Land of Love and Drowning

By: Tiphanie Yanique

Narrated by: Cherise Boothe, Korey Jackson, Rachel Leslie, Myra Lucretia Taylor

Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A major debut from an award-winning writer - an epic family saga set against the magic and the rhythms of the Virgin Islands.

In the early 1900s an important ship sinks into the Caribbean Sea, just as the Virgin Islands are transferred from Danish to American rule. Orphaned by the sunk vessel are two sisters and their half-brother, now faced with an uncertain identity and future. Each of them is unusually beautiful, and each is in possession of a particular magic that will either sink or save them.

Chronicling three generations of an island family from 1916 to the 1970s, Land of Love and Drowning is a novel of love and magic, set against the emergence of Saint Thomas into the modern world. Wholly unique, with echoes of Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and the author's own Caribbean family history, the story is told in a language and rhythm that evokes an entire world and way of life and love. Following the Bradshaw family through 60 years of fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, love affairs, curses, magical gifts, loyalties, births, deaths, and triumphs, Land of Love and Drowning is a gorgeous, vibrant debut by an exciting, prize-winning young writer.

©2014 Tiphanie Yanique (P)2014 Recorded Books

Delicious like stewed cherries

I very much enjoyed this book. I the narration and cadence was very very good. The only improvement would have been to use Virgin Islands accents. I am from St. Croix. My mother from St. Thomas and the narrators were certainly not from those places. Also some of the words were mispronounced, like St. Johnian. But still an excellent book.

Vivid characters and evocations of the Caribbean.

This is a complex story set in the Caribbean with engaging characters striving toward fulfilling relationships and a dignified life.

TW: incest

This is a beautifully written book, truly lovely language. Trigger warning: this novel is full of many types and layers of incest, which will naturally be very disturbing and/or triggering for some of us.

Worth the Effort

It took me a long time, like 2/3s of the book, to finally be caught up in this story, but it turned out to be a good story. Unfortunately I had read a comparison of this book to those of Garcia Marquez, and that preset my expectations. While it isn't a Garcia Marquez-like novel, it is a good story with many generations and their histories and stories entwined. I liked the pace of the readers, their accents, and the history of the Virgin Islands.

Not historical fiction.

Incestuous romance disguised as historical fiction. Another publisher who has taken my hard earned funds, forced me to try to salvage something in continuing to listen to a so-so narrator. An annoying story with emphasis on beauty and cunning in lieu of facts woven into an authentic saga concerning how the US obtained the Virginia islands. Do not waste your time or money.

Great Listen

I loved the poet style the author used. In addition she shows characters that have suffered great tragedies but have survived and even flourished. Eons and Annette are heroines in different ways.

great Virgin Islands story

loved this book. great story, great imagination and great characters. need more carribbean stories like this one.

Moving an enthralling story

Lovely performances and beautiful imagery makes this audio book a positively wonderful listen. Highly recommended!

loved loved

loved the story and the narrator! Some parts of the story deals with subject matter that is taboo but this story keeps you wanting more and more

Mesmerizing

Mesmerizing and difficult. You fall in love with the characters and hate them all at once. I could not put the book down.