A review by maralyons
Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield

4.0

Hurricane Summer is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about a young woman finding her roots in Jamaica. Tilla is 18 when she and her younger sister Mia visit her father's home in the Jamaican countryside. They have lived in Canada all their lives and their father has been an inconsistent presence.

Tilla is initially entranced by the vibrancy of the country and its beautiful people, but she starts to encounter darker, harsher realities. Tilla starts to see the privileges she experienced in Canada as she sees class differences, colorism, and encounters misogyny. My heart broke for her when she is shamed by others and she starts to lose herself.

Well illustrated is Tilla's complex relationship with her father, who has played a very different role in Jamaica for his family than he has in her own family. He is enigmatic and charming, but has let her down so many times. I was grateful she had some positive relationships and learned to stand up for herself. At times, the story is heartbreaking and beautiful. This was such a deep and nuanced read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.