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Windrush Child

By: Benjamin Zephaniah
Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
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Summary

In this heart-stopping adventure, Benjamin Zephaniah shows us what it was like to be a child of the Windrush generation.

Leonard is shocked when he arrives with his mother in the port of Southampton. His father is a stranger to him, it's cold and even the Jamaican food doesn't taste the same as it did back home in Maroon Town. But his parents have brought him here to try to make a better life, so Leonard does his best not to complain, to make new friends, to do well at school - even when people hurt him with their words and with their fists.

How can a boy so far from home learn to enjoy his new life when so many things count against him?

©2020 Benjamin Zephaniah (P)2023 Little Acorns
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What listeners say about Windrush Child

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Good performance

The story is read beautifully, easy to listen to and an interesting story. Finished in a weekend

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It broke my heart!

I enjoyed the book and its characters. But I cried so much at its finale. Such injustice and deliberate hostility is mortifying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Story teller. A must read

Loved reading/listening to the Windrush child. I recommend the book to all. Great for a book club.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great book!

Really good book. While the title gives away the ending before you even start, that doesn’t detract from the story.

Mostly I enjoyed the narration, however the story is based in Manchester but the locals all seem to have Birmingham accents. That’s slightly off putting.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Moving

Adults need to listen to this too.
This book really helps you to really think about & understand the impact of racism. I learnt more about an important part of British history, and the Windrush generation.
I have ordered this for my Y6/7 pupils for us to read and discuss. Audio brings it alive. Worth reading before or after to ‘Journey to Jo’Burg’ if exploring children’s books that deal with racism and prejudice.
The themes are hard hitting, but very thought-provoking. The book deals with a marriage rift (that is healed) too, from how the child saw it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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This is so moving!

I liked the character of Leonard. It was good following his life. I felt so sad that the “Hostile environment” had ever been sanctioned. After a life time of working in this country it felt disgraceful. Glad he had a good wife and daughter!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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it was such a good book but...

IT WAS SO SAD, that is the safest ending I've ever seen/heard like I can't even 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

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This is my dad's history

it was really good to confirm from.anotjer source all the stories that I've heard. the characterisation of Leonard was excellent and the end. Wow! Loved it. This is the story that many British children from the Caribbean have had to endure. Thank you Benjamin Zephaniah for highlighting this in such a profound way.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A wonderful book.

Windrush Child is a beautifully written, very important historical narrative. I’m very glad to have listened to it over the last week and am sure that I’ll revisit it before long.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

not a book I'd usually choose

my son was assigned this book as summer reading for school so very opposite to the books both of us normally choose to read which may be why I wasn't blown away by it and my son couldn't engage with it. I felt it was a very bleak book and was at times quite stereotypical in its descriptions I feel I took more away from the ending than my son did but all in all very bleak and sad

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