"This novel of adventure and conflict explores the nature of class and identity in the post-colonial world of the Bahamas. The narrative, rich in imagery, reveals the inner lives of the characters and implicates us all in one man's struggle to do the right thing."
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The title is somewhat misleading, the cover art even more so. This novel has absolutely nothing to do with religion. The kingdom in question is a man's birthright. In the Bahamas, citizenship travels along the paternal line, and Gavin Blake's father is from Florida. So despite the fact that he was born in the Bahamas and his mother's family has lived there for generations, he lacks papers. Gavin has gone away to college, traveled the world, and returned to his native Bahamas, only to find that his opportunities are extremely limited and his standing in society is that of an outsider. Gavin ends finding work caretaking a yacht for Jacob Thesinger, who comes from a wealthy land-owning family. While it appears that Jacob has it all - an estate with the right address, money, boats, and a respected family name, it quickly becomes apparent that even Jacob struggles with what the Bahamas is becoming. Ultimately, both men have to figure out what they're willing to do to claim their piece of the kingdom.
This was an interesting book to read in light of conversations happening in the US today. What happens when birthright citizenship isn't a thing? What's the fallout from that? And in this case, the undocumented person was a white man with a college degree...and American citizenship (that he didn't really want, because he felt that he belonged in the Bahamas, not the US). Thought-provoking on many levels.
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