Lisa Allen-Agostini

'An extraordinary and emotionally immersive novel – the music of Lisa Allen-Agostini’s writing voice is gloriously specific to Trinidad, yet this heart-wrenching story of a woman both liberated and in need of liberation has universal resonance.'—Margaret Busby. ‘Strips you down to raw nerve to build you back up again. Allen-Agostini has an unswerving eye.’—Nalo Hopkinson ‘You dip into the first page and don’t come up for breath until the last... thoroughly enjoyable.’—Kei Miller Alethea Lopez is about to turn 40. Fashionable, feisty and fiercely independent, she manages a boutique in Port of Spain, but behind closed doors she’s covering up bruises from her abusive partner and seeking solace in an affair with her boss. When she witnesses a woman murdered by a jealous lover, the reality of her own future comes a little too close to home. Bringing us her truth in an arresting, unsparing Trinidadian voice, Alethea unravels memories repressed since childhood and begins to understand the person she has become. Her next step is to decide the woman she wants to be.

The Bread the Devil Knead

"Originally published in paperback in Great Britain by Papillote Press, London, in 2018"--Title page verso.

Home Home

Bread the Devil Knead

Jeanne Mason

Delivers all that crime readers can expect from Akashic's Noir Series: murder, kidnapping, rape, drugs, prostitution, theft, extortion and more. By giving their fictional stories the real setting of Trinidad, acclaimed authors Lawrence Scott, Robert Antoni, Elizabeth Nunez, Ramabai Espinet, Keith Jardim, Tiphanie Yanique, Willi Chen and others have created a decidedly literary noir collection. In their captivating and occasionally humorous stories, the Trinidad that emerges is both intriguing and contradictory.

Trinidad Noir

Fans of Monday's Not Coming and Girl in Pieces will love this award-winning novel about a girl on the verge of losing herself and the unlikely journey to recovery after she is removed from anything and everyone she knows to be home. Moving from Trinidad to Canada wasn't her idea. But after being hospitalized for depression, her mother sees it as the only option. Now, living with an estranged aunt she barely remembers and dealing with her "troubles" in a foreign country, she feels more lost than ever. Everything in Canada is cold and confusing. No one says hello, no one walks anywhere, and bus trips are never-ending and loud. She just wants to be home home, in Trinidad, where her only friend is going to school and Sunday church service like she used to do. But this new home also brings unexpected surprises: the chance at a family that loves unconditionally, the possibility of new friends, and the promise of a hopeful future. Though she doesn't see it yet, Canada is a place where she can feel at home--if she can only find the courage to be honest with herself. "Allen-Agostini uses frank yet gentle prose...[in this] hopeful story about finding one's place and the sometimes-difficult journey to self-acceptance."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred review "An accessible look at teen anxiety and depression...[Home Home] shines in its depictions of the physical and emotional aspects of anxiety and depression...[and] teens of color coping with mental illness will find common cause with this Trini girl's journey toward self-actualization and healing."--Booklist "Allen-Agostini depicts the culture of her homeland with honesty and enlightening details,...delivering important messages about acceptance and mental illness."-SLJ

Lisa Allen-Agostini

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