I received a free electronic advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Passiontide is a novel by Monique Roffey sat on the Caribbean island of St. Colibri that takes place in the aftermath of a woman being found dead the day after carnival underneath a cannonball tree. Dead women are nothing new in St. Colibri, but this woman’s death sparks outrage. Perhaps because she was a pan player. Perhaps because she wasn’t from St. Colibri. Perhaps because women on the small isle had gotten tired of disappearing, being beaten, being abused, and being forgotten. Perhaps all of the above.
In this novel full of murder, foolish cops, stigma, prejudice and injustice, we see various perspectives. In fact, Roffey may have needed different POV characters to showcase all the minds and opinions in the world that she creates.
What should have been a peaceful Lent turns into an occupation led by women who are tired of their deaths being shoved under the rug by uncaring cops. We see women who refuse to let it go when the mayor claims that perhaps this woman had it coming because she was in her carnival costume after dark. We see women declare enough is enough and see the aftermath of that. Who killed this young woman? Will her death be enough to cause systematic change? There are a lot of questions that Roffey asks, but the one thing that is certain is that St. Colibri has never seen something like this before.
Isn’t this a gorgeous cover?
Stars: 3/5
Did I enjoy this novel? Yes. Is it one that I could recommend? To a few specific people, sure. Then why the three stars? This novel was way too graphic for me in its sexual content. And while some are okay with that, I am not one of those people. I can handle graphic violence and even some suggestive content, but this was not for me. That being said, let me tell you some of the things I liked about the novel.
The characters are all very distinct and unique. The author presents their voices in a clear way and while some readers don’t like reading vernacular or dialects, I rather enjoy it and it makes the work more immersive. I also like the overall imagery presented in the work, from the descriptions of the tree to the pan players outfits and even the public square that the women decide to occupy to stand out against the overlooked murders of women on their small island.
Moreover, the themes in this novel and the narrative choices that Roffey makes all sit well with me. There are so many things that we are unsure about as we hop from one character’s perspective to the next. I also appreciate that we don’t get an ending that’s wrapped up neatly in a bow like a present. With so much messiness and anger and fear threaded through this novel, it would cheapen it to have it end on a “happily ever after.” And I don’t think that qualifies as a spoiler, so don’t shoot the messenger.
Does this sound like something you would read? Let me know! And be sure to share and subscribe!
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