HOW TO LOVE A JAMAICAN

by Alexia Arthurs

I have found in my limited reading of short story collections that when I find one I really enjoy, I tend to read them even faster than I would a novel.  There is something about finishing a story and knowing that the next one holds an entirely new set of characters and problems that keeps me turning pages.  Alexia Arthurs drew me in over and over, and I ended up reading the entire collection in about a day and a half.

The characters and stories are, as the title suggests, Jamaican. But they live in New York City and the Midwest, as well as in Jamaica.  Arthurs develops characters who live their whole lives on the island and others who are trying to find a place in the wider world.  Some of the most compelling stories are about the people who get stuck between the two worlds.

The fact that this is a debut collection makes it all the more impressive when I reflect on the clarity of Arthurs’ imagery, the efficiency of her plots and the brilliance of her characters. So many of the images and bits of the stories continue to pop into my head weeks after reading it.  Although not every story has a happy ending, the book is a beautiful escape into a world of color, light and joy. (Lily)