Marguerite and Family

Linette Bruno
Outskirts Press (2009)
ISBN 9781432749460
Reviewed by Marcy Blesy for Reader Views (12/09)


“Marguerite and Family” by Linette Bruno is a simple story that is best summed up by the title.  Marguerite and her husband George live on the beautiful island of Montserrat when a volcano erupts in June 1997 killing nineteen people.  Marguerite’s daughter Clementine conveys the experience of fleeing the erupting volcano.  The story goes on to tell of life after the volcano.  Normal family dynamics exist, exemplified by George’s dislike of Clementine’s future groom.

Throughout the story are conversations between Clementine and her husband about the history of Montserrat and Martinique which they visit on their honeymoon after having not returned since the volcano erupted. 

I found the historical references interesting as I know little about these islands.  My husband visited Montserrat as a child and found the island very beautiful.  I would have given this story a higher rating should it have simply been Ms. Bruno’s memoir.  Perhaps she was aiming to pass history down to her family, I thought, as I read.  But when I noted that the story was fiction, I was actually disappointed.  There is really no plot to this story.  Even the “action” and emotion that could have been demonstrated by the fleeing from the volcano and rebuilding of lives was very muted and calm.  The story read more like a narrative of experiences rather than a fictional rendering of what was a very scary, tumultuous time for the people of Montserrat.  More action, more emotion and more plot, would have served the idea behind this story better.  At only 47 pages, Ms. Bruno has the beginning of what could be a greater story. 

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