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The Long Song

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize

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The Long Song

By: Andrea Levy
Narrated by: Adrian Lester, Andrea Levy
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About this listen

 Soon to be a major BBC drama starring Tamara Lawrance, Hayley Atwell and Lenny Henry, and shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, The Long Song is a hauntingly beautiful, heartbreaking and unputdownable novel, for those who loved Homegoing, The Underground Railroad, or the film 12 Years a Slave.

'A marvel of luminous storytelling' Financial Times

You do not know me yet. My son Thomas, who is publishing this book, tells me, it is customary at this place in a novel to give the reader a little taste of the story that is held within these pages. As your storyteller, I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent years of slavery and the early years of freedom that followed.

July is a slave girl who lives upon a sugar plantation named Amity and it is her life that is the subject of this tale. She was there when the Baptist War raged in 1831, and she was present when slavery was declared no more. My son says I must convey how the story tells also of July's mama Kitty, of the negroes that worked the plantation land, of Caroline Mortimer the white woman who owned the plantation and many more persons besides - far too many for me to list here. But what befalls them all is carefully chronicled upon these pages for you to peruse.

Perhaps, my son suggests, I might write that it is a thrilling journey through that time in the company of people who lived it. All this he wishes me to pen so the reader can decide if this is a novel they might care to consider. Cha, I tell my son, what fuss-fuss. Come, let them just read it for themselves.

(P)2011 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2010 Andrea Levy Caribbean Creators Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking Thought-Provoking
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I really enjoyed this book. I loved the visceral descriptions and the comedy. would definitely recommend

Great story-telling!

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I loved this book from start to finish, I felt like I knew the characters personally and I thought about July and her life even when I wasn't listening. The story flowed beautifully and the narration was perfect, I will definitely listen to more stories both written and narrated by Andrea Levy.

Wonderful, thought provoking book.

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Initially I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this narration but I grew to like hearing the accent and language and became so engrossed by Miss Julys story. Heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, there is so much to admire in this little slave woman that I was routing for her throughout.

Great book

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Loved the narration. Andrea wrote and narrated this excellent story. Brilliant accents. Loved the fact my childhood home was near Andreas, so loved the London place names referenced.

Thoroughly enjoyable book

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Great story of what could easily have happened on a post slavery plantation.....more please Mrs Levy

Great story once again

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