[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] The Caribbean Views shares descriptions of seven Caribbean books:

Caribbean literature spans decades and encompasses a vast range of themes and topics. Because of its rich and diversified area, there are a number of intriguing new novels by Caribbean authors published in 2023. There is something for everyone, from novels to memoirs, short tales to poems.

Today we will be presenting you with the 7 Caribbean authors’ must-read works in this blog, books that will enthrall and motivate readers. So, read on because we are positive that there is a book on this list you will find worthy of a read!

1- HUNGRY GHOSTS BY KEVIN JARED HOSEIN

A great young author in Caribbean literature will soon release a book called Hungry Ghosts, which is set in Trinidad in the 1940s. The plot centers on two families from very different backgrounds whose lives become entwined after Dalton Changoor’s abduction. [. . .]

2- THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE NEW WORLD BY MARYSE CONDÉ

The Gospel According to the New World, Maryse Condé’s most recent book, chronicles the story of Pascal, a newborn born on Easter Sunday who purported to be God’s progeny. The story follows Pascal as he moves to a Caribbean community in quest of his roots and mission. Pascal is endowed with extraordinarily attractive features and gray-green eyes that are like the sea. His existence is characterized by events that support the idea that he is divine. [. . .]

3- SUITE AS SUGAR: AND OTHER STORIES BY CAMILLE HERNÁNDEZ-RAMDWAR

The compelling first collection of short tales Suite as Sugar: and Other Stories by Camille Hernández-Ramdwar examines the atrocities of colonial history as well as the protagonists’ private and interpersonal pain. The stories are set in many places, including Winnipeg, Toronto, Havana, and Trinidad, and they are infused with the resiliency and pain of the protagonists who, in the absence of elders, regain their connection to the ground. [. . .]

4- THE GOD OF GOOD LOOKS BY BREANNE MCIVOR

The God of Good Looks by Breanne McIvor is a compelling debut novel with comedy, honesty, and realistic characters. Young Trinidadian writer Bianca Bridge has always wanted to write. Yet, social expectations and past blunders have left her pessimistic about her future. [. . .]

5- WHEN THE VIBE IS RIGHT BY SARAH DASS

Tess Crawford feels she has a bright career as a costume designer in “Grandeur,” her family’s masquerade band. When the band begins to lose members and face competition from other groups, Tess is forced to work with the guy she despises the most. [. . .] “Grandeur,” set against the vivid backdrop of Trinidad’s Carnival, is a lovely and inspiring drama of two individuals discovering unexpected love and passion amid a catastrophe.

6- HOW TO SAY BABYLON: A MEMOIR BY SAFIYA SINCLAIR

Safiya Sinclair’s memoir, How to Speak Babylon, details her fight to break away from the repressive patriarchal customs of Rastafari culture that her father, a reggae artist and staunch devotee of the religion, forced on her and her sisters. Sinclair describes in her memoir how her father’s fixation with her virginity and his idea that gender would render her morally weak. [. . .]

7- FAMILY LORE BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO

Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel Family Lore is a poignant story of the Marte ladies and their life journey from Santo Domingo to New York City. Flor, the eldest sister, had a remarkable skill that allowed her to anticipate when others would die, prompting her to organize her living wake. As Flor’s sisters Matilde, Pastora, and Camila gather to honor her life, they must confront their own secrets and hardships. [. . .]

Read full descriptions at https://www.cariviews.com/blog/new-must-read-caribbean-books-in-2023