T H I S L O V E L Y C I T Y - B O O K R E V I E W

By Louise Hare.

//4 STARS//

"Stiff upper lip, put on a brave face and pretend that if you can ignore the horrors of the past and think only of the future, then you too will be all right. This was an island of crazy people.”

1950's, London. Lawrie is a young Jamaican man, living in a tiny room in London. Part of the Empire windrush, he works as a Postman in the day and part of a Jazz Band at night. In love with Evie, the girl next door, he works hard for the little he has, but is hopeful for the opportunities he hopes Britain will bring. In a heartbeat his world is turned upside down. Lawrie makes a terrible discovery, one that has huge ramifications for his fellow arrivals and the wider community. Blame and suspicion reach a fever point, until the truth starts unravelling.

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Such a bold debut, set in post war Britain, the unglamorous austerity of the 50’s. Hard times hitting, the rebuilding of lives and societies, after WW2. Lawrie and his friends, are met with open racism, suspicion and prejudice, in a country touting a “Welcome Home” slogan. It is a very relevant story, given the Windrush scandal affecting generations of families. I really enjoyed this book, it keeps you enthralled, with figuring out the mystery of ‘Ophelia’, and with hope for Lawrie, Evie and their friends to find a place to call Home.

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Historical fiction fans....this ones for you! 🎷🎺