I haven't managed to finished this book. I thought it was so slow and didn't think I would ever get to what the story was really about. The main part that made me put it down was the writing in Caribbean dialect I found it so hard to read it without hearing the voice of one of the nurses from Call the Midwife in my head and sadly she isn't one of my favourite characters.
I will give the book another go as I'm sure reading other reviews that it will be a good story.

Steffanie Edward writes a tale of lose, family secrets, and self-discovery, in This Other Island. As a baby, Yvette, is sent back to her parent's island of St. Lucia. To be cared for by her Aunt Agnes, who is also caring for another small baby Dionne. While her parents stay in England trying to put down roots, and to be able to succeed on this new, climate challenged island. Yvette develops a close bond with both her Aunt and Dionne. Her parents call her back to England at the age of five. To continue growing into the fine young woman she becomes.

Yvette is now pushing forty, her parents have not lived together since her father walked out one day. Her mother is cold, and distant on a good day. She finally is in a good place with her father, Joe, when he passes from cancer. While dealing with this tremendous, emotional blow, more and more secrets are coming to light. Before he passes, Joe sends Yvette on a mission to find a man names Ian, who was on the same boat as her parents coming to England. How does Ian, weave into this family drama? Just you wait! Dionne also shows up on her doorstep with earth shattering news, that will rock Yvette's very core.

As one secret after another begin to come to light. Yvette begins to question who she is, where does she belong, where does she come from, and what does this mean for her future. She struggles searching for her true identity, her place in this world.

Edward's writing draws you in to this spinning family secret. Which keeps you on your toes through the entire book. I found the ending to be a bit of a letdown, but thoroughly enjoyed the book. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC!
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I'm a sucker for books that go back and forth between POVs and time periods, so that was a solid start for me.

The writing in this story is beautiful, but tragic, and as the story goes on, you learn more and more about the characters and their relationships.

At the beginning, it was a little hard to get used to the Caribbean dialect, but when you take the time to figure out the context, you can figure it out without a problem. Overall, it was a really enjoyable read.

This Other Island by Steffanie Edward was an interesting story. It begins with Yvette returning to her parents in England after being raised by her aunt on the islands. And now we’re in the present day, watching her life unfold in front of us. Her life doesn’t seem overly remarkable at first. She has a good job, friends, and a steady boyfriend (who is afraid to commit to being more).

At first, I struggled to see where the story was going. I enjoy ready a book that’s just the story of everyday life, but this one had promised to be more than that. I started to see this “something more” when Yvette’s father asks her to find a man from his past, a man that seems to hold no major significance but ends up playing a very key role in the end.

The story moved a little slower than I expected, with a lot of focus on the relationship between the characters and less on who this mysterious man might be. It really allowed me to get into the characters’ heads and dig around to see what made them tick. It also allowed me a glimpse into a culture that I knew very little about. At times the accent of the older generations was difficult to read. Still, by using it, the author really drew a line between generations that showcased how much changes and how many stays the same even after just one generation.

The end felt a little rushed. After a slow and intricate build-up, there are a lot of things that got dropped in my lap all at once, and then suddenly, the story was done. While this helped me understand the craziness of what was going on, it was also a little hard to transition to this new pace mentally.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Debut novel of family relationships, family secrets and reconnecting with an estranged parent. It did take me a little while to get into the story and the use of Caribbean dialect took some time to get used to as well. Overall it was an enjoyable read.

The Other Island is a great story of so many complicated people. It starts with Joe being stabbed in the street and the assailant reminding him of someone he met on a ship. He and the ship’s passengers are from St Lucia and other islands immigrating to England. Joe is diagnosed with cancer and he asks his daughter to find the man as he never forgot what happened on the ship. The story is so intriguing and full of twists and turns. Joe is separated from his wife wife Doli and his daughter Yvette has an estranged relationship with her mother. Amid this family are Aunts and family and a boyfriend that have great influences on each other’s lives.
So much happens and is a good read until the end. I highly recommend this book.

A child who was left in St Lucia, a Caribbean Island, by her parents is cared for by her aunt and grows to the age of five, with another child, Dionne, the aunt is raising. remains in St Lucia. After five years, Ruth is sent to England, now the home of her parents and not only does her environment change but her name now is Yvette.

Her home life in not easy as her parents seem to struggle against both the environment and being with one another. After some time, they separate and Yvette is left to stay with her mother, Dolina. Over the years, Yvette becomes estranged from her father, a man she once had a deep connection to, but when she finds he has been stabbed, she rushes to his side. It's not a serious wound but later a very serious illness is discovered in her father, Joe, and eager to find someone who has haunted his life, Yvette begins an investigation into the past that will reveal secrets and lies.It is Joe's final wish that this person be found and Yvette is determined to grant his desire.

As the story moves forward, we learn more of the family, a cold sort of distant mother, Dolina, who herself holds a big secret and her father, Joe. We also learn that Yvette reestablishes a connection with Dionne and the two women link up to find the truth of both who they are and why their lives have been set upon a course they never could fathom.

Initially, the dialect interspersed throughout the story, took some time to get used to, but the actual story was one that kept this reader involved as the events play out that molded and affected many lives.

Secret and lies are many times never to be escaped from!

Many thanks to Steffanie Edwards, (A new author), Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this engaging story due out May 21, 2021.

