Jamaica Road
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Jamaica Road
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Narrated by:
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Sapphire Joy
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By:
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Lisa Smith
About this listen
South London, 1981: Daphne is the only Black girl in her class. All she wants is to keep her head down, preferably in a book. The easiest way to survive is to go unnoticed.
Daphne's attempts at invisibility are upended when a boy named Connie Small arrives from Jamaica. Connie is the opposite of small in every way: lanky, outgoing, and unapologetically himself. Daphne tries to keep her distance, but Connie is magnetic, and they form an intense bond. As they navigate growing up in a volatile, rapidly changing city, their families become close, and their friendship begins to shift into something more complicated. But when Connie reveals that he is 'nuh land'—meaning he's in England illegally—Daphne realizes that she is dangerously entangled in Connie's fragile home life. Soon, long-buried secrets in both families threaten to tear them apart permanently.
Spanning one tumultuous decade, from the industrial docklands of the Thames to the sandy beaches of Calabash Bay, Jamaica Road is a deftly plotted and emotionally expansive debut novel about race and class, the family you're born with and the family you choose and the limits of what true love can really conquer.
Critic reviews
'Understated and beautifully affecting, unblinking in its examination of friendship and era . . . Smith is a fiercely compassionate writer. Connie and Daphne are a gift I didn't know I needed.' (Leone Ross, author of THIS ONE SKY DAY)
'Young love, enduring friendship and the complexity and vibrancy of multi-generational Caribbean families set in 1980s London, this moving coming-of-age novel tackles contemporary issues of race, class and belonging. Smith's evocative prose had me thinking about Connie and Daphne long after I closed the book. An impressive debut from an exciting new voice.' (Diana McCaulay, author of A HOUSE FOR MISS PAULINE)
'A powerful, beautiful portrait of lives that are being lived every day, histories that are being written over and love that fights through every possible challenge thrown its way. Jamaica Road is a truly incredible novel of wisdom, pain and joy . . . Lisa Smith is a storyteller of immense talent.' (Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of THE THREE OF US)
'Jamaica Road exudes love. Even amidst the violent roil of history, Lisa Smith renders her heroine Daphne's adventures in romance, friendship and family, with a wisdom and warmth that jumps off the page.' (Vanessa Chan, author of THE STORM WE MADE)
'Full of 1980s south London nostalgia, Jamaica Road is a beautiful story about love, friendship and the importance of community. Daphne and Connie leap off the page as real historical events serve as the backdrop to their own struggles and triumphs. A wonderful read.' (Louise Hare, the author of MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS)