Présentation de l'éditeur When George and Sabine Harwood arrive in Trinidad from England George instantly takes to their new life, but Sabine feels isolated, heat-fatigued, and ill at ease with the racial segregation and the imminent dawning of a new era. Her only solace is her growing fixation with Eric Williams, the charismatic leader of Trinidad's new national party, to whom she pours out all her hopes and fears for the future in letters that she never brings herself to send. As the years progress, George and Sabine's marriage endures for better or worse. When George discovers Sabine's cache of letters, he realises just how many secrets she's kept from him - and he from her - over the decades. And he is seized by an urgent, desperate need to prove his love for her, with tragic consequences… Revue de presse ** PRAISE FOR THE WHITE WOMAN ON THE GREEN BICYCLE *'There might be an implicit nod to the Caribbean classic Wide Sargasso Sea, but Monique Roffey's story of contemporary Trinidad seen through European eyes breaks entirely new ground. It is a major contribution to the new wave of Caribbean writing: energetic, uncompromising, bold in the choice of narrative devices, and a great read. Roffey is a magical storyteller. She so enmeshes the reader in people and events that when the story ends, it becomes hard to let them go. Her fictional creations are no less vivid than the well known Trinidadians we meet in the pages of this book. The White Woman on the Green Bicycle is a story that is geographically bounded yet boundless in its understanding of the human spirit. It will resonate with readers everywhere'Olive Senior'Compelling and original. A bruised, sensuous love-letter to Trinidad which grippingly unfolds the violent aftermath of colonial rule and also speaks fearlessly of love and hatred across the lines of 'race' and class'Maggie Gee'Monique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read'Sarah Hall'From its opening pages, I was entranced by the world of this novel. Monique Roffey's Trinidad is full of strife and languor, violence and also hushed moments of peace, so beautifully and lushly evoked that while I was reading Trinidad became more real for me than my own neighborhood. George and Sabine are just as compelling and convincing, two characters who create so much trouble for each other and yet curiously suit each other so well. What a vibrant, provocative, satisfying novel--I can't stop thinking about it'Suzanne Berne'A dramatic and enlightening exploration of colonialism and revolt in Trinidad through the perceptions of two main characters caught up in a tumultuous history. It's also an honest and moving anatomy of a long marriage, its comforts and costs. What is very striking is the equal compassion in the portrayals of a faithless, selfish man and a disappointed woman -- Monique's merciful identification with both of them reminds me of Toni Morrison'Dr Linda Anderson, Open University'Exotic locations also feature in Monique Roffey's Trinidad-set The White Woman on the Green Bicycle. Sabine, a 1950s housewife fresh from England, finds herself alone and unhappy when she arrives on the stifling magical tropical island, and the political upheaval of the time does little to ease her pain. But a love affair does, as it unfolds over 50 years. Heart-rending and thought-provoking, you will never again see the Caribbean as just another holiday destination'Elle‘When Sabine and George Harwood move to Trinidad in 1956, they react to island life very differently. While George thrives, Sabine feels lonely, so pours her heart out in letters to a politician she’s fixated on. Part romance, part thriller, this thoughtful read spans 50 years’ Star magazine‘A sharply observed and engrossing portrait of a marriage and a country’Waterstone's Books Quarterly'Monique Roffey's understanding of the human character is boundless. Gentle and sensual, stinging and frustrating in equal m
