The Attic Child, Lola Jaye
The Attic Child, Lola Jaye
List: $32.99 | Sale: $23.10
Club: $16.49

The Attic Child
A Novel

Author: Lola Jaye

Narrator: Lola Jaye, Lucian Msamati, Nneka Okoye

Unabridged: 14 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: William Morrow

Published: 09/06/2022


Synopsis

A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.

Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .1974: Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege whose fortunes have now changed, finds herself trapped in the same attic. Searching for a ray of light in the darkness of the attic, Lowra finds under the floorboards an old-fashioned pen, a porcelain doll, a beaded necklace, and a message carved on the wall, written in an unidentifiable language. Providing comfort for her when all hope is lost, these clues will lead her to uncover the secrets of the attic. 

About Lola Jaye

Lola Jaye was born and raised in London, England, where she still makes her home; she has also lived briefly in Nigeria. By the Time You Read This—Lola's first U.S. novel—was published by HarperCollins in 2009. Her inspirational essay ""Reaching for the Stars: How You Can Make Your Dreams Come True,"" in which she charted her journey from foster child to author, was released in 2009 as part of the U.K.'s wildly popular Quick Reads program.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rosh ~catching up slowly~ on March 18, 2024

In a Nutshell:A dual timeline historical fiction covering the shared trauma of two children in an attic, separated by almost a century. Compelling plot, excellent writing, powerful themes and research. Definitely recommended. (Just in case you thought this is a slave narrative, it is not so. Rather......more

Goodreads review by Vivian on July 03, 2024

5/5 ⭐️ x ♾️ Wow. This was such a powerful and moving story about a young boy named Dikembe, who was sent away from his native land, and thrust into a completely different way of life in the early 1900s England. This book immediately drew me in from the very first page. We get the POV of young Dikemb......more

Goodreads review by Emily on November 19, 2022

A bold, powerful saga of injustice, identity, and triumph. Based on very real atrocities, but also rooted in strength and perseverance, we quickly grow to love our narrators as they navigate a shared experience nearly a century apart. We see how family and love arrive when we least expect it, and th......more

Goodreads review by Rashawnda on October 23, 2024

Often times I sit and wonder what my ancestors, those specifically attached to my bloodline, went through and fought for to get me to where I am today. It really bothers me that we are so disconnected from our lineage; so when I get to experience stories like Dekimbe’s it brings me so much joy despi......more

Goodreads review by Emily Ann Page on September 15, 2022

This is another book I have strangely mixed feelings about. Stories like this need to be told, but I so disliked the way this was told. I normally dislike historical fiction with an alternating future perspective uncovering what we're already being told by the historical perspective. Based on the pre......more