Small Island

The local library recently gave away a new book to all its clientele. I was slightly confused at first, but being the good Dutch girl that I am, I asked no questions. A free book is a free book. The book is called Small Island and is written by Andrea Levy. I had no idea what to expect as it was free. In my experience its not usually the excellent books that are free, but the mediocre ones that no one really likes.
The book is set (again) during the World War II era. It has about four main characters, two being from Jamaica. I really enjoyed the way the author set up the time line of the book. Each chapter would concentrate on one particular character's story. You would hear their views, ideas and take on events. I really thought it was a brilliant way to really get to "know" the people in the book. Also, it was not a straight time line. The book started off with a prologue, then moved to 1948, then before, then back to 1948, etc. It was quite nice to read a story in this fashion.
The story is set for a bit in Jamaica, but mainly in post war London. Its about the obstacles that the Jamaican couple encounter coming to London. The husband had been in the Royal Air Forces during the war and was fairly accepted during that time, except by the Americans. Then he decided to move to London after he returned from the war. He and his wife left Jamaica behind to return to the "Mother Country" only to be rejected because of the color of their skin. Only one women allows them to rent any rooms, and that is because her husband has never returned from the war. It was an amazingly quick read and the story had all sorts of great twists. Even if it was a free book, I highly recommend it.