First published 2002
Julia Blackburn follows the fractured path of her ancestors as they move from the Praslin Islands through Mauritius to England. Her family carries the weight of generations marked by racial hatred, sexual repression, and recurring madness. The narrative shifts between dreams and harsh reality as Blackburn excavates the buried traumas that shaped her lineage. Each location reveals new layers of suffering and secrets. The story weaves through different time periods and states of consciousness, blurring the boundaries between memory and imagination. At the center of this family saga stands an unlikely figure: a pig that becomes both symbol and witness to the unfolding drama. Blackburn confronts the fear of mixed race heritage that haunts her family tree. Mental illness passes from one generation to the next like a genetic curse. The author transforms personal pain into a surreal landscape where past and present collide.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-literature, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: blurred-boundaries, generational-trauma, unreliable-narrator
Setting: England, Mauritius, Praslin Islands
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
192 pages · Paperback · Vintage Books
Content warnings: mental-illness, racism