How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House
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- Create Date：2021-02-04 04:16:48
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Cherie Jones
- ISBN：9780316536981
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
11/16/2020
Jones’s intense debut explores the poverty and crime in Baxter’s Beach， Barbados， amid an explosive collision between tourists and locals。 The place， called Paradise by foreigners and residents alike， turns out to be a living hell for two women whose lives are changed by one horrific incident。 Lala， a local hair braider， is stuck in a turbulent marriage to Adan， a burglar。 Mira Whalen， a former local who now lives in London， is vacationing with her English husband， Peter， at their beachfront villa。 One night， Lala is on the beach， in labor and about to give birth。 Adan， meanwhile， is nowhere to be found。 Lala stumbles upon the Whalens’ mansion and presses the buzzer for help。 She hears a gunshot and Adan rushes out， an ear-piercing shriek following on his heels。 A parallel narrative follows Mira dealing with the aftermath of Peter’s murder by Adan， while a detective works the case， and more violence ensues as Lala and Mira’s lives eventually collide。 Rich characters and pulsing backstories add a great deal of flavor to the drama。 Jones is off to a strong start。 Agent: Clare Alexander， Aitken Alexander （Jan。）
Reviews
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Zibby Owens
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How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is set on an island like Barbados back in the mid-1980s。 Lala is a hair braider for tourists。 This book is about one summer when her life changes in unimaginable ways。 Without giving away too much away， Lala has a baby， and there's a murder on the beach。 This story is about how those two seemingly unrelated events are connected。I grew up visiting Jamaica often， so the setting felt so real and alive to me。 The hair braiding， the smells， the beauty， and th How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is set on an island like Barbados back in the mid-1980s。 Lala is a hair braider for tourists。 This book is about one summer when her life changes in unimaginable ways。 Without giving away too much away， Lala has a baby， and there's a murder on the beach。 This story is about how those two seemingly unrelated events are connected。I grew up visiting Jamaica often， so the setting felt so real and alive to me。 The hair braiding， the smells， the beauty， and the beach culture were perfectly encapsulated in this story。 There were many painful situations that played out in this book， and some were tough to read。 This emotional story is about the most unsupported woman going through pregnancy alone that I've ever read， and it was heartbreaking。 However， this book feels like a classic piece of literature that everyone should read in school。To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/che。。。 。。。more
Jeanne Blasberg
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Love the book's title！ It relates to a cautionary parable that a grandmother tells her granddaughter。 Set on the island of Barbados， this novel follows two family's trajectories after one violent night。 More impressive than the straight-forward plot， is the way the books many characters are woven together by the author。 The writing is lyrical and haunting。 An amazing debut。 I wrote a complete review for NY Journal of Books: https://www。nyjournalofbooks。com/book。。。which is also available at jeann Love the book's title！ It relates to a cautionary parable that a grandmother tells her granddaughter。 Set on the island of Barbados， this novel follows two family's trajectories after one violent night。 More impressive than the straight-forward plot， is the way the books many characters are woven together by the author。 The writing is lyrical and haunting。 An amazing debut。 I wrote a complete review for NY Journal of Books: https://www。nyjournalofbooks。com/book。。。which is also available at jeanneblasberg。com 。。。more
Archd
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DNF - although started off well， there’s too much going back and forth， and intro to lots of characters， that I found myself losing the plot lines。 I soon found I didn’t care about what happened to the characters and stopped reading。
Monica **can't read fast enough**
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I was fortunate and received an ARC of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones and I am so happy to have been able to read this debut early。 Jones has created complex characters facing hardships， abuses， and obstacles in a way that is heart wrenching。 How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House begins with events that are hard to read and immediately pulls you into the center of an event that sets the tone for the entire book。 The writing is beautiful while telling stories that a I was fortunate and received an ARC of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones and I am so happy to have been able to read this debut early。 Jones has created complex characters facing hardships， abuses， and obstacles in a way that is heart wrenching。 How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House begins with events that are hard to read and immediately pulls you into the center of an event that sets the tone for the entire book。 The writing is beautiful while telling stories that are disturbing。 I still find myself thinking about these characters， especially Lala。 This isn't a story that I simply enjoyed and moved on from， this will linger with me for a long time。 There is a lot of trauma experienced in this book if you need that warning before going in， it is disturbing and uncomfortable to read at times， but essential to what Cherie Jones gives her readers。 I don't give a ton of direct book recommendations to people other than saying what I enjoy for myself， but this is one that I will be throwing out whenever asked for a recommendation。 I originally thought that I would give this four stars because of the fairly quick ending， but when I read something that keeps me thinking about it for weeks after， I have to say it's a five star read for me and I will undoubtedly be rereading it in the future。 I highly recommend picking up a copy and supporting this talented author。 I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Where you can find me:•（♥）。•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•。（♥）•Twitter: @monicaisreadingInstagram: @readermonicaGoodreads Group: The Black Bookcase 。。。more
