{"product_id":"9781909770713-windward-family","title":"Windward Family","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn atlas of love, loss and belonging\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Caribbean to Great Britain, and from the 19th century to the present, \u003ci\u003eWindward Family\u003c\/i\u003e takes us inside the beating heart of a Black British family, showing us how we become who we are, and how the search for ourselves always leads us to the same place - home. An extraordinary memoir from one of the UK's rising literary stars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A \u003cb\u003epowerful meditation\u003c\/b\u003e on what it means to belong.'\u003ci\u003e The Times Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eDeeply moving\u003c\/b\u003e.' David Lammy\u003cbr\u003e'Honest, poetic and deeply researched\u003cb\u003e excellence\u003c\/b\u003e.' Paterson Joseph\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eIt took two decades for me to go in search of the parts of myself I had left behind in the Caribbean. What ghosts were waiting for me there? \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eThere was a thick, black journal in my flat, stuffed with letters, postcards, handwritten notes and diary entries. For the first time in years, I opened it.'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwenty years after living there as a child, Alexis Keir returns to the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. He is keen to uncover lost memories and rediscover old connections. But he also carries with him the childhood scars of being separated from his parents and put into uncaring hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInspired by the embrace of his relatives in the Caribbean, Alexis begins to unravel the stories of others who left Saint Vincent, searching through diary pages and newspaper articles, shipping and hospital records and faded photographs. He uncovers tales of exploitation, endeavour and bravery of those who had to find a home far away from where they were born. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA child born with vitiligo, torn from his mother's arms to be exhibited as a showground attraction in England; a woman who, in the century before the Windrush generation, became one of the earliest Black nurses to be recorded as working in a London hospital; a young boy who became a footman in a Yorkshire stately home. And Alexis's mother, a student nurse who arrives in 1960s London, ready to start a new life in a cold, grey country - and the man from her island whom she falls in love with.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the Caribbean to England, North America and New Zealand, from windswept islands to the rainy streets of London, and spanning generations of travellers from the 19th century to the present, \u003ci\u003eWindward Family\u003c\/i\u003e takes you inside the beating heart of a Black British family, separated by thousands of miles but united by love, loss and belonging.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRead what everyone is saying about \u003ci\u003eWindward Family:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A \u003cb\u003epowerful meditation\u003c\/b\u003e on what it means to belong, both as a Black Briton in search of self-knowledge and acceptance. subtly explores the racism experienced by itinerant islanders and their children, and the long shadows cast by slavery and colonialism on St Vincent. \u003cb\u003ea paean \u003c\/b\u003eto the resilience and courage of those who travel to better the lot of their families and a loving recreation of \"small island\" Caribbean life. \u003cb\u003eimbued with the pain of separation and loss, and the joy of homecoming\u003c\/b\u003e.'\u003ci\u003e The Times Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Being Black British is more than an identity, it is a journey into uncharted waters of personal history. \u003cb\u003eAlexis Keir's deeply moving account will ring true for all of those navigating their own stories\u003c\/b\u003e.' David Lammy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Infused with hope. pertinent and timely. with beautiful touches of memories that will resonate with any child born of Caribbean parents in the UK. \u003cb\u003ehonest, poetic and deeply researched excellence\u003c\/b\u003e.' Paterson Joseph, actor and author of \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'With a tender mix of prose and historical re-imagining, Alexis creates with words, a symphony of movement that mimics his travels and journeys across continents, in search of identity and belonging. \u003cb\u003eA beautiful ode to migration, love and all that we do for family\u003c\/b\u003e.' Florence ?lájídé, author of \u003ci\u003eCoconut\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'By turns \u003cb\u003eheartbreaking\u003c\/b\u003e and hopeful. \u003cb\u003eDeeply moving\u003c\/b\u003e.' Anita Sethi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Brilliant\u003c\/b\u003e. Profound. written in lyrical cinematic prose. I reread many passages strictly for their beauty.' H. Nigel Thomas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003ePoignant\u003c\/b\u003e. like reading about your own ancestors, who were once lost but now found and brought to life. \u003cb\u003ea joy to read\u003c\/b\u003e.' Anni Domingo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A \u003cb\u003ebeautiful\u003c\/b\u003e, illuminating read. \u003cb\u003eFull of heart and wisdom\u003c\/b\u003e.' Irenosen Okojie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eBeautiful\u003c\/b\u003e, evocative. tells the story of modern Britain as much as it does of this one man.' Stella Duffy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'An \u003cb\u003eincredible \u003c\/b\u003ememoir. \u003cb\u003etruly compelling\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003etruly heartbreaking\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eI was hooked.\u003c\/b\u003e' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eHeart wrenching\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eabsolutely flawless!\u003c\/b\u003e' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eBeautifully written\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003ehad me hooked from the beginning\u003c\/b\u003e. Refreshing and informative. \u003cb\u003eFab fab\u003c\/b\u003e book.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eHeartbreaking\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003estunning and beautiful\u003c\/b\u003e.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Alexis Keir paints a picture \u003cb\u003eso vivid that I could feel the sun on my face, I could smell the sea and taste the food\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eA brilliant and well deserved 5 stars\u003c\/b\u003e. The narration was \u003cb\u003eperfect \u003c\/b\u003etoo.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eSheer beauty\u003c\/b\u003e. an \u003cb\u003eincredible\u003c\/b\u003e ancestry, allowing those forgotten to be placed into history forevermore.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eVery powerful\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003egripping\u003c\/b\u003e.' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eI fell in love with this story.\u003c\/b\u003e' Goodreads reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eA labour of love\u003c\/b\u003e, and every word is \u003cb\u003eheartfelt\u003c\/b\u003e.' Goodreads reviewer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40686763507809,"sku":"9781909770713","price":7.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_28002580.jpg?v=1722242554","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781909770713-windward-family","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}