Angel

Rating:
Summary: Remember the U.S. Invasion of Grenada?
Review: If it wasn't for the fact that the U.S. invasion of Grenada has been horribly neglected in fiction, this review of ANGEL might not appear here at all. But it is important that the invasion be remembered - especially by a Grenadian. But that is not totally what ANGEL is about. It is the story of a family in Grenada, but is is also the story of the community surrounding the family and the country surrounding the community. It is about life, love, and the pursuit of politics. The book spans at least a quarter of a century, but would be more effective if an entire century had been used, or perhaps even the opposite extreme: a one-month period. Twenty-five years in under three-hundred pages is difficult at best, and there is a sense that Collins has failed with what she really wanted to do. Description in general seems to be the downfall of Collins' writing. The main problem with the book is the extent to which conversation is used to control and direct the plot, almost to the point where the reader is crying out for a paragraph or two of descriptive writing. Dialogue is in Grenadian dialect which seems inconsistent in the way it is rendered and dense to the point where even those familiar with Grenada may find themselves turning to the glossary. A very difficult read, but perhaps worth the attempt for those interested in hearing a bit of the Grenadian side of the U.S. invasion.