Grace Quantock
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I was intrigued by the title as a disabled woman， and had some trepidation about how disability would be addressed in the novel。 But I was reassured by the way the author handled many immensely difficult topics and drew characters which were relatable and intriguing， unfolding into deeper and deeper understandings as the story progressed。 I very much enjoyed this book; the world was evocatively drawn and the story fast paced and engaging。 I would absolutely recommend it for anyone who wants a be I was intrigued by the title as a disabled woman， and had some trepidation about how disability would be addressed in the novel。 But I was reassured by the way the author handled many immensely difficult topics and drew characters which were relatable and intriguing， unfolding into deeper and deeper understandings as the story progressed。 I very much enjoyed this book; the world was evocatively drawn and the story fast paced and engaging。 I would absolutely recommend it for anyone who wants a beautiful literary novel which is as readable and powerful as one could wish for。 Content Warning: rape， abuse， domestic violence and child death， which may be important to note for some readers。 。。。more
Kelly 💜☕️
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Temporarily DID NOT FINISH （DNF） = 22%Started 1-11-21Picked up this audiobook 8 times， listening for 2 hours 36 minutes DNF 1-31-21I was enjoying this book with multiple plot lines and shifting POVs。 Unfortunately I just can’t seem to focus enough on it。 I hope to return to this book at another time。 Thanks to San Diego County Library for the digital audio version via Libby app。 [Audio: ~9 hours]
Yonit
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4。5 A devastating depiction of poverty and violence on a resort island。
Pretty_x_bookish
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Absolutely fantastic！ I listened to the audiobook and it was sooooo good！
Sarah Prendergast （lifeandbookswithme）
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Set in Barbados in the 1960s-1980s， this debut follows generations of a family as well as other inhabitants of the island as they struggle with poverty and violence。 Lala is married to a criminal named Adan who is abusive。 He makes his living by stealing and drug dealing。 She is about to give birth to their first child and Adan is nowhere to be found。 When the news breaks that a rich white tourist has been murdered after a robbery gone wrong， Lala knows Adan must have something to do with it。I l Set in Barbados in the 1960s-1980s， this debut follows generations of a family as well as other inhabitants of the island as they struggle with poverty and violence。 Lala is married to a criminal named Adan who is abusive。 He makes his living by stealing and drug dealing。 She is about to give birth to their first child and Adan is nowhere to be found。 When the news breaks that a rich white tourist has been murdered after a robbery gone wrong， Lala knows Adan must have something to do with it。I loved the narrator of this audiobook。 She gave me chills in some parts and I had to pause to absorb the feelings that she was evoking for me。 The writing style was so descriptive and I loved all of the imagery。 You could very easily empathize with the characters as their pain felt real。 The setting was really unique and I found that made the story unique。 This was a heartbreaker for sure。 The multiple timelines made it hard to connect the characters to each other but each perspective was written very well。 Thank you to @librofm， @netgalley and @hachette。audio for this ALC。 。。。more
Susan
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Lala， young， married， and pregnant， is the latest in a family steeped in domestic violence and sexual abuse。 Her grandmother raised her after the death of her own mother and this loss leads her to pursue the wrong man and unwittingly repeat the cycle。 The story follows Lala through a series of missteps， allowing for chapters from other points of view to help round out the picture and some of the secondary characters that had a major impact on Lala's life。 The book was well written and fast paced Lala， young， married， and pregnant， is the latest in a family steeped in domestic violence and sexual abuse。 Her grandmother raised her after the death of her own mother and this loss leads her to pursue the wrong man and unwittingly repeat the cycle。 The story follows Lala through a series of missteps， allowing for chapters from other points of view to help round out the picture and some of the secondary characters that had a major impact on Lala's life。 The book was well written and fast paced。 A quick enjoyable read despite really really wanting to take Lala， give her a hug， and spirit her away from the trauma that was her world。Thanks to NetGalley and Little， Brown and Company for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
