What do readers think of Golden Child by Claire Adam? Write your own review.

Claire Adam is a very gifted writer and I find it amazing that a story so powerful is her first novel. I was entranced with her writing from the very beginning of the book.

I learned a good bit about the life of everyday people in Trinidad and how precarious their lives can be. The word pictures drawn of each character are truly quite effective and draw you in to some and repel you from others. Even though the culture and lifestyle of the characters are quite different from my own, I was easily able to feel their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes, dreams and determination. Mrs. Adam grew up in Trinidad and relays quite beautifully the complexities, subtleties and heartache that can result from everyday life there.
I strongly recommend this moving story. I think it would be a wonderful selection for book clubs that enjoy meaty discussions.

Golden Child is set in Trinidad and the descriptions of the country, culture, and environs engulf the story. The father of twin boys is ultimately faced with an impossible decision, and they all must deal with the consequences. Claire Adam is an exceptional writer. Her style is spare and succinct and clear and heart wrenching.

Well written and haunting. The story of a hard working man struggling to support his family in rural Trinidad. He favors one of his twin sons over the other and because of a family betrayal one son is put in danger. It is a profound human story with many emotions.

The number one determining factor for me in choosing a book is the setting. I love learning about places I have never been or know very little about. And, yes, some of the things I learn about new places are tough, and heartbreaking, and they make me angry. But the unhappy, ugly, heartbreaking stories MUST BE TOLD too.

The book moved slowly for me. And it worked. In a land of hot, humid, oppressive heat, stories take longer to tell. And Claire Adam told it beautifully. She didn't show us the glorious warmth of a beach vacation. This heat was suffocating. It held me down. It made me uncomfortable. That is powerful writing.

And it built until it exploded- -into a horrific crisis for an entire family, but particularly for the father, who was forced to make a decision no parent should have to. And then later for a son and brother who really knew the true cost of his dream.

Claire Adam is an exceptional writer. Her descriptions and characters were so true-to-life that I felt like I was inside the story. Once I started I had to find out what happened to Paul and to his family. Although the ending is bittersweet, this book is an example of transcendent contemporary writing.

At first, this book was a bit slow & I didn't know if I could be drawn into it. However, I was quite glad that I persevered as the novel began to pull me in more and more. Claire Adam skillfully outlined the lives of Clyde, Joy, and their twins, Peter & Paul, and how they were intertwined with their extended family and the community. The author made me want to learn more about Trinidad and its inhabitants. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

Sometimes parents have to make difficult decisions regarding their children. That is exactly what Clyde and Joy had to do regarding their twin sons, Peter and Paul. The turmoil over their decision was very difficult and parents everywhere could have empathy for them. Well written and I highly recommend reading this novel.

This is a compelling novel that drew me into the story right from the beginning. A Hindu family, with twin sons, Peter and Paul, is working hard to survive in rural Trinidad. Education is highly valued and one son is considered gifted and the other is considered slow. A crime, and betrayal, force the family to consider heartbreaking choices. There is much to consider in this story- family, trust, safety, the expectations we have of each other. I enjoyed the writing which is from several points of view. The sense of place is well developed. I would highly recommend this novel for book clubs. I hope Claire Adam writes more novels.