A Tall History of Sugar

Wonderful, intriguing, if not fascinating form of writing. A wonderful plot too. Really great narrator which gives a great presence to the story.

A really well written story which is cleverly told. Mosche and Arrienne’s friendship is beautifully written about and made compelling reading. This story is different to anything that I have read for a long time. Mosche is the type of character that you want to know more about. He brings so much joy to Rachel and Noah and touches the lives of everyone he meets.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This book tells the story of Moshe and Arriene, who have a connection so deep - forged in childhood- that it is almost as if they are two parts of the same whole. As they grow up they are so close they can communicate without speaking. But negotiating the nature and the boundaries of their relationship becomes more problematic as they get older.

This book is very clever and not the easiest read. There is a lot of symbolism - for example of the sugar cane affliction - and there are echoes of biblestories, myths and fairy tales. Arriene narrates but she is not a reliable narrator and the narrative becomes more fragmented as it progresses, reflective of her own clarity of mind.

This is a well-written book by a very accomplished writer. The Jamaican people and locations are beautifully brought to life, particularly with the use of the Jamaican language which is so immersive and which does become progressively easier to read through the novel. I loved the main characters and although I did find the structure a little over- reaching at times, overall I found it to be a thoughtful and beautifully written work.