths that people will go to for what they consider the benefit of others and the overwhelming ripples of consequence that result from any action. Set on the island of Jamaica in the early nineties, the narrative deals with the lives of two sisters, Margot and Thandi, the people they interact with and the inescapable truth that life is hard. The prose is lyrical and concise and, while I found the patois a little difficult at times, you really get a sense of the people scraping out an existence in 'paradise'. Each character is beautifully, painfully human - everyone has their own reasons for their actions and you can sympathise with everyone, whether you like them or not. This is not a fun read. It deals with subjects that cut close to the bone and will be difficult for many. However, I would urge people to read it. It will simultaneously restore and destroy your faith in humanity, which is an incredibly impressive achievement.