there was a lot I did like about this book but it ultimately left a bit to be desired. while it was a really great exploration of grief and family dynamics, it felt like it could've maybe used another round or two of edits. still a really interesting and well-written book though! I'm sure many people will enjoy it more than I did.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

thanks netgalley and catapult for the arc!!!

A family saga that begins with the death of a brother and follows the relationships of three siblings in Jamaica and in the US.

I wanted to love this one but it felt so unfinished., Where was the editior? The story just was not coming together for me or making sense.

OUCH. This one was a big ouch for me. I am so thankful to Catapult Books, Christina Cooke, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for the advanced digital and audio access to this heartbreaker of a novel before it hits shelves on January 23, 2024.

Akua is grieving after the sudden loss of her baby brother, Bryson. So she's fled Canada to venture towards her homeland in Kingston, Jamaica, to reconnect with her estranged sister, Tamika, who never immigrated to the States or Canada after the death of their mother figure. Akua resents Tamika for not being around leading up to the events of their brother's death. Still, Tamika did what she had to heal herself and all the trauma she accumulated throughout her life.

Akua takes this time in Kingston to spread Bryson's ashes and make her peace with his passing, knowing she can never have that sense of family again, even as she tries to rekindle something with her older sister. Readers receive flashbacks to Akua's time in primary school and her youth alongside her brother, helping us tend our broken hearts as we get to know this familial relationship more and more. Ultimately, the family has each other's back, no matter how far the distance or challenging the tensions are.

I'm biased because I got to hear Christina read from the opening pages of this book nearly a year ago -- and it absolutely blew me away. The full novel follows through on the promise of that opening salvo, delivering a terrific debut about family and identity. It's funny, it's sad, it moves (like life itself) both slowly and all-too-fast. A debut worth savoring, and a promising one too.