smalltownbookmom
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Solid 3。5 - I had really high hopes for this book but the execution fell a little flat for me。 Set in the 80s in a small village outside a resort town in Barbados。 The story follows Lala， a young hair braider。 We get glimpses of her life in the past and the present - her traumatic experiences as a wife and mother were heartbreaking！ The book does a really good job peeling back the polished veneer of resort towns to expose the gritty underside of the residents trying to make a living amidst great Solid 3。5 - I had really high hopes for this book but the execution fell a little flat for me。 Set in the 80s in a small village outside a resort town in Barbados。 The story follows Lala， a young hair braider。 We get glimpses of her life in the past and the present - her traumatic experiences as a wife and mother were heartbreaking！ The book does a really good job peeling back the polished veneer of resort towns to expose the gritty underside of the residents trying to make a living amidst great poverty。 The intersections of class， race and privilege are thoroughly explored in the book。 Where the book didn’t work well for me was the pacing of the plot and the way it jumped around in time。 It made the story a bit disjointed and then the ending gets rapidly tied up without a very satisfactory ending - I was left wanting more。 Overall a powerful debut with some flawed pacing。 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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Told from different POVs I found this story really powerful and emotive， the characters were complex and fantastic， the writting was beautiful and the pace was perfect。 If you are looking for an original and gripping story this story is for you。Thank you LibroFm， Hachette Audio and Cherie Jones for this ALC。http://www。instagram。com/booksandcoff。。。 Told from different POVs I found this story really powerful and emotive， the characters were complex and fantastic， the writting was beautiful and the pace was perfect。 If you are looking for an original and gripping story this story is for you。Thank you LibroFm， Hachette Audio and Cherie Jones for this ALC。http://www。instagram。com/booksandcoff。。。 。。。more
Emma | readwith_em |
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TW: domestic abuse， sexual assault/abuseI really enjoyed this book！ A very interesting story line。 Great characters。 I really liked how the past tied so well into the current events。 Lala’s grandmother， Wilma， shares the story of “How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House”， you know it’s foreshadowing something similar is going to happen in Lala’s story。 Lala long past living by her Grandmother’s rules is living in Baxter Beach with her husband， Adan， who is a petty criminal。 Lala knows Adan doe TW: domestic abuse， sexual assault/abuseI really enjoyed this book！ A very interesting story line。 Great characters。 I really liked how the past tied so well into the current events。 Lala’s grandmother， Wilma， shares the story of “How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House”， you know it’s foreshadowing something similar is going to happen in Lala’s story。 Lala long past living by her Grandmother’s rules is living in Baxter Beach with her husband， Adan， who is a petty criminal。 Lala knows Adan doesn’t make an honest living but never knew to what extent until she witnesses his latest crime。 What was intended to be a simple robbery turns into a murder when Lala unintentionally interrupts the process when she rings the bell at the very home Adan had targeted。 The events following the murder involve Lala giving birth alone because Adan is hiding out。 The truth gnaws at Lala。 While Adan is home visiting， the baby is dropped and ultimately killed。 Lala is devastated and Adan is more concerned about the heat it would bring to him。 Again， he goes into hiding after planning a fake kidnapping of the baby。 Yet again， Lala is in disbelief of the man that’s in front of her。 Adan is short tempered and restless。 Lala is the one who gets the brunt of his short temperedness in awfully violent ways。 Lala’s friend from the past， which was a good friend of Adan’s， witnesses what Adan has been doing to Lala。 He gives her the courage to leave， and to go far away。 Escape the lies， and abuse。 。。。more
Jael Richardson
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Wonderful story set on Baxter's Beach， Barbados。 Murder， madness， mystery。 Unique narrative voice。 Wonderful story set on Baxter's Beach， Barbados。 Murder， madness， mystery。 Unique narrative voice。 。。。more
Sarah
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One of Bethanne Patrick's picks at the 1/26/21 Book Critics on Tap: https://www。exileinbookville。com/even。。。 One of Bethanne Patrick's picks at the 1/26/21 Book Critics on Tap: https://www。exileinbookville。com/even。。。 。。。more
Rachel
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This is a story whose intensity hits you from the off and is maintained throughout。 This is the story of Barbados， or more specifically a town on the beach。 A town of stark constraints， where tourists occupy sprawling beach front villas， but where poverty， drug abuse and violence stalk the local community。Here is the story of three women。 Wilma， married young and having endured years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband。 Unable to protect her daughter from her own father， Wilma has rais This is a story whose intensity hits you from the off and is maintained throughout。 This is the story of Barbados， or more specifically a town on the beach。 A town of stark constraints， where tourists occupy sprawling beach front villas， but where poverty， drug abuse and violence stalk the local community。Here is the story of three women。 