Georgetown, Guyana 1970. Seven-year-old Rita is running wild in her ramshackle white wooden house by the sea, under the indulgent eye of her absent-minded father. Surrounded by her army of stray pets, free to play where she likes and climb the oleander trees, she couldn't feel more alive.
But then her new stepmother Chandra arrives and the house empties of love and laughter. Rita's pets are removed, her freedom curtailed, and before long, there's a new baby sister on the way. There's no room for Rita anymore.
With her father distracted by his new family, Rita spends more time alone in her bedroom. Desperate to fill up the hollow inside her, she begins to talk to the only photo she has of her mother Cassie, a woman she cannot remember.
Rita has never known what happened to Cassie, a poor farmer's daughter from the remote Guyanese rainforest. Determined to find the truth, Rita travels to find her mother's family in an unfamiliar land of shimmering creeks and towering vines. She finds comfort in the loving arms of her grandmother among the flowering shrubs and trees groaning with fruit. But when she discovers the terrible bruising secret that her father kept hidden from her, will she ever be able to feel happiness again? A beautiful and inspiring story that will steal your heart and open your eyes. Fans of The Secret Life of Bees, The Vanishing Half and The Other Half of Augusta Hope will be captivated by The Far Away Girl.
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(@Bookouture, 2 March 2021, 449 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 8 March)
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I'm new to this author. The Far Away Girl is a fantastic book, an emotional tear-jerker that gripped my heart and refused to let go. I will check out more of the author's work. The author is not afraid of tackling big issues and this book touches on racism, prejudice, self-discovery, growing up to name a few. This is an excellent story, well told, intense and moving. I fell in love with everything about it. I loved Rita as a character and loving spending time with her as she grows up and learns some harsh truths about the world. I'm not familiar with the setting of the book and the author does an impressive job of bringing the world, people and society to life. This is a remarkable book.
