Fruit of the Lemon [Kindle Edition]

Faith Jackson is the daughter of hardworking, conservative Jamaican immigrants and grows up in a moderate middle-class environment. She, like many others, assimilates into a society that does not fully embrace those that are "different." All her life, she has grappled with some form of scrutiny and eventually develops a blind eye and deaf ear to racial slurs and stereotypes that she experiences routinely, even from her "best friends." For example, as a child, she is openly teased by white schoolmates that her parents journeyed to England via a banana boat. Faith discovers with much embarrassment that in fact, it is true. Despite prodding questions to her parents about their past life or relatives in Jamaica , they remain tight-lipped and dismiss her inquires with abrupt answers or sucking teeth. Talk of the past seems to be a taboo subject, so Faith eventually stops asking at a very early age.

Unfortunately, Faith swallows the British culture, music, and mindsets whole because it is all she has. Under the guidance of her parents, she adapts and employs survival techniques: she learns to smile, dress appropriately, talk properly, and project a non-threatening persona, but there is never any guidance for dealing with racial injustice or prejudice against non-whites. Having recently graduated from college, she is struggling with racial discrimination at her workplace. Couple job stress with a local hate crime, Faith's overload of internalized angst forces her into an emotional "breakdown" stemming from years of frustration, pain, and anger with no outlet or coping skills to handle such prejudices.

Her parents enlist the aid of Aunt Cora, her mother's sister in Jamaica , to entertain Faith for a two-week holiday abroad to rest and forget about things for a while. Upon setting foot in the Kingston airport, Faith experiences instant `culture shock' that eventually leads to an epiphany of sorts. Time spent in the company of Aunt Cora and her Caribbean kinfolk yields answers to questions she pondered all her life. She finds understanding, unconditional love, inner peace, and a sense of pride and confidence that was absent before. Finding strength and solace in her roots, the once embarrassing banana boat passage eventually becomes an event that no longer causes shame but inspires admiration and reverence.

Fruit of the Lemon is a wonderful multi-generational saga that spans two continents and explores the importance of belonging and sense of history. Although the novel chronicles Faith as she struggles to find her place in the world, it goes much deeper by examining the need for identity and racial pride. Faith may be the protagonist of the story, but Levy delivers so much more. She gives the reader a multitude of full-bodied, complex characters, realistic situations, and a page-turning plot sequence. I absolutely loved the unveiling of her ancestor's personal histories! Their loves, desires, and attitudes were cleverly shaped by societal views, the complex histories of the slave trade and British colonialism in Jamaica . Her handling of dialogue which captured the rhythmic Jamaican patois-laced expressions and the straight-laced British phrasing is superb. Her writing is fluid and vivid -- I could picture the characters, scenery, and the moods and vibes perfectly.

Although it is still early in the year at the time of this review, I believe this book will make my Top 10 list of 2007 releases. This is my first read from this author and it will not be my last. I intend to pick up her earlier works soon. This novel is highly recommended for those who enjoy literary reads with African Diasporic themes.

Reviewed by Phyllis

APOOO BookClub

Nubian Circle Book Club

The daughter of Jamaican migrants, Levy writes what she knows and what she knows is the experience of the diaspora of former British colonies as they try to become a part of "white" British society.

Levy writes with nuanced subtlety. Her 2004 novel, SMALL ISLAND brought her international acclaim. Now, we can look back at her earlier work. This novel, written in 1999, just came out in the US.

Levy takes some pages from her own life to form her protagonist, Faith Jackson, a young woman whose parents came to England from Jamaica in 1948. Faith lacks a sense of her family history. Her parents have worked hard to scratch out a middle class life.

Faith is the naive nestling leaving the nest for the first time. She has a new job and 3 white roommates. Her naivete' is slowly replaced with disillusionment as she finally comprehends the racism inherent in British society. Levy experienced the same thing. Born in England and being asked: "Where are you from?"

Faith suffers a breakdown. Her parents step in and send her off to Jamaica where she finds family and a sense of her place in the world. She puts down roots.

Levy tells a lovely and inspiring story.

At twenty-two, Faith Jackson is enjoying her new found freedom, sharing a flat with three roommates and a new job in the costume department of the BBC, secure in the knowledge that her parents are her staunchest supporters. Faith is more than a little shocked when her parents announce their possible intention leave England and return to their homeland, Jamaica, since both their children are grown and able to take care of themselves. Precipitously aware of her fragile place in a society still struggling over the legislature of basic civil rights for all, the casual racism that surrounds her rears its ugly head, Faith subjected to the random ignorance of her white friends, the carelessness with which they disparage the blacks in society with hardly a thought to Faith's reactions: "I knew he wasn't prejudiced. He loves animals." The stupid and insensitive remarks grow increasing irritating to Faith, who has so far isolated herself from the bitter truth.

The gradual rift widens, sundering Faith's easy security. Witnessing a random act of violence against a black female shop attendant and patronized at her job since a questionable promotion as the only black dresser, Faith pulls back from this suddenly unfamiliar world, where race is etched inescapably into daily events with casual cruelty. Betrayed on all sides, Faith abruptly withdraws, unable to contend with the demands of the world around her: "I didn't want to be black anymore. I just wanted to live." Thanks to her parents' wisdom, Faith is sent to Jamaica for a two-week visit, submerged in the riotous island culture with her Auntie Coral and Cousin Vincent. There she receives a much-needed introduction to family history, Coral disclosing the secrets of the family tree. Immersed in her intimate cultural identity, Faith achieves the necessary balance to navigate a world at war with its own worst impulses to separate and subjugate, the hearts and minds of citizens wedded to the past prejudices and assumptions.

Adrift in confusion and growing angst in England, it is Faith's Jamaican experience that that restores her soul and enhances her sense of family support. In true Levy style, the dialog is spot on, both the sharp English quips of the roommates and lilting patois of the Jamaicans. With a particular talent for portraying the daily struggles of her protagonists as they tackle the inevitable challenges of their lives, the author delivers once again, this time a young black woman's identity crisis and racial awakening, the questing Faith renewed by the roots of ancestry. Luan Gaines/2007.