The White Woman on the Green Bicycle - Softcover

Roffey, Monique

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143119516 ISBN 13: 9780143119517

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2011

Synopsis

A beautifully written, unforgettable novel of a troubled marriage, set against the lush landscape and political turmoil of Trinidad

Monique Roffey's Orange Prize-shortlisted novel is a gripping portrait of postcolonialism that stands among great works by Caribbean writers like Jamaica Kincaid and Andrea Levy.

When George and Sabine Harwood arrive in Trinidad from England, George is immediately seduced by the beguiling island, while Sabine feels isolated, heat-fatigued, and ill-at-ease. As they adapt to new circumstances, their marriage endures for better or worse, despite growing political unrest and racial tensions that affect their daily lives. But when George finds a cache of letters that Sabine has hidden from him, the discovery sets off a devastating series of consequences as other secrets begin to emerge.

About this title

Review

"A rich and highly engaging novel."
-"The Guardian"
"Roffey's evocation of Trinidad is extraordinarily vivid, the central relationship beautifully observed... deservedly short-listed for the Orange Prize."
-Kate Saunders, "The Times" (London)
"Heart-rending and thought-provoking, you will never again see the Caribbean as just another holiday destination."
-"Elle" Magazine
"Equal love and attention go into the marriage and the country at the heart of this Orange Prize short-listed novel... It's a book packed with meaty themes, from racism to corruption to passion and loyalty."
-Seven, "The Sunday Telegraph"
"Roffey's Orange Prize nominated book is a brilliant, brutal study of a marriage overcast by too much mutual compromise."
-"The Independent"
"A searing account of the bitter disappointment suffered by Trinidadians on securing their independence from British colonial rule and of the mixed feelings felt by a white co

"Few novels capture the postcolonial culture with such searing honesty as this Caribbean story told through the alternating viewpoints of a white British couple over the last 50 years. . . . The pitch-perfect voices capture the colonials' racism and sense of entitlement."
-"Booklist"
"A rich and highly engaging novel."
-"The Guardian"
"Roffey's evocation of Trinidad is extraordinarily vivid, the central relationship beautifully observed... deservedly short-listed for the Orange Prize."
-Kate Saunders, "The Times" (London)
"Heart-rending and thought-provoking, you will never again see the Caribbean as just another holiday destination."
-"Elle" Magazine
"Equal love and attention go into the marriage and the country at the heart of this Orange Prize short-listed novel... It's a book packed with meaty themes, from racism to corruption to passion and loyalty."
-Seven, "The Sunday Telegraph"
"Roffey's Orange Prize nominate

"Engaging. . . . A firebomb of a book, revealing a slowly disintegrating marriage, a country betrayed and a searing racism that erupts in terrible violence. . . . This is a stunning book, and its depiction of an aspect of Caribbean life is well worth contemplating."
-"The Cleveland Plain Dealer"
"Roffey's explorations of longtime marriages, race, and the lingering effects of colonialism are insightful and often painful to read. . . . The true main character in this novel is Trinidad itself: its people, its customs, and its contradictions."
-Nancy Pearl, "National Public Radio"
"Few novels capture the postcolonial culture with such searing honesty as this Caribbean story told through the alternating viewpoints of a white British couple over the last 50 years. . . . The pitch-perfect voices capture the colonials' racism and sense of entitlement."
-"Booklist"
"A rich and highly engaging novel."
-"The Guardian"
"Roffey's evocation ofo

About the Author

Monique Roffey was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and educated in the UK. Since then she has worked as a center director for the Arvon foundation and has held the post of Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Sussex, Chichester, and Greenwich universities. She is the author of the highly acclaimed novels sun dog and Archipelago, which is a finalist for the 2013 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. She has also written a memoir, With the Kisses of His Mouth. Read more about her writing at www.moniqueroffey.co.uk.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0143119516
• ISBN 13: 9780143119517
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448