Joanne C. Hillhouse

Growing up in the United States away from her mother and siblings, Nikki Baltimore returns to her native Antigua for her mother's funeral and impulsively accepts a job with the local government before being embroiled in a political maelstrom, her family's circumstances and a confusing relationship. By the award-winning author of Dancing Nude in the Moonlight. Original. 15,000 first printing.

A Novel

Oh Gad!

Garfield Ellis

Janice Lynn Mather

Sharon Millar

Barbara Jenkins

Kevin Baldeosingh

Kevin Jared Hosein

Dwight Thompson

Ivory Kelly

Sharon Leach

Ezekel Alan

Heather Barker

Kimmisha Thomas

"This wonderful anthology of fresh voices . . . includes writers from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago." — Booklist Akashic Books and Peepal Tree Press, two of the foremost publishers of Caribbean literature, launch a joint Caribbean-focused imprint, Peekash Press, with this anthology. Consisting entirely of brand-new stories by authors living in the region (not simply authors from the region), this collection gathers the very best entries to the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, including a mix of established and up-and-coming writers from islands throughout the Caribbean. Pepperpot features the 2013 Commonwealth Prize–winning story "The Whale House" by Sharon Millar and contributions by Barbara Jenkins, Kevin Baldeosingh, Kevin Jared Hosein, Dwight Thompson, Ezekel Alan, Kimmisha Thomas, Garfield Ellis, Sharon Leach, Ivory Kelly, Heather Barker, Joanne C. Hillhouse, and Janice Lynn Mather. "The wonder in these stories is that they show Caribbean culture—the people, sounds, food, and music . . . this book will appeal to readers of Caribbean fiction and beyond." — Library Journal "One of my favorite reads of the last few months . . . sophisticated and engrossing . . . A big recommendation today for one and all." —Chicago Center for Literature & Photography "Leaps headfirst into audacious narrative water, sustaining a diversity in storytelling that's indicative of the panoply of ways to love, sin, and write about it, in these our unpredictable, conjoined societies." — Caribbean Beat Magazine "Readers are in for a treat when they open the pages to taste the mélange of literary Caribbean cuisine. Spicy and filling!" — The Gleaner (Jamaica), "Sizzling Books for Summer Reading"

Best New Stories from the Caribbean

Pepperpot

Vere's irrepressible spirit is an asset as he comes of age in Antigua. His is a hard-knocks existence marked by poverty and loss - but he is equally shaped by his family, his first love and island life. Beautifully told, his is the story of a Caribbean boy, trying to hold on to what's real and precious to him while learning to be a man.

The Boy from Willow Bend

Selena's ex-husband has left her in a strange land with a baby and two younger sisters to care for. It's hard for Spanish-speaking immigrants to get work, and Selena earns little from the crochet dolls and doilies she makes to sell. The middle sister, Celia, works in a hotel at a job she hates, but it pays the rent and puts food on the table. Pamela is still at school. The three came from the Dominican Republic in the hope of a better living in Antigua. But Antiguans are hostile to the immigrant community in their midst, seeing the newcomers as intruders come to steal away their jobs and their men folk. Only Pamela settles easily into the new life.

Dancing Nude in the Moonlight

Award winning title-2nd place in the 2014 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature.#12 in Amazon Hot New Releases - Teen and Young Adult Performing Arts Fiction - in its first month of releaseFeatured in Essence Magazine February 2016There are no missteps in this tender coming-of-age romance, only an enthusiasm for love and life that reverberates triumphantly, as both Shaka and Zahara battle their demons with hope's persistent chorus.-CaribbeanBeat Magazine."Musical Youth is a beautifully crafted novel with the leitmotiv of music running throughout it. This is a powerful and credible story of young love between two likeable heroes.-Burt Award for Caribbean literature.Musical Youth is a compelling read because Hillhouse has managed to make readers really care about the characters and their struggles.-Trinidad Guardian.Music, Discovery, Love. Can one summer make the difference of a lifetime?Zahara is a loner. She's brilliant on the guitar but in everyday life she doesn't really fit in. Then she meets Shaka, himself a musical genius and the first boy who really gets her. They discover that they share a special bond, their passion for music, and Zahara finds herself a part, not just of Shaka's life, but also that of his boys, the Lion Crew. When they all get roles in a summer musical, Zahara, Shaka, and the rest of the Lion Crew use the opportunity to work on a secret project. But the Crew gets much more than they bargained for when they uncover a dark secret linking Shaka and Zahara's families and they're forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about class, colour, and relationships on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Musical Youth

A stirring novel about a woman facing cross-cultural odds and redefining everything she understands about her family, herself, and the country she’s never really been able to call home. Nikki Baltimore was born in Antigua but grew up with her dad in the United States. With each year, she’s grown further apart from her mother and maternal siblings, potters in rural Antigua. Her mother’s funeral brings Nikki back to the island, and, at a professional and personal crossroads, she makes the impulsive decision to stay after being offered a job by the ruling government. Soon, Nikki is embroiled in a hurricane of an existence which includes a political hot potato, confusion in her romantic life, and deepening involvement in the lives of the family she left behind. Will Nikki eventually find her place in the chaos and begin to plant the roots that have escaped her all her life?

Raised in the U.S. by her father, Nikki Baltimore returns to her native Antigua for her mother's funeral and accepts a job with the government before becoming embroiled in a political maelstrom, family issues, and a confusing relationship.

Joanne C. Hillhouse

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