- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan Caribbean (May 20 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0230534988
- ISBN-13: 978-0230534988
- Product Dimensions: 19 x 13 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 295 g
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In his debut novel, Jamaican writer Dawes unites Kofi, singer and lyricist of the Jamaican Reggae band Small Ax, and the equally last-nameless Columbia University sex researcher Keisha on the dance floor of a beachfront Carolina club, but can't make them connect fully, with each other or as characters. With sparks flying (and over the protestations of the ambitious bass player Pedro), the two decamp to Spanish Town in the Greater Antilles, where Keisha takes a job in a private high school and Kofi, inspired by rubbish scavengers, composes social lamentations. When word comes that Kofi's Aunt Josephine is on her deathbed, the two rush to the Jamaican backwater of Castlevale to find the old lady holding off the inevitable until she has had a chance to fill Keisha in on her nephew's complicated genealogy. Kofi grieves by purging himself with bags of oranges, and Keisha, feeling spurned, travels deeper in-country, and ends up dissuading a would-be rapist by means of projectile vomiting. She returns to Spanish Town to bid Kofi farewell, but secondhand tidings of a pregnancy lure him into stalking her across the Caribbean. Dawes then maps out Keisha's South Carolina backstory, but all of the attributes of these two characters-from Kofi's Ghanian roots to Keisha's tardily-recovered molestation memories and abuse at the hands of former beau Troy-don't gel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From Booklist
Keisha, recovering from an abusive relationship, meets a Ghanian-born Jamaican reggae singer at a nightclub in Columbia, South Carolina. Kofi's obvious emotional needs are a strong contrast to her former boyfriend's brutish chilliness. But when Keisha consents to return with Kofi to Jamaica, she discovers that Kofi has his own emotional limitations. He warns her that women leave him when they realize that they cannot be satisfied with what he is willing to give them. Both are rooted and rootless at the same time, tied to their places of birth and culture but wandering in search of a place to belong--urged, encouraged, and berated by a chorus of manipulative relatives and relationships. When Keisha returns to the U.S., it is Kofi's turn to chase her across the upper continent. Dawes, a Ghanian-born Jamaican author, offers vibrant characters and locales, from Jamaica to the American South to the urban North, in this diaspora of black culture and strong emotions, bordering the fine line between love and madness between two troubled people. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Books Do Sometimes Have Flaws, Sep 9 2007
By William m Coles - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: She's Gone (Paperback)
This was a great read, it kept me turning pages and really caught up, like it was really true. However, there were instances where the descriptions of places were overly done and the weeks of conversation with various family members was over done and seemed a bit unrealistic. I was impressed with the relationship with Troy and how the storyline led you to believe Keisha would return to him and at the last minute she did not fall to sexual desires and follow through with an intimate encounter with him particularly when she could see he was the same person he used to be. I think this was very realistic but she somehow was able to do what was best for her. Eventhough, she was not entirely pleased with the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy she did feel a sense of being victorious over that situation. I did not like the ending because I wanted more and wanted to know that Kofi got over his insecurities and was not just caught up in the moment. But to the author's credit, it does leave room for a sequel and I hope it would come with a happy ending. You know, Alma growing up in a way that Keisha would have liked for herself and a family bond for her that Kofi lacked because of his mother's ways. But I loved this book, overall. I do intend to read Wisteria by this author as well.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
They're Gone...can they be found?, July 25 2007
By Angelia Menchan "acvermen.blogspot.com" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: She's Gone (Paperback)
Mr Dawes has written the best kind of love story. One filled with heart attraction and the complications that love brings. Kofi a successful reggae artist from Jamaica has fallen for Keisha, a social researcher from the American south. There is an immediate chemistry between the two and they feel they can foster a relationship. Keisha joins Kofi on the island and discovers a different world and a different man than the one she fell in love with. Kofi struggles with inner demons, while Keisha struggles with life on the island and her choices. This novel is rich with scenery and emotional angst. I recommend She's Gone to all readers who enjoy a beautifully written and well told story. Wonderful!Angelia Menchan
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Debut Novel I've Read in a Very Long Time..., Aug 6 2007
By J. Belfield - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: She's Gone (Paperback)
I read a synopsis of this book in a magazine and thought I need to check it out since it was the only one that came highly recommended. It did not disappoint. A very good story. I look forward to more novels by this author. He won me over with the first chapter.
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
