An Island

Karen Jennings

2022 • 225 pages

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NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A “beautifully and sparingly constructed” (The New York Times) novel about a lighthouse keeper with a mysterious past, and the stranger who washes up on his shores—An Island is the American debut of a major voice in world literature. “An Island by Karen Jennings is quite simply a revelation—a ferocious, swift chess game of a novel.”—Paul Yoon, author of Run Me to Earth Samuel has lived alone on an island off the coast of an unnamed African country for more than two decades. He tends to his garden, his lighthouse, and his chickens, content with a solitary life. Routinely, the nameless bodies of refugees wash ashore, but Samuel—who understands that the government only values certain lives, certain deaths—always buries them himself. One day, though, he finds that one of these bodies is still breathing. As he nurses the stranger back to life, Samuel—feeling strangely threatened—is soon swept up in memories of his former life as a political prisoner on the mainland. This was a life that saw his country exploited under colonial rule, followed by a period of revolution and a brief, hard-won independence—only for the cycle of suffering to continue under a cruel dictator. And he can’t help but recall his own shameful role in that history. In this stranger’s presence, he begins to consider, as he did in his youth: What does it mean to own land, or to belong to it? And what does it cost to have, and lose, a home? A timeless and gripping portrait of regret, terror, and the extraordinary stakes of companionship, An Island is a story as page-turning as it is profound.

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Charlie

This book was a thoughtful, solemn meditation on connection and solitude and society as a whole. The prose was absolutely beautiful without being flowery, matching the stark setting of the lighthouse and its island. Another thing to recommend it is its length; although very short, it was fully developed and I didn't think it was lacking for anything. I would readily recommend An Island to anyone, but especially to those who liked Camus's The Stranger.

 Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

May 16, 2022

Gemma

Samuel, a man who has lived a long and challenging life, takes on a job as a lighthouse keeper on a secluded island. Having been in prison for 25 years due to fighting for independence for his country Samuel is content living the rural and simple life, caring for his chickens and battling with nature to upkeep his small cottage and grounds surrounding his home. However, his solitude comes to an abrupt end when a man washes up on the sand. Samuel carries/drags this rather tall man back to his cottage in the hopes that he will pass away peacefully and can then be buried with the other humans who have been washed up on the island over the past years. Unfortunately for Samuel this man does make a full recovery and Samuel finds himself not only nursing him back to health but also sharing his cottage and supplies with him. Although, a language barrier stands between the two men, they communicate through gestures and actions.

The story is set over four days and weaves seamlessly between the past and present day. As the pages turn you hear about Samuel's early life; his struggles, his incarceration, the violence he has faced and his now complete isolation from humanity. The only contact Samuel has with the mainland is through his provisions being sent. After everything that Samuel has been through you can totally understand why he would chose to live the simple life away from others and why he reacts the way he does when he suddenly finds himself in the company of the young man.

Jennings writes a heart wrenching story about the effects of colonialism, dictatorship and political change. The setting of the island was atmospheric and the perfect backdrop for Samuel's solitude life. I loved how the island had a life of its own and couldn't be tamed no matter how hard Samuel worked at it. I guess a bit like Samuel himself. Although a short novel, An Island is an intense, powerful read where you can feel the tension build as you turn each page. And let me just mention that front cover - just fabulous!!!

November 14, 2020