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No Man in the House
"A moving story, rich in detail, told with great sensitivity and affection."
NEW YORK NEWSDAY
It is 1964. Howard lives a hand-to-mouth existence in the small island protectorate of Barbados with his brothers, two aunts, and his grandmother. He is waiting for his parents, who left for England long ago, to send for him. And as the sparks of independence crackle all around them, Howard's life changes forever when Mr. Bradshaw, a black headmaster, is hired for his school. Howard begins to blossom under Bradshaw's guidance, and learns that neither freedom nor knowledge comes without sacrifice, and that even battles won leave victims. In this beautiful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful novel, the fate of one Bajan family rests in the hands of change--change that only liberation and learning can bring.
NEW YORK NEWSDAY
It is 1964. Howard lives a hand-to-mouth existence in the small island protectorate of Barbados with his brothers, two aunts, and his grandmother. He is waiting for his parents, who left for England long ago, to send for him. And as the sparks of independence crackle all around them, Howard's life changes forever when Mr. Bradshaw, a black headmaster, is hired for his school. Howard begins to blossom under Bradshaw's guidance, and learns that neither freedom nor knowledge comes without sacrifice, and that even battles won leave victims. In this beautiful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful novel, the fate of one Bajan family rests in the hands of change--change that only liberation and learning can bring.
- GenresFiction20th Century
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 24, 2022
Number 100 in my Reading the World Journey. I have 'visited' 100 countries by reading books/stories taking place in those countries.
This book takes place in Barbados in 1963. Its main character is Howard Prescod, youngest of three brothers being brought up by their grandmother. The boys' parents have emigrated to England with no forwarding address. While Barbados is considering independence from Great Britian, this family is fighting poverty at its ugliest. Howard is a brilliant student, but has no shoes to wear to school and considers a soda a luxury. In fact, his brilliance is a burden; he is going to school rather than working. His granadmother sells vegetables and eggs to make ends meet.
I waited to savor this book as my 100th 'trip' because my street address is Barbados Ave!! I certainly will not forgot which book was 100.
5 stars
This book takes place in Barbados in 1963. Its main character is Howard Prescod, youngest of three brothers being brought up by their grandmother. The boys' parents have emigrated to England with no forwarding address. While Barbados is considering independence from Great Britian, this family is fighting poverty at its ugliest. Howard is a brilliant student, but has no shoes to wear to school and considers a soda a luxury. In fact, his brilliance is a burden; he is going to school rather than working. His granadmother sells vegetables and eggs to make ends meet.
I waited to savor this book as my 100th 'trip' because my street address is Barbados Ave!! I certainly will not forgot which book was 100.
5 stars
December 6, 2018
This is the book you want everyone to read to understand your island better. Initially you are scared that it will disappoint, but as you read it, it just gets better. And I want more people to read this unknown gem.
Written by a Barbadian journalist who currently lives in Canada, this is the story of a young poor boy, Howard Prescod. His biggest role model is the men who fix the tar roads. He is being raised by his beloved grandmother with support from his parents who live in England. But life is about to change drastically. Not just for Howard but the entire island. It is a great work which demystify the Independence movement taught in school. The writing and dialogue are excellent. This is how Bajans speak and think. For me, this has all the highs and lows about life here beyond the paradise that is perpetuated. You will become attached to Howard and family. Their joys and heartbreaks. And when the title is finally explained, it will be a piece de resistance. And that ending was superb.
Written by a Barbadian journalist who currently lives in Canada, this is the story of a young poor boy, Howard Prescod. His biggest role model is the men who fix the tar roads. He is being raised by his beloved grandmother with support from his parents who live in England. But life is about to change drastically. Not just for Howard but the entire island. It is a great work which demystify the Independence movement taught in school. The writing and dialogue are excellent. This is how Bajans speak and think. For me, this has all the highs and lows about life here beyond the paradise that is perpetuated. You will become attached to Howard and family. Their joys and heartbreaks. And when the title is finally explained, it will be a piece de resistance. And that ending was superb.
June 25, 2021
Read for the Invisible Cities project and this is one of the best books I've read this year. You are taken right into the lives of the main protagonist Howard and his family right from the start, and the parallel stories of changes in Howard's life and of the nation as it approaches independence are very well done. Heartbreaking in places and hopeful in others, the ending of this and the explanation of the title was brilliant.
August 5, 2013
I love books by Caribbean authors set in the Caribbean. They capture the rhythm and soul of the islands.
I visited Barbados nine months ago and when I returned I wanted to prolong the experience. I searched for books set in Barbados and found No Man in the House. It took me a while to pick it up but I'm glad I finally did. Foster's prose made me feel as if I had returned to the beautiful island of Barbados, only I was experiencing it from the local perspective. Foster accurately captures the plight of the children left behind by migrant parents to eke out a living with granny; a story common to all parts of the Caribbean even now.
I visited Barbados nine months ago and when I returned I wanted to prolong the experience. I searched for books set in Barbados and found No Man in the House. It took me a while to pick it up but I'm glad I finally did. Foster's prose made me feel as if I had returned to the beautiful island of Barbados, only I was experiencing it from the local perspective. Foster accurately captures the plight of the children left behind by migrant parents to eke out a living with granny; a story common to all parts of the Caribbean even now.
August 6, 2018
The book moved my soul... I loved it!
March 9, 2022
Amazing book!
May 6, 2022
A beautiful, fully engrossing read.
December 29, 2016
Barbados sounds like a tropical paradise, but it is a place of hunger, bullying, anxiety, worry, cooking outside in the back yard, pounding laundry on rocks, balancing buckets of water from a community standpipe to the backyard bucket, chicken and turkeys in the backyard, rain coming in the roof of the shack, for Howard, a young boy whose parents have moved off to England and left him and his two brothers in the care of his grandmother. The parents at first send money and gifts, but the money stops coming and the situation gets more and more dire. As the country is on the brink of revolution, Howard himself embarks on a new path as a new headmaster at his school begins pushing his students to prepare for school entrance exams. From expecting to leave Barbados to join his parents in England, to expecting to leave school to become a worker to help support his family, Howard becomes a reader and his future opens up. This book is grim, but there is a ray of hope at the end, both for Howard and for his island nation
June 9, 2012
Loved this story. As a tourist, we get to see the shiny side of the island but Foster shows us that life is much different for a native Bajan. This is a beautiful story of hope and promise set during the independence of Barbados.
March 13, 2014
Great book!! I can definitely relate to this story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews