I wanted to like this book, and in many ways it did have appeal. I'm probably too old and set in my ways, but I did find the switching between times and locations a bit problematic. I also am not a great fan of accents in written words. Sure, I can see the value in imparting a reality of culture, but it's hard work for me as one not used to the West Indian accent - I had to speak the words aloud. But both of these are issues I could have ignored if the story itself was engaging enough. All the right elements were there, and a summary of the story makes interesting reading, but I think there was insufficient depth of character to draw me in. ( )