RaveThe New York Times Sunday Book ReviewAlthough all four characters take turns telling their stories, the narrative momentum of Small Island is slight; the present action occurs over a few days in 1948, but a great deal of the novel takes place in a time zone Levy simply labels ‘Before’ … Levy's greatest achievement in Small Island is to convey how English racism was all the more heartbreaking for its colonial victims because it involved the crushing of their ideals. Gilbert is astonished to discover that although he can reel off the names of England's canals and list the major industries of each English town, most English people can't even find Jamaica on a map … Small Island is too thoughtful a novel to promise its characters a happy ending, but it is generous enough to offer them hope.
