The Likeness of Sinful Flesh by William Isley

The Likeness of Sinful Flesh by William Isley
Series: Standalone
Publisher: BillIsleyReflects (July 23, 2024)

REVIEW BY PRISCILLA BETTIS

In the reading world where AI-generated books are becoming more popular, I was delighted to dig into this human-written book with all its wonderfully human-made flaws.

The Likeness of Sinful Flesh by William Isley is a novel that takes place on a Caribbean island in the 1970s. Because of the details scattered throughout the book, I think it’s based on the island of Dominica, and I think a brutal hurricane scene is based on hurricane David that hit the island in 1979.

Isley’s novel is not so much a plot-driven story as it is a portrayal of the island with its Carib descendants and British expatriates, class struggles and education difficulties, legends and history of the peoples, the weather, and the island’s beautiful scenery.

The neat little white houses with their galvanized roofs were surrounded by purple and red bougainvillea and flamboyants. Fruit trees and flowers of brilliant white and yellow added to the riotous display of color.

William Isley, The Likeness of Sinful Flesh

In the novel’s opening, a poverty-stricken, promiscuous woman named Hope repents of her ways and becomes a Christian. Her teenage daughter, Miriam, is skeptical. Miriam’s generally skeptical and angry about everything in life.

I was hooked on the volatile, mother-daughter relationship and wanted to know if Hope and Miriam would ever see eye to eye. I was also hooked on the conflict between Miriam and the church with its two pastors. Neither Pastor Jones nor Pastor Joseph are perfect in their theology or their people skills, but they each have their strengths, and they genuinely love the island people. Surely one of them will reach the bitter Miriam, right? (At least that’s what I was rooting for.)

Enter a little boy with special needs. Because of the child, Miriam’s shell starts to soften. The boy is absolutely precious. He never has a speaking part in the story, but his character touched me deeply.

Another thing that touched me (and left me with goosebumps!) is a deathbed scene in which a man has an encounter with evil on his way out. It’s such a well-written, terrifying scene.

The first of those aforementioned flaws: the title makes me cringe, and the cover art is average, but titles and covers are hard (and have nothing to do with the story itself), so no fish deducted.

As for other flaws, Isley drifts from deep third point of view to omniscient to a cinematic, distant narration bordering on authorial intrusion. Also, characters enter the story, do something significant (getting the reader hooked on them), then leave. I took off a fish, but only reluctantly because Isley’s writing style feels SO authentic, as if this Kansas man had actually lived on the island and was now relating his experiences. (After snooping, I learned that Isley—Dr. Isley—spent considerable time in the Caribbean as a seminary professor.) So effective is Isley’s storytelling that I came away feeling like I had spent time on the story’s Caribbean island.

And now I’ve returned from the island, and I’m writing this review. Oh, how I enjoyed The Likeness of Sinful Flesh! I give it four (wish it could be five) wonderful fish!

I purchased the Kindle version of The Likeness of Sinful Flesh.