Book Review of
Island Queen
Born into slavery on the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, Doll bought her freedom—and that of her sister and her mother—from her Irish planter father and built a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, merchant, hotelier, and planter that extended from the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a glittering luxury hotel in Demerara on the South American continent.
Vanessa Riley’s novel brings Doll to vivid life as she rises above the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism by working the system and leveraging the competing attentions of the men in her life: a restless shipping merchant, Joseph Thomas; a wealthy planter hiding a secret, John Coseveldt Cells; and a roguish naval captain who will later become King William IV of England.
From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London’s elite, Island Queen is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor who answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. It is an unforgettable portrait of a true larger-than-life woman who made her mark on history.
Lynn's Review
I have so many mixed thoughts about Island Queen by Vanessa Riley. This book reminded me of The Kitchen House and Fire In Beulah. If you liked either of those books I think you will enjoy Island Queen.
The writing, story, and descriptions in Island Queen by Vanessa Riley are amazing. This historical fiction book is based on the real life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, who was born a slave on a Caribbean Island. This book took me to a time and place I knew very little about. I loved that about this book.
What I didn’t like was that it was very PG-13. It was also very soap opera like. I thought it read very much like watching a soap opera. I don’t mind dysfunctional family stories, but I think this book went beyond that. As you read it, you see and feel the next tragedy happening. I also felt like it glorified bad behavior and bad decisions.
Dorothy Thomas overcame the odds. She escaped slavery and became a very wealthy woman. But the decisions she made along the way were not always the best. Overall, this one is one that I struggle to recommend. Hopefully, my honest review helps you decide if it is for you.