A Cupboard Full of Coats

Starred review from May 23, 2011
Edwards elegantly braids together the lives of three people whose entangled love for the same woman turns sour in this gut-wrenching and gorgeously lyrical debut novel. Fourteen years after Jinx Jackson's mother was killed, "Lemon," a man mysteriously involved in the events of the murder, shows up at her doorstep with crippling news: the murderer is out of prison. Jinx's first instinct is to run. Full well knowing it's "too late for regret," Lemon wants to "put the record straight." And over a period of three days, Edwards sweeps the reader along a stream of memories revolving around Jinx's mother, who chose an abusive relationship over loneliness. "To know her was to love her," and love her these characters did (and do), each in their own way, but some of that love contributed to her murder "in hot blood." Edwards has drawn complicated characters whose voices are as distinct as the choices they have made. Jinx propels the narrative forward with her raw honesty as she unpacks the "private disgrace" that is her life. Engrossing and human to the core, Edwards's novel wrings the heart in the most tender of ways.

July 1, 2012

London-based Edward's debut novel was nominated for the Man Booker Prize and from the opening paragraph to the final sentence, it is easy to understand why. The book's action takes place over three days--albeit through flashbacks to 14 years prior--but fills the pages as if it spans a lifetime. Jinx, the protagonist, is living a life of disarray; she is estranged from her husband, her only son despises spending time with her, and she worries that she is unable to love him. When Lemon, her late mother's one-time boyfriend, turns up unexpectedly, their confessions and discussions propel the plot of the novel. Although the story is strong, Edwards's storytelling is all the more captivating; her imagery and multifaceted characters are invigorating. VERDICT Similar to Toni Morrison's Paradise, this lyrical novel will appeal to lovers of literary fiction.--Ashanti White, Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
Fourteen years after the tragic death of her mother, Jinx cannot reconcile her overwhelming sense of guilt and move on with her life. Her marriage has dissolved, her relationship with her young son is in shambles, and she hasn't learned to love since her mother's violent exit from this world at the hands of her lover. But when an unexpected visitor from the past returns, Jinx is forced to face the twisted tale of her mother's last months and uncover secrets that turn her world upside down. Set in the Montserratian community in East London, Edwards' debut novel, long-listed for the Man Booker Prize, is a piercing and engaging narrative that navigates through past and present heartache with tenderness and candor. This promising new author twists and turns words with skill reminiscent of Toni Morrison and Barbara Kingsolver, who similarly explore hidden and revealed secrets.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)