Summary - Small Island: Based On The Book By Andrea Levy

SUMMARY

SMALL ISLAND

BASED ON THE BOOK BY ANDREA LEVY

SUMMARY WRITTEN BY: BRIEF BOOKS PUBLISHING

CONTENT

Childhood Dreams and Colonial Context

The Stirrings of War and Distant Lands

Marriage and the Promise of England

Arrival in a Cold Reality

Gilbert's Wartime Journey and Post-War Disappointments

Life in Shared Lodgings and Emerging Tensions

Queenie's Wartime Experiences and Unexpected Company

Shared Spaces and Hidden Burdens

Uncertain Futures and Fragile Connections

General Analysis

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL BOOK

Small Island by Andrea Levy intricately weaves together the lives of two couples in post-war London. Hortense arrives from Jamaica with dreams of a new life in the Mother Country, eager to reunite with her husband Gilbert. Meanwhile, Queenie and Bernard, a white English couple, find their lives unexpectedly intertwined with the newcomers. The narrative explores the stark realities faced by Jamaican immigrants in a society grappling with its post-war identity and the pervasive presence of racism. Through their shared living spaces and individual struggles, the book delves into themes of displacement, prejudice, and the complex search for belonging in a rapidly changing Britain.

© 2025 Brief Books Publishing (Audiobook): 9798318310416

Release date

Audiobook: 14 March 2025