The bondage of generational hurt crumbles in this memoir of a mostly idyllic childhood spent on the island paradise of Mauritius. Martinson frolicked with five siblings, a strong and principled mother, and a father whose faults were invisible to a child. Despite a rustic life with no indoor plumbing, Martinson felt safe and enjoyed playing in the sugar cane fields, mountains, and ocean and eating delicious food influenced by French, Indian, African, Chinese, and European cultures. Then cyclones hit, the sugar cane market (and their family plantation) crashed, and young Martinson finally perceived her father’s infidelity and drinking problem.

Despite the pain her father inflicted, Martinson draws on her mother’s lessons of strength, faith, feminism, and humor to paint an empathetic picture of her father, “the official black sheep of his family” whose “eyes looked like cannonballs that were ready to be fired.” Unity was her mother’s watchword, and Martinson uses this harmonic quality to stitch together the holes and tears in her family’s tapestry through eight generations, from 1720 to the present day.

The author’s rich, well-researched journey covers the “ruling color of skin” (she is “mocha latté”), plantation life (and slavery), and poverty (though she felt rich no matter their finances). Her family relocated to Australia. She married an American, moved to San Diego and Boise, became a Christian, and finally understood “divine love.” Heartfelt language describes how her faith and reality converge, and she is able to transcend her family’s blood feud and revenge and break free from generational hurt. Her mother remained her guiding star until her death. This inspirational memoir about overcoming generational hurt illustrates how to avoid becoming a prisoner of the past. Descriptions of island life through the years show a different way of life. Quit fighting and forgive remain the overriding messages.

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