BOOK REVIEW: THE LAST LAST BY
WENDY J. WHITTINGHAM
December 1, 2025
written by Tricia Diaz
“The Last Last” is an epitaph of hope. It cleverly uses the act of storytelling to drive home the point that there is hope in the midst of uncertainty.
“The Last Last” by author Wendy J. Whittingham Wendy J. Whittingham - Telling Tales Reading List Author tells the story of a young girl whose family migrates from her homeland of Jamaica to Canada. The story follows her on her last day on the island all the way to her arrival at her new home.
At first one would think that this book is about the last day of vacation by looking at the cover. However, with the illustration of the young girl floating on the beach,one would realize that there is a little bit of mystery - the title did not suggest what it was and it left it open to be interpreted in a myriad of ways. This is enticing to the reader, drawing them in. The illustrations are also bright and festive and do justice to different parts of the island.
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From the very beginning, the story plunges us into the main theme that is carried throughout the book- the aspect of moving away. As the story moved onward we were introduced to the environment where the protagonist lives and everything she loves about her island. From her last visit to the beach to her last chew of sugar cane, everything in the girl’s mind is mentally documented.
At her new home she is welcomed and meets a new animal friend in the form of a blue jay. Here she realises that her journey in this new environment has just begun and that with each end is a new beginning.
This book is not about a vacation; it is about something inherently universal - the fear of the unknown. It also tackles the issues of moving to a new place and the uncertainty that comes with immigration and finding out whether things will be good in that new place. Coupled with the fact that the protagonist did not want to migrate, makes for an interesting story. The story allows one to see that the end of a journey can also be the beginning of another, and this is a story that not only children can appreciate but adults as well.
Anyone who is a parent of Caribbean migrant children or has children struggling to cope with moving to a new place would love this book. The book encapsulates and explains that each end could be a new beginning, and this lesson could be something important for children to learn at a young age. This book challenges the reader to see the silver lining in every experience.
