BOOKS OF THE WEEK
Fast By The Horns by Moses McKenzie
Hardback by Wildfire, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Review by Ian Parker.
Following on from his outstanding debut novel An Olive Grove In Ends, Moses McKenzie’s second book sees him remain on home turf in the West Indian communities of Bristol. Here he turns the clock back to 1980, when the lives of those in St Paul’s are made harder by the racism of the police and the neglect of the city council. In an environment where the locals have competing visions of how to fight the forces raging against them, 14-yearold Jabari comes of age trying to make sense of his Rastafari faith and the lessons of his father, community leader Ras Levi. McKenzie’s beautiful prose, thick with dialect, elevates this parable, another example of his remarkable ability.
Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid
Hardback by Polygon, priced £12 (ebook £6.99). Review by Eleanor Barlow.
Queen Macbeth sees a reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s best known characters, previously immortalised as the ultimate pushy wife. The novel is a different direction for author Val McDermid, best known for her gritty thrillers, and the latest in the Darkland Tales series, which sees Scotland’s history and myths retold by modern authors. McDermid allows Lady Macbeth to reclaim her real name – Gruoch – and casts her in an altogether more sympathetic light. The short book may not have the intrigue of McDermid’s usual murder mysteries, but is a page-turner nonetheless, leaving the reader with a different perspective on The Scottish Play.
Earth by John Boyne Hardback by Doubleday, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.99). Review by Prudence Wade.
Earth is the second in the elements-themed quartet by Irish author John Boyne, following 2023’s Water. It sits in the same universe but tells a new story: that of Evan, a young boy from an isolated island off Ireland who dreamt of being a painter. He wasn’t good enough, so after a brief spell as a sex worker, he succumbed to his true talent and became a footballer. The main thrust of the story is Evan on trial for filming his footballer friend Robbie rape a young woman. So much of the story is sympathetic to Evan – building up his emotional back story, which feels almost like excusing his actions.It’s hard to see the point in this kind of story, which so sidelines the woman and victim’s perspective.
An African History Of Africa by Zeinab Badawi Hhardback by WH Allen, priced £20 (ebook £13.99). Review by Bridie Pritchard.
The immensity of the scope journalist Zeinab Badawi covers in writing a history of the vast continent of Africa from the origin of the humankind to the modern era is truly ambitious. But Badawi rises to the task, providing an African lens on sometimes familiar history, sometimes a revelation to the average person, for example talking about a ruler who was probably the richest person to ever have lived – Mansa Musa. The nature of the task sometimes makes it feel like a list of rulers and battles, but she also considers the deeper influences and how these changing situations have left their mark.