THE RED DOOR by Rita Leone

THE RED DOOR features Jessica Cummings ,(‘Jessie’), born in Grenada, enticed by a married monied lawyer in another island to move to yet another island. There, he maintains her for his sexual pleasures. When a certain opportunity beckons him, he ditches her. Her response lands her in life imprisonment behind a metallic red door.

There, Jessie flashbacks on her past challenges of societal prejudices, social injustice, sexual humiliation, culture, history, political clashes, attitudes to things English even their horses.

That is done with most impactful drama. The red door closed behind Jessie early; the story gallops engagingly; suspense grips, with the reason for her being locked up being disclosed later.

There are various emotions. Deep tragedy engulfs; with Jessie locked up for life; and with painful deaths among her friends. There is human warmth, as at that send-off Jessie gives a school friend going away to study. The family picnic which Jessie’s employer has at the family farm is idyllic.

All these are knitted together in this moving fiction with edifying language both in formal English and creole English; also, with uplifting literature.

Font, layout and other presentational aspects make the book very reader friendly.     

Such sterling attributes rather highly value The Red Door.

THE AUTHOR

RITA JOSEPH-OLIVETTI, from Grenada, writing this her first novel under the pen name RITA LEONE, is a retired judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. She served as a resident judge in Antigua & Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands. She also did tours of duty in other OECS countries. She was, too, briefly, a judge in Belize. Previously, she practised law in Grenada.