Indigo is a clever retelling of Shakespeare's Tempest, conveying the brutality of colonialisation and its continuing repercussions today.
The story takes place between the twentieth century and the seventeenth century with a cast of compelling characters spanning several generations. It explores conflict between inhabitants of a Caribbean island, and the Everard family who settle there from England.
Warner cleverly breathes new life into Shakespeare's existing characters whilst seamlessly introducing her own into the novel.
Though Warner’s exploration of colonial repercussions is powerful, some of the dialogue reflects a dated sensibility (Indigo was published in 1992); the inclusion of certain racial slurs may strike modern readers as unnecessary and at odds with the book’s otherwise sensitive themes.
A powerful and thought provoking book.
Reviewed By Madds Lenaghan [Visitor Operations Assistant]
