Weekly Read: Countess by Suzan Palumbo

Not going to lie, the reason I originally added Countess to my TBR was that I saw a picture of the author wearing a cool cape. (You guys know how I feel about costumes.)

It wasn’t high on my list at first, but I kept hearing more and more interesting things about the book that kept it climbing nearer and nearer to the top of my to-read list: First off, Countess is a retelling of a really fun revenge story I read as a kid–The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s been nominated for some prestigious awards, like the Nebula, Locus and Aurora. Also a cool factor in my book, the author is Canadian.

With so many intriguing qualities, this little novella finally made it to the top of my TBR, and I’m so glad it did. Countess is a well written retelling that holds its own against the original, making its own unique statement about one of today’s hottest topics.

Be warned though, there were some moments that were tough emotionally for me during this read. Check the TW’s to make sure it’s the right book for you.

The Story

In a space-faring future where the Aecerbot empire thrives on unfair treatment of Caribbean-descended labourers, immigrant Virika believes she can work hard to fit in and lift her family out of poverty.

But when she’s promoted over the head of a privileged Aecerbot golden boy, Virika discovers that immigrants can only climb so far in the corrupt system before they’re put in their place. Framed for murder and given an unfair trial, Virika is sentenced to life in prison.

It seems like the end until Virika is given a miraculous chance to escape and seek a lost treasure that will give her the power to return and fight for the justice she and her people deserve.

What I Liked

My favourite thing about Countess was the food description!

The author uses food both as a symbol of Virika’s connection to her cultural identity, and as a sensory element that brought an extra layer of enjoyment to the read. Throughout the story, the foods the characters eat are always mentioned, whether it’s mangoes at a market stall, home cooked meals lovingly prepared by Virika’s mother, or bland prison mush.

As an immigrant raised away from the planet of her birth, food is one of the few ways Virika is able to connect to her roots. I identified a lot with this aspect of Virika’s experience, since food is one of the few connection points I have with my own heritage.

But food isn’t just meaningful for Virika. The way different characters interact with her in relation to food highlights their beliefs about her cultural identity. When Virika is criminalized for visiting a fruit stand, it’s like she’s being punished for trying to make a small connection with her culture while on the job. In prison, when even the spices she loves are taken from her, it’s like the empire is trying to rip away that last bit of her sense of self.

That really hit home for me.

I also enjoyed the food descriptions purely because they sounded so yummy! Most of the dishes described in the story were unfamiliar to me, but the herbs and spices the author mentioned made me feel like I could taste and smell the different foods the characters were eating. I enjoyed the extra sensory layer this brought to my reading experience.

This is your warning–this book will make you hungry!

Trigger Warning

Speaking of warnings, I need to add a more serious one. Countess doesn’t contain any more violence or injustice than your average dystopian sci-fi, but I do want to warn readers that the injustice in this story hits a little closer to home than might be comfortable to some readers. As an American* and a Latina, the scene where Virika was arrested and the unfair trial and imprisonment she endured were a little bit painful for me to read in light of current events. If you read solely for escapism, Countess might not be your book.

Overall Thoughts

I would have liked for the story to be longer so that we could get into some more details of the characters and their relationships, but overall I’m impressed with the author’s ability to make me care about the characters and to hit such strong emotional notes in such a short page count.

The retelling kept me in suspense despite that I’ve read the original Count of Monte Cristo. There were enough similarities to the original to make Countess a satisfying retelling, but also enough differences that the plot still kept me guessing.

Overall I really enjoyed this read. Countess entertained me, tugged at my heartstrings, and also helped me broaden my understanding of Caribbean culture, which I didn’t know much about. I’m glad this little novella finally made it to the top of my TBR, and I’d definitely recommend you check it out!

Have you read a science fiction novel that makes great use of food descriptions? I’d love to hear about it–or any other thoughts about Countess or the review! Leave me a note in the comments!

*PS If you’ve read my author bio, which mentions I’m Canadian, you might be wondering about this comment. I am a dual citizen. I was born and raised in the US but I married a Canadian and have spent most of my adult life in Canada.