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The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks Summary and Reviews

The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks

by Gillian Royes

The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks by Gillian Royes X
The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks by Gillian Royes
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  • Published Dec 2012
    464 pages
    Genre: Literary Fiction

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Book Summary

Hopes for the impoverished village of Largo Bay come alive with the arrival of Joseph, estranged son of bar owner Eric. Janna, who has returned to the island, falls for Joseph's good looks and charm, but she isn't the only one with an eye for this mysterious man.

As questions about Joseph's sexuality arise, Shad struggles with protecting the survival of his beloved birthplace amidst the deeply ingrained culture of intolerance that surrounds him. Questions arise about what it means to be a man and a father, and Shad feels pressure to defend what he knows is right.

As in the acclaimed The Goat Woman of Largo Bay, the first book in this series, Gillian Royes paints an indelible picture of a beautiful land where religion is strong but life is cheap, and explores what happens when a village must confront its own darkness or lose a bright future.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"[A] strong sequel...Shad's idea of a hero ("he don't pull people down - he lifts them up") is demonstrated in many ways, small and large, in this sensitive, thought-provoking novel." - Publishers Weekly

"Royes's novel, full of interesting details about Shad's village, will appeal to readers who enjoy tales set in exotic locations as well as to those who prefer a leavening of social issues in their whodunits." - Library Journal

"Royes is brilliant in bringing Jamaican sun and sea, people and places to life. She's equally adept with characters...A cozy mystery as social commentary." - Kirkus

This information about The Man Who Turned Both Cheeks was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Gillian Royes

Gillian Royes was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She attended Colorado College and later went on to the University of Wisconsin and Emory University, where she earned a doctorate in American Studies. Royes is the author of The Goat Woman of Largo Bay, Business Is Good, and Sexcess: The New Gender Rules at Work. She lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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