Small Island

By: Andrea Levy

Narrated by: Andrea Levy

Small Island by best-selling author Andrea Levy won the Orange Prize for Fiction, as well as many other awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Whitbread. Now a major BBC drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Naomie Harris, its enduring appeal will captivate fans of Maya Angelou and Zadie Smith.

It is 1948, and England is recovering from a war. But at 21 Nevern Street, London, the conflict has only just begun. Queenie Bligh's neighbours do not approve when she agrees to take in Jamaican lodgers, but Queenie doesn't know when her husband will return, or if he will come back at all. What else can she do?

Gilbert Joseph was one of the several thousand Jamaican men who joined the RAF to fight against Hitler. Returning to England as a civilian he finds himself treated very differently. It's desperation that makes him remember a wartime friendship with Queenie and knock at her door.

Gilbert's wife Hortense, too, had longed to leave Jamaica and start a better life in England. But when she joins him she is shocked to find London shabby, decrepit, and far from the golden city of her dreams. Even Gilbert is not the man she thought he was....

©2004 Andrea Levy (P)2015 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critic reviews

"Wonderful...seamless...a magnificent achievement." (Linda Grant)
'A great read...honest, skilful, thoughtful and important.' ( Guardian)

"A cracking good read...I think what appealed to me most was the passion and anger in the writing all the way through, yet it was always leavened with a particularly wry sort of humour - the sort that, tho' you find yourself smiling, you at the same time realise you almost shouldn't be." (Margaret Forster)

A great start to the New Year

Listening to Andrea Levy read her book is glorious and a wonderful start to the New Year. This is going to be a great year of reading and listening. #RIPAndrea

Terrific narration, compelling story

I don't generally write reviews, but this performance merits special notice. Andrea Levy, the author of this compelling story, is a first-rate narrator, presenting her several characters and accents with convincing accuracy. The dialogue is natural and engaging, and her Jamaican characters are voiced with the full musicality of their language. A real listening pleasure!

A stunner!!

This book is beyond a 5 star for me!! The narration by the author was compelling in the first minute.
I wondered if I could get through 17 hours, the longest audiobook for me thus far, but I am sad it is over. I will miss it so much!
A great story, poignant, funny, beguiling, blood boiling. So so good!!

Fabulous Story with Excellent Narration

Where does Small Island rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Close to the top. The story is captivating.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the fact that the story is narrated by several different characters, each with a unique, and, at times, quite comical, perspective.

What about Andrea Levy’s performance did you like?

Ms. Levy breathed life into each quirky, fascinating character. She performed different accents extremely well.

If you could rename Small Island, what would you call it?

The Clash Echoes.

Any additional comments?

I strongly recommend this nook.

Too Quiet

I just started this book and even with my wireless speaker up full, I can't hear it.