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A Man Come Home
A Man Come Home | Roy A. K. Heath
4 posts | 1 read
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Bookwomble
A Man Come Home | Roy A. K. Heath
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#ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Guyana 🇬🇾
This was a fabulous second-hand find, which I certainly wouldn't have picked up if not for this challenge, so, thank you, @BarbaraBB and @Librarybelle 🙏
The story follows the Foster family and their friends and neighbours, living in a poor part of Georgetown, Guyana. Some dream of a quiet life, others of making their way in the world, and love is often betrayed and manipulated to these ends.
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Bookwomble The folkloric element is important to the plot, but not overdone to the point of making this an urban fantasy; nevertheless, it provides some chilling moments, and an atmosphere of doom-laden threat.
Set just after Guyana gained independence from Britain, so late '60s to early '70s, and published in '74, it felt vibrant and real, with well-drawn characters and wonderfully natural dialogue. ⬇️
12mo
Bookwomble Heath deserves to be much better remembered, and I'll be on the lookout for more of his books. 12mo
Librarybelle So glad you enjoyed this one! Great review! 12mo
34 likes3 comments
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Bookwomble
A Man Come Home | Roy A. K. Heath
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"Goat shit small, but goat shit plenty." ????

Well, I guess the little annoyances of life can add up to a big pile of shit, can't they? ?

dabbe They sure can! 🤣💙🤗 12mo
30 likes1 comment
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Bookwomble
A Man Come Home | Roy A. K. Heath
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"Melda was a virgin - no doubt about that! It was not natural at her age. Christine reflected that she herself had eaten bread at fourteen."
Well, the meaning is clear, but "eating bread" isn't a euphemism for sex I'd heard before. However, turns out it's a Jewish idiom which seems to have gained more widespread usage (if you'll pardon the phrase): https://forward.com/food/400311/in-ancient-jewish-texts-bread-was-a-euphemism-fo...

Bookwomble And then I remembered that the common (if you grew up, as I did, in the Carry On films era) English phrase "having a bit of crumpet" has basically the same meaning: https://wordhistories.net/2019/05/17/crumpet-sexual-meanings/
And this is why it takes me forever to finish a book!
12mo
The_Book_Ninja Superbly curated photo🙌🏼😂 12mo
Bookwomble @The_Book_Ninja Thank you 😊 It's nice to have one's work recognised and appreciated 😌 12mo
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TieDyeDude Down and down the rabbit hole 😅 Interesting idiom 12mo
CarolynM “A bit of crumpet” is an expression I haven‘t heard in a long time! How I used to love Carry On films 🥴🙈 I‘m sure Nigella has a recipe for crumpets… 12mo
Bookwomble @TieDyeDude I like books that provide an opportunity for that 🐰 I also looked into Guyanese folklore and learned some interesting stuff about that, too 😊 12mo
Bookwomble @CarolynM Well, it's not an expression I'd use myself, but it does have a humorous Sid James ring to it. Bwa-ha-ha-ha 😂 12mo
25 likes7 comments
blurb
Bookwomble
A Man Come Home | Roy A. K. Heath
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#ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Guyana 🇬🇾
Ooh, this one's off to a good start! 10 pages and I'm already feeling engaged - there's hope for me yet! 😁
Bird Foster has done a total of four months' work in his life. When he hears that his brother in Canada is rich enough to buy a house, the envy and shame he feels motivates him to earn some easy money. I don't think it's going to turn out well for him 🫤
@Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Bookwomble The title comes from the Tang Dynasty poet, Li Bai: "The living is a passing traveller / The dead, a man come home." Sounds ominous. 12mo
Librarybelle Hope you enjoy! 12mo
31 likes2 comments