Karen Barrow

June 27th, 2024

An unexpected visitor to a cocoa estate in Trinidad triggers buried memories of mysterious deaths within a prosperous French Creole family in Karen Barrow’s Palmyra (FriesenPress $26.04). The now-ruined “Great House” was where Joe, the housekeeper’s precocious eleven-year-old son, witnessed enigmatic events. Decades later, a young stranger’s arrival reawakens these memories, setting off tragic events. Rich in historical and geographical detail, this novel chronicles the rise of an educated elite that challenges the ruling white plantocracy, blending coming-of-age and Gothic mystery to reveal divided loyalties, family secrets and ambition. 9781039195806

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