Wilma， married young and having endured years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband。 Unable to protect her daughter from her own father， Wilma has raised her granddaughter Lala。 With the iron rod and tales of despair Wilma has tried to keep Lala close。But Lala falls in love。 She too marries young and finds herself trapped in the same cycle of abuse that her grandmother and mother have experienced。 The story begins with traumatic premature birth of her daughter， born on the night when Adan her husband kills a white man in a robbery gone wrong。 Baby’s life is short， but it is the catalyst for a series of events tinged with a desperate inevitably。Mira is the wife of the man who Adan shot。 A local girl who has married in to wealth， who is grieving not just the loss of her husband， but her own longing to be a mother， the loss of her step children and the fact she never got the chance to tell her husband how she felt。The lives of these three women have their differences but all are intertwined。 Each life is a struggle。 All have experienced extreme poverty， all know what it is like to want the world to be different， to have the briefest taste of your dreams only to have them snatched away。 Each women is fighting daily for her life， in a system， a society that seems riddled with violence and oppression。 Each leads a life where domestic violence is the norm rather than the exception and where mothers are teaching their daughters to survive rather than leave。Each of these women make sacrifices to ensure their own survival。 Each is faced with terrible choices， that aren’t really choices at all。 The power of this society seems to lie with the men， and women are fighting from the bottom up。But there is power and hope in these women’s stories。 They are smart， they are watchful and they take their chances where they can。 As the novel reaches it’s climax there is a sense that better things may be in reach。This tale is told in words so electric， so vibrant that they sing from the page。 The sense of place is tangible from the start。 These characters move seamlessly through a world so real you can feel the heat of the sun and the sand between your toes。 There is pain and desperation but also humour， humanity， and a real connection with these characters， which leaves you immersed and invested。 Each small detail， each back story gives the story motivation and credibility。 It is a story whose power gathers momentum with each turn of the page。 。。。more
Tess
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A great novel with a great title， which is featured in the opening fable told to a granddaughter by her grandmother， HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE is a wonderful debut from Cherie Jones。 The story revolves around a group of people whose lives are entwined after a robbery gone wrong in Barbados in 1984。 It is a rough book， full of frustrating characters and heartbreaking losses。 We are transported to Barbados， and back in time， and the story is powerful and intense。 I really enjoyed h A great novel with a great title， which is featured in the opening fable told to a granddaughter by her grandmother， HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE is a wonderful debut from Cherie Jones。 The story revolves around a group of people whose lives are entwined after a robbery gone wrong in Barbados in 1984。 It is a rough book， full of frustrating characters and heartbreaking losses。 We are transported to Barbados， and back in time， and the story is powerful and intense。 I really enjoyed how Jones mapped out the book， with multiple perspective and timelines。 It allowed for a rich story and it unfolded in unexpected ways。 The worst part of the book is wanting justice for the women in the story， wronged over and over by the same man who affects their lives in horrific ways。 The book doesn't give the reader that though， but makes the story true to life， and it does have an explosive ending that stayed with me。 Can't wait to see what else Jones has to offer in the future！This ARC was provided by Little， Brown and Company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 It comes out on February 2nd！ 。。。more
KtotheC
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The opening sections of this novel up until about a fifth of the way through were bone-shakingly good。 I did feel like it dropped off ever so slightly after this section。 These events are viewed in a different light as we learn more about the connections between these characters - both in what has already happened before these events and in what happens after。 This is a dark story though and one that avoids easy resolutions which I feel respect for but I wanted one aspect of the ending to be dif The opening sections of this novel up until about a fifth of the way through were bone-shakingly good。 I did feel like it dropped off ever so slightly after this section。 These events are viewed in a different light as we learn more about the connections between these characters - both in what has already happened before these events and in what happens after。 This is a dark story though and one that avoids easy resolutions which I feel respect for but I wanted one aspect of the ending to be different。 I will read whatever Jones writes next。 My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sherri Puzey
