Indies Introduce

Fiction

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  The Star Side of Bird Hill, Naomi Jackson
  Penguin Press, 9781594205958, June 30, 2015 (Fiction)
  

  In the summer of 1989, sisters Dionne and Phaedra -- 16 and 10, respectively -- are shuttled from their Brooklyn life to their grandmother Hyacinth’s home in Barbados. Reminiscent of Jamaica Kincaid, Jackson’s coming-of-age tale springs from the page with humor, beauty, and heartbreak.

  Amanda Hurley, Inkwood Books (Tampa, FL)
  
  

  THE STAR SIDE OF BIRD HILL by Naomi Jackson tells the deceptively simple story of two teenage girls who are sent to their grandmother in Barbados to live while their mother gets her act together in New York. The girls discover the lovely way of life offered by this small town while their grandmother gets a second chance to "get it right" in bringing up children. The characters are vividly drawn, especially the grandmother, Hyacinth, who has demons of her own and speaks in a colloquial patois that is both charming and authentic. Jackson has penned a book that is sweet and lovely. It's a book for anyone interested in the human condition or familial relationships and how they can go terribly wrong. Gorgeous!

  Bill Carl, Booksellers on Fountain Square (Cincinnati, OH)
  

  THE STAR SIDE OF BIRD HILL is a richly told coming-of-age tale. It's also a backwards immigration tale in the tradition of Jean Rhys, with the children of a Barbadian immigrant to New York returning to Barbados to live with their grandmother for the summer in the wake of their mother's debilitating depression. Author Naomi Jackson tells an island story that has vibrant characters and deep undertones.

  Kathleen Johnson, Prairie Lights Books (Iowa City, IA)