“Testament is at times a very difficult and emotional read. It is a novel which is filled with beautifully poetic and measured prose, which draws you in close and then when it switches to the most horrific scenes described in a straightforward and unemotional way, it is all the more shocking and unnerving. We cannot understand man’s inhumanity to man, and bear our own witness to a world we know can never be allowed to exist again. The history and massive themes it tackles within its pages are complex and the relationships contained in the pages are far from easy. It is due to Kim Sherwood’s immense skill as a writer, that as a reader you become so invested in Eva and Silk’s story that you feel you owe it to them both to not only read it right to the very end, but to also do your own research of the world Silk has tried so hard to forget.” – Clare Reynolds, Years of Reading Selfishly
“This is an important and passionate story and the author’s writing is beautiful; quite lyrical in places. There were times though that I felt the beauty of the prose took away something of the harshness of the story; almost as though the contrast was just a little too much. However, there is no denying that this such a powerful and accomplished debut. It’s a startling and eye-opening read; which took my breath away in parts.” – Anne Cater, Random Things Through My Letterbox
“Testament is a book that beautifully masters what it is trying to say, shows what has been and what the consequences can be. I loved the characters in this book, their flaws and their struggles, and felt that it truly honoured those who suffered and those who inherited aspects of that suffering.
It’s also a book which has, because it must have, warnings for us, warning not to forget, warnings to be on guard, to keep watch.” – David Harris, Blue Book Balloon
“The beginning is slow – you’re trying to understand a man who is deliberately evasive – but once a few revelations are made, you gain the familiarity needed to feel invested in the characters.
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How we confront the past, from recording it to erasing it, and how we deal with a public history when it is uncomfortably personal are key concerns that shape this novel. ” – Phoebe Williams, The Brixton Bookworm
“Testament is one of those books that is terribly difficult to review because it transcends the superlatives a reader might wish to apply to it. I found Kim Sherwood’s writing both beautiful and harrowing, deeply sad, yet ultimately uplifting, with an intensity that meant I had to force myself to breathe at times. It actually took me quite a while to read Testament as I had to take breaks to recover from what I’d just read.” – Linda Hill, Linda’s Book Bag