July, our mischievous and endearing narrator, takes us on a journey through the final years of slavery in Jamaica with a candour that makes this sad and disturbing story also touching, funny and heart-warming. There were moments when I was surprised, saddened, and angry –not just by the arrogance and cruelty of the white owners but also by the desperation and pride of the slaves to prove their white parentage, the result of violence and rape.