This is a contemporary debut novel set in the Caribbean
This is such a good book especially for a debut. The characters are strong and well developed. It deals with some hard topics very sensitively

The Island of forgetting is a stunning debut novel, detailing the emotional and often haunting lives of four generations of one family. Centred around their family hotel in Barbados, each generation - Iapetus, his son Atlas, Atlas' daughter Calypso and her son Nautilus - faces its own adversity, while dealing with family and inter-generational trauma. Race, gender and sexuality issues are all dealt with notably, through different characters, in subtle but potent ways.
Every main character is detailed so beautifully; we get a real insight into their personality, their trials and tribulations, and the story helps us to understand their decisions and reactions. We also learn more through their interactions with family members and the conversations and events that involve them, which makes the story very rounded, while still retaining some mystery - we know enough to really care for each MC, while also having a wish to learn more.
The prose is full of Barbadian life, evoking images of the country, the people and their culture, and Sealy contrasts this excellently with the outside influences - the tourists, the developers and the family who ended up moving away from home.
Each generation is fascinating in its own way, with the common threads and themes interweaving decisively throughout, with the clear lesson that no matter how individual we all are, the ties we have to our family and culture are very hard to break.
A fantastic first novel, I can't wait to see what Sealy releases next.

A contempory novel set in Barbodos and you know me girlies... I love having diversity on my bookshelves. The story is set on an intergenerational family. which touches on trauma and the impact it has on families. Now me being a psych student, I had to read it and I got fully immersed into these characters and enjoyed every moment. It is more character driven than plot which reminds me of 'Yolk' by M.K. Choi. Absolutely enjoyed this and loved the touch on Greek mythology especially for her debut novel.. defo will be keeping an eye out for any future releases.

This is a powerful look at how a family's history continues to have ripple effects through time.

I haven't read many works set in Barbados but those I have read have surprised me with the clear-eyed representation of the gritty underside of a place outsiders may view as paradise.

This novel tells the story of a family by giving us close looks at the lives of several generations. I thought this was a solid narrative device used well here, but I never quite sank into their stories. Just as I was really getting close to each character we changed to the next one.

The prose is solid, the characters well drawn and the story ultimately ends on what I thought was a hopeful note.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In this compelling debut, an unknowable legacy passes through generations of one family living on the beautiful island of Barbados. All I can say is this author has gained a forever reader with me!

Greek Gods on Barbados? Almost.

This book is breath-taking for its writing and its characterisations; each character gets under your skin.

The book begins with the story of Iapetus, his relationship with his father and his brother Cronus, his big brother who looked after him and protected him. He is a lost soul and and becomes lost on the island,

The second part is the story of Atlas, the son of Iapetus who had been brought up by his uncle Cronus when his mother died, a boy who lives in the shadow of his cousin Z and who is striving to get his grades so he can leave the island and study in an English university.

The thirds part is the story of Calypso, the daughter of Atlas and Pleione who lives at the hotel owned by her Uncle Z, a girl who entices the hotel guests with her beauty and her singing.

The final part if the story of Nautilus, the son of Calypso.

Each character longs to escape from the island, each is searching for a place where they can belong but the island holds them, binds them to it and the truth is hidden in whispers and half spoken secrets.

When you read the Greek myths associated with these 'names' you can see how skilfully the author has woven elements of these stories into the stories of these characters, how she infuses each character with elements of its mythical namesake.

A wonderful debut novel - I can't wait to see what the author does next. Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me to read it.

Oh my gosh, this book was incredible. It was so well written with a brilliant writing style and well developed characters that I took to my heart. This book was both uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure and I was completely captivated by it, I couldnt put it down. I loved it.

What a stunning book! I loved the writing and there were so many moments where it broke my heart. I can't wait to read more by this author.