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Like so many West Indians in the 1950s and 1960s, Sinclair leaves her beloved St. Vincent for England when she is a young girl. In this fascinating autobiography, she recounts the highs and lows of her life as an immigrant and eventually as a successful recording artist and entertainer. With personal insights into the experiences of prejudice and discrimination, she reflects on the startling contrasts between England and the Caribbean and the feeling of separation that overwhelms her early life.
The author transitions smoothly from her youth to her life as a young mother and wife in a harrowing marriage to a man suffering from mental illness. Reeling after the marriage, Sinclair performs with a band and signs a recording contract that ultimately delivers a hit record in the 1980s. She becomes a singing sensation, and she embarks on an international tour.
Sinclair offers a rich legacy of Caribbean immigration, the music business and performing, and returning home. Hers is a life full of unexpected circumstances which she adapts to with grace and determination. She details each stage of her life and culls the past for lessons and revelations that are captivating and full of wisdom. Her fearless desire to contemplate a life lived fully renders a deeply felt autobiography that shines with honesty. The author captures a time and place with her lyrical descriptions of the Caribbean and then later with her dynamic experiences performing her music for television audiences and live for adoring fans. Through all the stages of her life, Sinclair remains full of gratitude despite the challenges. She maintains this uplifting, optimistic tone throughout her multilayered story that takes her from the Caribbean to England to international musical stardom.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review