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12 // “Let me tell you about a little girl like you that didn’t listen to her mother。”in a resort town on Barbados， a burglary gone wrong triggers a series of events that unfold in HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE。 the characters in the story are all interconnected， despite the differences in race and class and season of life。 this debut novel touches on themes of grief， motherhood， desperation， and ultimately， freedom， in a well-crafted story that kept me turning the pages until the ve 12 // “Let me tell you about a little girl like you that didn’t listen to her mother。”in a resort town on Barbados， a burglary gone wrong triggers a series of events that unfold in HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE。 the characters in the story are all interconnected， despite the differences in race and class and season of life。 this debut novel touches on themes of grief， motherhood， desperation， and ultimately， freedom， in a well-crafted story that kept me turning the pages until the very end。 4/5⭐️—I liked it！ Out February 2。thank you to @littlebrown and @netgalley for the digital ARC of this one！ 。。。more
Caroline Barrett
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Already one of my books of the year for 2021 and it's only January。 Just wow！Set in Barbados on Baxters Beach where the life of rich holiday makers and expats intersects that of beach gigolos and petty criminals。 The story follows the life of Lala having left the home of her grandmother Wilma to settle for marriage in a tattered beach home with Aden。TW: abuse， sexual assault， incest， infant death， murder， rape。 Already one of my books of the year for 2021 and it's only January。 Just wow！Set in Barbados on Baxters Beach where the life of rich holiday makers and expats intersects that of beach gigolos and petty criminals。 The story follows the life of Lala having left the home of her grandmother Wilma to settle for marriage in a tattered beach home with Aden。TW: abuse， sexual assault， incest， infant death， murder， rape。 。。。more
Ellen Natalia
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Highly recommend this- especially the audiobook！
Hermione
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This isn't a super long book， but something tragic or dark happens each chapter， from dying babies， domestic violence and child abuse to rape， incest and murder。 Because of this， the characters are almost all deadened to each other's suffering because there is just so much of it。 This lack of empathy makes sense but also perhaps makes the characters a little distant sometimes to the reader。 I did feel like some of the side characters were a bit one dimensional。 The book also explores the way tha This isn't a super long book， but something tragic or dark happens each chapter， from dying babies， domestic violence and child abuse to rape， incest and murder。 Because of this， the characters are almost all deadened to each other's suffering because there is just so much of it。 This lack of empathy makes sense but also perhaps makes the characters a little distant sometimes to the reader。 I did feel like some of the side characters were a bit one dimensional。 The book also explores the way that people often victim blame， or even blame themselves for others behavior。 It wasn't fun to read those parts， of course， but they made sense and I think they help us make sense of the characters world。 I did really like how the pacing of the book kept things going， revealed things at the right moment and not lingering where it doesn't need to。 I think the author has a really good grip on what makes people tick， on human psychology， though the characters themselves felt a little like stock types。 （the abusive husband， the abused wife， the bad cop， 。。。）I think because this book was relentlessly negative， and all the characters are either victims or abusers， which is lacking nuance， I wouldn't give it more stars。 There is good stuff here though， and I really liked hearing about Barbados and the people who live there， what their lives are like， and not just as a romanticized holiday destination。 It's made me want to learn more。 I hope Cherie Jones keeps writing。 This book was sent to me by the publisher for review。 。。。more
Sarah
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5。5/10 very sad and heavy
Samantha
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Barbados
USOM
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（Disclaimer: I received this book from the Libro。fm。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） TW: rape， incest， domestic abuse， assault， sexual assaultHow the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is a story about the truths we deny and the stories we don't believe。 It's about the relationships， bonds， and families we find ourselves in。 The choices we have made， the ones that have happened to us， and the ones we cannot escape。 All of their lives are intertwined in this story o （Disclaimer: I received this book from the Libro。fm。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） TW: rape， incest， domestic abuse， assault， sexual assaultHow the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is a story about the truths we deny and the stories we don't believe。 It's about the relationships， bonds， and families we find ourselves in。 The choices we have made， the ones that have happened to us， and the ones we cannot escape。 All of their lives are intertwined in this story of circumstances， fate， and ambition。 The worlds and houses we are trapped in day in and day out。 The choices we are forced to make。 Sacrifices and compromises we make for what we think is enough。How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is a complex and intense story about the mistakes we have made and the silences we let sit。 I listened to this on audiobook and had to take a few breaks。 The heart wrenching emotional situations the characters endure had me needing a moment of solitude。 These scenarios and situations have tightened their insecurities and fears， that seeeminglyleaves us with no choice。 Because of the layers of abuse and trauma， How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is for those who who are searching for a character driven story of mystery and escape。 。。。more
