Homecoming cover art

Homecoming

Voices of the Windrush Generation

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Homecoming

By: Colin Grant
Narrated by: Colin Grant, John Sackville, Debra Michaels, Leemore Marrett, Kristin Atherton
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

When Colin Grant was growing up in Luton in the 1960s, he learned not to ask his Jamaican parents why they had emigrated to Britain. ‘We’re here because we’re here,’ his father would say. ‘You have some place else to go?’

But now, 70 years after the arrival of ships such as the Windrush, this generation of pioneers are ready to tell their stories.

Homecoming draws on over a hundred firsthand interviews, archival recordings and memoirs by the women and men who came to Britain from the West Indies between the late 1940s and the early 1960s. In their own words, we witness the transition from the optimism of the first postwar arrivals to the race riots of the late 1950s. We hear from nurses in Manchester; bus drivers in Bristol; seamstresses in Birmingham; teachers in Croydon; dockers in Cardiff; inter-racial lovers in High Wycombe, and Carnival Queens in Leeds. These are stories of hope and regret, of triumphs and challenges, brimming with humour, anger and wisdom. Together, they reveal a rich tapestry of Caribbean British lives.

Homecoming is an unforgettable portrait of a generation, which brilliantly illuminates an essential and much-misunderstood chapter of our history.

©2019 Colin Grant (P)2019 Penguin Audio Americas Caribbean & West Indies Emigration & Immigration Europe Great Britain Social Sciences Caribbean England Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
I’m 34 and didn’t know much about my grandads generation. It’s amazing to hear all the stories especially as I live in Leeds. These stories are special and I’m so happy there are books like this so these stories are not forgotten. I have the upmost love and respect for the road that was paved for us 2nd and 3rd generation Jamaican brits.

Fantastic

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The voice actors helped make this book come alive. Part 2 on the Windrush scandal please!

Excellent from start to finish

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Thoroughly enjoyed listening to the true narrative, examples of what happened to our Windrush parents, and how they felt when they came to England. This Audiobook brought my Jamaican father back to life!
Real and captivating.

Great listening

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Absolutely fascinating, uplifting, depressing. I got it on the off chance, but it's a brilliant story that is made and perfectly suited for audio.

Fascinating story told in the perfect format

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Loved It! It was like hearing our elders speak to their friends at home whilst cooking or visiting each other.
Thank you

Our Elders

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This book follows the Windrush generation, detailing their journey from the West Indies to their experiences of the voyage over, first impressions of England and beyond. It has an impressive breadth of stories and people that make it entertaining and informative. All of the narrators are wonderful, would highly recommend.

An Incredible Archive

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This was a moving narration of many generations of people coming to the UK from the Caribbean.

My own parents and my grandparents were part of the migration. Although they rarely spoke of what they faced on arrival in the UK and the many years it took to establish themselves, I could identify with many of the stories. I witnessed and have experienced the discrimination and the quiet intolerance. I have also felt the longing for back home and the uplifting drum beats and colours that made a cold weary England tolerable. I do hope this narration gives others an understanding of why Caribbean people deemed the UK as the "Mother land", the fact they came here answering her call for help. And the disappointment they felt when the reality of life in the UK was made apparent to them.

We are here because you were there

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Made me understand my grandparents and mother’s lives better when they came over from Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s

Excellent book

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Excellent account of a brave generation and their journey to the UK. Extremely moving, revealing, honest, and informative. Highly recommended!

Fabulous!

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I loved this book. I enjoyed the individual accounts of experiences from people who lived through the relocation from the West Indies to the UK. I enjoyed the accounts of some of the white individuals also. Perspective was really brought to life for me in this book, as you heard so many different narratives and experiences. Understanding the background of such important parts of history is so important and I appreciated that this looked at it from a human point of view. I appreciated the different topics and sections of the book also.
I loved the voice actors also, as it felt authentic to the nationalities of the individuals telling the story (to some extent). Fantastic book and audible!

Fascinating and highly educational

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