Thank you so much @librofm for the gifted listen of These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card! I loved this book, a perfect blend of historical fiction, family saga and a little hint of the paranormal!

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I think I actually would have given this one five stars had I read a physical copy as opposed to audio. Don’t get me wrong, the narration by Karl O’Brian Williams was perfect, but there is a HUGE cast of characters and it bounces around many different time periods and locations so it was a little difficult at times to hold all that information in my head just through listening. I’ve always been a visual learner so not having the dates in front of my eyes made me often forget what time we were supposed to be in.

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But despite that, every single storyline sucked me in. Whether it was Abel and his web of lies, Estelle and her battle against addiction, Debbie confronting the past and her slave-owning ancestors, Bernard and his illicit affair, and of course the haunting final chapter. These Ghosts Are Family tackles ghosts both figurative and literal and I thought Card did an exceptional job balancing the two.

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It’s a challenging read at times, with some scenes of abuse and torture, especially on the slave plantations in Jamaica, but it’s never gratuitous. Card reminds us to honour the past, to remember the sacrifices made by ancestors, or to not repeat their terrible actions.

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I think the decision to incorporate Caribbean folklore elements might turn a few readers off, but I loved the addition! Even if that part’s not for you, it’s still a beautifully woven historical fiction novel which I highly recommend!