Stephanie Jane
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See more of my book reviews on my blog， Literary FlitsI already had two strong contenders for my January Book of the Month， but then I read How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House and was absolutely blown away。 This Barbados-set novel is unflinching in its grim portrayal of intersecting lives in a Paradise that is beset more by horror than bliss。 The story begins with the recounting of a folktale of two sisters - one good and obedient， the other determined to go her own way。 Of course， the own See more of my book reviews on my blog， Literary FlitsI already had two strong contenders for my January Book of the Month， but then I read How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House and was absolutely blown away。 This Barbados-set novel is unflinching in its grim portrayal of intersecting lives in a Paradise that is beset more by horror than bliss。 The story begins with the recounting of a folktale of two sisters - one good and obedient， the other determined to go her own way。 Of course， the own-way sister is the one who must be maimed as her punishment for being so bold， but， as Cherie Jones magnificently then shows us， her Barbados women really had no chance， regardless of which path they chose。How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is a hard-hitting， shocking read。 I was gripped from start to finish， but did occasionally find myself recoiling from violence on the page - scenes made all the more horrifying by their matter-of-fact acceptance on the part of the characters concerned。 The dual faces of stunningly beautiful Baxter's Beach reminded me of reading A Small Place， Jamaica Kincaid's powerful polemic about Antigua， a similarly former-British island 500 kilometres from Barbados。 Rich white people pay to only see the beauty， even their beachfront houses only face out to sea rather than into town and they buy the most attractive local people by the night。 Behind the facades however lies a poverty-stricken society with seemingly no hope of escape from destructive patterns that repeat through each generation。 This is a grim read， but I couldn't look away and even finished the book feeling somewhat breathless。 As though I hadn't just read Jones' words， but lived this story alongside Lala， Adan， Wilma， Mira and Tone。 An incredible novel。 。。。more
Steph
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A hard story with some achingly compelling characters， this book feels like poetry。 The setting is vivid， and it portrays a sharp contrast between rich and poor， black and white， woman and man。 The title comes from a legend that Lala's grandmother tells her at the beginning， a cautionary tale that underlies the entire book。 The story also explores how violence effects different people's lives。We get several perspectives， and each new perspective adds a new layer to the story， giving complexity t A hard story with some achingly compelling characters， this book feels like poetry。 The setting is vivid， and it portrays a sharp contrast between rich and poor， black and white， woman and man。 The title comes from a legend that Lala's grandmother tells her at the beginning， a cautionary tale that underlies the entire book。 The story also explores how violence effects different people's lives。We get several perspectives， and each new perspective adds a new layer to the story， giving complexity to every character， even those that at first appear to be minor。 Connections between characters slowly unfold， as the timeline jumps around from present to past。 Lala is a strong lead; you feel for her and how she struggles to break out of the life she's trapped in。 She's experienced so much tragedy yet is still determined and strong and loving， and I loved seeing her growth throughout the story。This book was hard to read at times （a lot of tragic backstory）， but these characters will grip you and refuse to let go。 This is not a story to be forgotten。I listened to the audio， and the narration was perfection。 Thank you to Libro。fm， Hachette Audio， and the author for the ALC。CW: loss of a child， loss of a parent， rape， sexual abuse， domestic abuse， murder， child abuse。 。。。more
Kaeshi
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This debut novel by Cherie Jones takes you through a roller coaster of emotions。 We first hear the story of the "One-Armed Sister" from Grandma Wilma， and then dive into the real story of the women in Wilma's family in Barbados。 We especially go through the struggles Lala faced。 The characters go through so much such as sexual abuse， poverty， crime， prostitution， and murder。 I loved the writing style and especially appreciated that the writing style for each character's point of view was differe This debut novel by Cherie Jones takes you through a roller coaster of emotions。 We first hear the story of the "One-Armed Sister" from Grandma Wilma， and then dive into the real story of the women in Wilma's family in Barbados。 We especially go through the struggles Lala faced。 The characters go through so much such as sexual abuse， poverty， crime， prostitution， and murder。 I loved the writing style and especially appreciated that the writing style for each character's point of view was different。 At points I felt like someone was telling me a story。 Overall， an amazing debut novel that I would highly recommend！ 。。。more
JennShesBooked
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Unfortunately this was too poetic for me and I struggled to follow along。 I can see the beauty in the words and can see how someone would love it。 It just isn’t my reading style。
Tilly Fitzgerald
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