Description
After a personal tragedy upends his world, American-born artist Chris travels to his mother’s homeland, Jamaica hoping to find some peace and tranquility. He plans to spend his time painting in solitude and coming to terms with his recent loss and his fractured relationship with his father. Instead, he discovers a new extended and complicated “family.” The people he meets help him to heal, even as he supports them in unexpected ways. Told from different points of view, this is a compelling novel about unlikely love, friendship, and community, with surprises along the way.
Review
I’m not sure A Million Aunties is the right title for the book. I mean in some ways I get why that’s the title but I don’t feel like it adequately captured the essence of the story.
Where a story takes place is a big part of any story for me. The location or locations are characters of their own and they help the entire story come alive. I liked the different locations in the story, particularly how the characters changed based on where they were.
Speaking of characters, I enjoyed the mix of characters. A Million Aunties starts with Chris and his story then introduced other memorable characters, some even telling the story from their point of view.
Overall
I was really interested in the story and read through it pretty quickly. But I wanted more. I had more questions. It felt rushed with incomplete storylines.
That being said, if you’re up for a light read A Million Aunties is a good choice.
About the Author
Alecia McKenzie is a Jamaican writer currently based in France. Her most recent novel is A Million Aunties published by Akashic Books.
