The House of Plain Truth

October 2, 2023
A 60-something woman returns home to Jamaica to visit her dying father in this affecting family saga from Hemans (Tea by the Sea). In Brooklyn, where Pearline has lived for decades, people regularly ask her where she’s from and why she doesn’t want to live there. Upon arriving in Jamaica, she’s taunted by her sisters Hermina and Aileen for having spent too much time away (Aileen derisively calls her “Miss America”). Shortly before Pearline’s father, Rupert, dies, he asks her to “find them for me.” She believes his dying wish refers to the sisters’ older siblings in Cuba, whom Pearline knew as a child when Rupert temporarily moved the family there so he could work on a sugar plantation. Pearline examines her father’s documents and attempts to piece together the story of his life and track down the Cuban siblings. Meanwhile, Hermina and Aileen wish she would drop the search, as they plan to sell the house and don’t want any complications involving the estate. Though there are no big surprises when the family’s secrets are unveiled, Hemans ably depicts Pearline’s longing for acceptance and closure. This is worth a look.

November 1, 2023
Jamaica has not been home to Pearline Greaves for 30 years, but her dying father, Rupert, has brought her back. Stepping onto the family property, "La Casa de la Pura Verdad" (The House of Plain Truth), Pearline is hopeful that she can finally rest and live out her later years in peace here. But when her father dies soon after her return, a truth is revealed that shocks Pearline and her sisters, Aileen and Hermina. This truth, along with her father's dying request for Pearline to "find them," all ties to the long-held secret in the family--that of the Greaves siblings left behind in Cuba. As more of her family's past is revealed through dreams and hauntings, Pearline hopes that finding her long-lost siblings is the truth that will set her family free. Hemans' latest (after Tea by the Sea, 2020) is a poignant exploration of family legacy, the repercussions of holding onto such legacies, and the desire to belong. Deftly written, moving, and engaging, fans of family novels will enjoy this.

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