I listened to this CD in the car and the plot really had me looking forward to my commute. There are so many tiny points of how we treat each other as people, friends, employees/employers, etc. I really thought I was going to love this book, but it killed me at the end.
The more time I spend stewing on this book, the more I like it, but I still feel like I'm missing some answers to my questions as a reader. Kind of like a European film-it just ended abruptly.
Here is what I got from the book: the value of every soul. I think that was the point... This is the story of several people living on a tiny Caribbean island. There is Valerian (I don't really know how the names are spelled since I listened to it) Street, a rich American recluse who lives in a huge house he had built on the island, his wife, his two employees (a married black couple), their niece Jadine, and a stranger who shows up on the island. There are also a couple of locals who take care of the yard and laundry. The book questions whether Mr. Street respects and loves his servants and their niece or whether they are simply there to cook his food.
There is a lot here to think about and I think it would be great for a book club, where several people can try to talk through it.
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