This Other Island is a novel about the importance of identity, family connections, secrets kept, and how we sometimes make wrong assumptions about others’ motives.
At age 5, Yvette is sent back to her parents in England, from St. Lucia, where she has been raised by an aunt, along with a cousin of her own age. In her late thirties, Yvette still keeps close contact with her parents, Joe and Doli, but when Joe suffers a random street stabbing, she learns he also has cancer. Before he dies, he asks Yvette to find a man who was on the boat to England in the sixties, who he thinks he may have inadvertently harmed. The man is somehow linked to Doli, who is not happy that Yvette is asking questions. When her now-estranged cousin arrives with astounding news, Yvette’s life and everything around her is turned upside down.
It took me a little while to get into the swing of the patois used here, but the lilting sing-song voices were very soon echoing in my head. Characters are colourful and well-drawn. This is a complex, dialogue-driven family story, told in the alternating voices of Yvette, Joe and Doli, and the author shows us their perspectives in a forthright manner. I enjoyed This Other Island very much and learned a lot about West Indies’ life-style, custom, dress, mannerisms, food and relationships, which I found most informative. Highly recommended for readers interested in diverse cultures.

Genre: Historical Fiction | Womens Fiction

Release Date: Expected 21st May 2021

TW: Mentions of police brutality, racism, death and Illness.


Ruthie had a happy life in St Lucia with her auntie until she was five and a half years old. Then out of nowhere, she was made to return to England where her birth parents had been waiting and she became Yvette Angelina Francis.

Now everything is changing for Yvette again; her now estranged Papa is in the hospital and his secrets are finally ready to come to the surface - forty years ago, he believes he killed a man while defending his wife on the boat to England and it's haunted him ever since. He wants to know the truth in case the worst should happen - but one secret often hides a hundred more.

The Other Island is a beautiful debut novel - masterfully written and enchanting; a true-to-life story about race, family, home, and the true meaning of identity. Yvettes was one of those narrators you connect with right away, and going through the story with her own dialect and mannerisms she was entirely, honestly herself.

As we slowly uncover the many secrets of Yvettes family, it turns into a convoluted, confusing spiderweb of lies that made me take a step back to try and take in the whole picture - and once I did it threw things I'd never expected and brought me to tears.


RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Steffanie Edward, Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a very enjoyable story...one that brings out so many emotions! It took a little while to get into reading the dialect, but it really adds to the story.

I was surprised to find this was a debut novel, the writing was spectacular. I could imagine myself in many of the situations as well as Steffanie Edward painted the picture with her words. The Other Island has a daughter on the search for someone from her estranged fathers past, after he’s revealed a long held secret. Yvette’s life won’t be the same.

What a beautiful book! I enjoyed the neck outta this one!
The writing was flawless. Characters amazing! I loved the setting!
I just absolutely adored this one

Steffanie Edward’s This Other Island is a book about a family, their secrets, and how these secrets ultimately define each character’s identity. Through her impressive use of dialogue, diction, dialect, and a blend of the past and present, Edward gives her readers unforgettable and realistic characters. From the beginning of her novel, Edward captures her readers’ attention with the stabbing of Joe Francis. Joe tells Yvette, his daughter, he has a secret from long ago, and he asks Yvette to find someone from his past. Through her quest for knowledge, Yvette finds answers that turn her life as she knows it upside down. This Other Island is a well-written debut novel; I look forward to reading Steffanie Edward’s next novel.

“This Other Island,” a fantastic debut novel by Steffanie Edward, deals with the theme of identity. Yvette, Dolina, Joe and Dionne take readers on a journey from St. Lucia to England highlighting the need to know who we are and where we came from.

Inspired by her mother’s discussion about traveling to England by ship, this novel discusses family, secrets, lies and the journeys that define us. Dolina and Joe are part of the Windrush generation. They were people from the Caribbean who were invited to help rebuild England after the devastation of World War Two. The Windrush generation came to Britain to lay roads, drive buses, clean hospitals and nurse the sick. Two major things shape their lives and the lives of those they love: an event on the boat on the way to the 'other island’ and a meddling sister, whom they trusted, back in St. Lucia. This book reminds us that on our path to our goal there will be many hurdles and it’s how we navigate those hurdles that determines our success….not merely reaching the goal. The Francis family faced things beyond their control and we see how it played out in the next generation. It forces us to consider the age old debate: are we a product of nature, nurture, or a bit of both?

“We can’t deny genetics, but it’s life experiences – all of them – that has made me into the person I am today.”

After 28 rejections, Edward’s book is finally getting wings and readers will have thought provoking discussions come May 21, 2021. One of the things I loved most about this book is that the author's voice comes across so clearly. I think you'll agree with me that the word choice and the unique presentation in dialogue are what make this book authentic and enjoyable.

Thank you to Steffanie Edward, Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted advance copy. I was under no obligation to provide a review.

Usually I stick very close to the mystery/thriller genre, and I love a British cozy mystery with strong female leads. THIS OTHER ISLAND was quite a leap from what I normally read. What started out as an attack on an older man sets the scene for the book, but this is as close as the book gets to a typical mystery.

The mystery comes in as the book goes on and the main character's father is dying and requests that she look for a man named Joe from many years ago. And it builds from there but not in the way you might expect.

Well, most questions are answered, at least one is not. I don't want to draw attention to this specifically and potentionally spoil the book for anyone. Know it's a rather minor point and didn't affect my overall enjoyment.

THIS OTHER ISLAND really is a story of discovering ourselves and who we really are. There's also a message that I took away and that being no one else, even family, defines us as an individual. Though we all crave belonging and a sense of family, we have the choice whether we give our power to other people or not.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book for honest review. Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley.