When their mother
feels unable to care for them, Dionne and Phaedra are sent to their
grandmother Hyacinth in Barbados for the summer. Natives of Brooklyn,
the girls find Barbados a strange place. Dionne, the elder,
interested in boys and becoming a woman hates it. Phaedra, the
younger sister, finds the place strangely attractive. She makes
friends and feels at home there, something she never felt in
Brooklyn.
The setting is
beautifully written drawing the reader into the exotic local of
Barbados. The girls characters are believable. You can't help feeling
excited for Phaedra who is discovering a place where she feels at
home and is eager to learn the culture. Likewise you can feel
Dionne's pain as a teenager uprooted from her culture.
The plot while not
exciting is filled with the drama and tragedy of real life. The prose
draws the reader into the world of the girls and their grandmother
and makes you see the beauty of love and the allure of the island.
If you enjoy coming
of age stories in a different culture, this is one you'll enjoy.
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley
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