Toppa Top 5: Five Caribbean Novels To Read This Summer

Words by Jeneille M. Lewis

We are already well into the middle of summer, and many of us are longing for nothing more than to spend our days in cool shade, with an even colder drink and a good book in our hands. Some fantastic Caribbean authors have released books recently, so it was hard to choose favorites, but here are five of our top picks to keep you company while the days are still long, and the nights hot and steamy.

Start the list here.

Lauren Francis-Sharma—’Til The Well Runs Dry (Trinidad)

A family secret, a passionate love story and a tea-brewing obeah woman all take center stage in this epic multi-generational saga that takes the reader from Trinidad in the 1940s to the USA in the 1960s. Loosely based on the fragmented and slightly mysterious life of her own grandmother, Francis-Sharma takes the reader on an exploration of relationships within the context of Trini culture, racial tension and societal expectations.

Roxane Gay—An Untamed State (Haiti)

Roxane Gay’s An Untamed State is an explicit, detailed look into the life of Mirielle Duval Jameson, the youngest daughter of one of Haiti’s richest sons. It follows the story of Mirielle—kidnapped in broad daylight and held captive by the ‘Commander’ who requests a ransom from her father. When her father refuses, however, she is at the mercy of her captors who retaliate with an endless assault of rape and torture. An Untamed State is a gripping portrayal of a young woman and mother caught in the wildfire of Haiti’s class struggle, accurately addressing issues of sexual assault, immigration and economic privilege.

Dimitry Elias Léger—God Loves Haiti (Haiti)

In his debut novel, God Loves Haiti, Dimitry Elias Léger tells the story of a passionate love triangle between the President, his wife and her lover ,with the 2010 Haitian Earthquake as the backdrop. In 35 seconds, the characters’ world is literally in shambles as they try to navigate the aftermath of the disaster and to readjust to life in Haiti in the midst of devastation. With surgeon-like precision, Léger’s imagery depicts the country’s struggles, the resilience of its people and the beauty that is to be found amidst what could only be described as a history of disasters. No less of a literary authority than Junot Diaz has called God Loves Haiti “a luminous debut” and “a stand-out novel.”

Naomi Jackson—The Star Side of Bird Hill (Barbados/USA)

A tender yet colorful coming of age story, The Star Side of Bird Hill centers around two sisters suffering from an acute sense of culture shock who must learn to navigate the trials of love, heartbreak and what it means to ‘come home’ after being exiled from Brooklyn to Bird Hill, Barbados. Another first-time author, Naomi Jackson gains command of a language and heritage that had always belonged to her but one that she did not fully inherit until a later date. Drawing on her own experiences as she discovered her culture for the first time, the Brooklyn native inserts her voice into each of her characters, sharing this new-found identity with a young girl wanting to know everything about her culture, an older sister longing to be ‘anywhere but here’ and a grandmother who serves as the only link to their mother’s mysterious life. Read our interview with Naomi Jackson here.

JL Campbell—Dissolution (Jamaica)

Set in Jamaica, Dissolution is the story of Sherryn Allbright—a wife, mother and successful businesswoman who finds her perfect world turned upside down when proof of her husband’s infidelity is left at her doorstep. Set in Kingston, Jamaica, and peppered with colorful Jamaican dialect throughout, the book is less of what one would stereotype as urban literature and more of a touching story of marriage, abandonment and what it means to survive against all odds.