The Long Song
ANDREA LEVY
headline
www.headline.co.uk
Copyright © 2010 Andrea Levy
The right of Andrea Levy to be identified as the Author of
the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
First published as an Ebook by Headline Publishing Group in 2010
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
eISBN : 978 0 7553 7341 3
This Ebook produced by Jouve Digitalisation des Informations
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Foreword
PART 1
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
PART 2
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
PART 3
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
PART 4
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
PART 5
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
AFTERWORD
Acknowledgements
Critical acclaim for Andrea Levy’s novels:
SMALL ISLAND
‘Every scene is rich in implication, entrancing and disturbing at the same time; the literary equivalent of a switch-back ride’
The Sunday Times
‘A great read . . . honest, skilful, thoughtful and important’
Guardian
‘A cracking good read’ Margaret Forster
‘What makes Levy’s writing so appealing is her even-handedness. All her characters can be weak, hopeless, brave, good, bad - whatever their colour. The writing is rigorous and the bittersweet ending, with its unexpected twist, touching . . . People can retain their dignity, however small their island’
Independent on Sunday
‘Wonderful . . . seamless . . . a magnificent achievement’ Linda Grant
‘Never less than finely written, delicately and often comically observed, and impressively rich in detail and little nuggets of stories’
Evening Standard
‘An engrossing read - slyly funny, passionately angry and wholly involving’
Daily Mail
‘A work of great imaginative power’ Linton Kwesi Johnson
‘As full of warmth and jokes and humanity as you could wish’
Time Out
‘Gives us a new urgent take on our past’
Vogue
‘An involving saga about the changing face of Britain’
Mirror
‘Explores the Caribbean experience of immigration to Britain with great sensitivity’
Independent
FRUIT OF THE LEMON
‘Levy has a gift for voices . . . a thoughtful comment on racism and the importance of knowing where you are from’
The Sunday Times
‘Funny and moving . . . [Levy is] an ironic comedian whose subtle, intelligent novel steers well clear of whimsy’
Guardian
‘Unflinchingly unsentimental, her writing is leavened with humour and warmth . . . entertaining and revelatory’
TLS
‘Reinforces Levy’s reputation as an astute observer of modern British life’
Financial Times
‘Bright and inventive’
Independent
NEVER FAR FROM NOWHERE
‘Painfully perceptive and passionate, NEVER FAR FROM NOWHERE hits a raw nerve with its powerful concoction of poignancy and humour’
Pride
‘Passionate and angry’
TLS
‘In this lively, crisp, raw voice, young black Londoners may have found their Roddy Doyle’
Independent on Sunday
‘Levy’s raw sense of realism and depth of feeling infuses every line’
Elle
EVERY LIGHT IN THE HOUSE BURNIN’
‘Andrea Levy is a long-awaited birdsong of one born black and gifted in Britain. Let her sing and sing and sing’ Marsha Hunt