The Star Side of Bird Hill

May 18, 2015
Jackson's debut novel is a bittersweet coming-of-age tale of heartbreak and loss. Dionne and Phaedra, 16 and 10, are two sisters who go to Barbados in the summer of 1989, in the care of their grandmother Hyacinth, when their depressed mother is no longer able to take care of them in New York. Dionne acts out and meets boys, while Phaedra immerses herself in her grandmother's world. When their circumstances suddenly change and dictate a more permanent stay in Barbados, the girls are angry and confused. Their unfamiliar situation is further compounded by the reappearance of their long-gone father. He presents a chance to return to America, if they can trust him, and if they choose to leave their grandmother. Jackson's story becomes stronger and stronger as we get to know these characters. The themes she touches onâmental illness, immigration, motherhood, sexual awakeningâare potent and deftly juggled, anchored in the vivid locale of Bird Hill yet universally relatable. Readers will be turning the pages to follow Phaedra and Dionne's memorable journey.

May 1, 2015
Sixteen-year-old Dionne Braithwaite and her 10-year-old sister, Phaedra, are sent to the tiny town of St. John, Barbados, to stay with their grandmother while their mother, Avril, recovers from a long depression. Avril, a nurse, has been overwhelmed with sadness after witnessing the deaths of her patients to AIDS following the sudden disappearance of her abusive husband, Errol. With Avril unable to take care of her family, it was Dionne who took on the responsibility of caring for her mother and her little sister. But in her grandmother's house in Barbados, Dionne doesn't need to take care of anyone but herself-and she finds it unnerving. Phaedra, however, fits right in-to her, Barbados feels like the home Brooklyn never was-and she gleefully absorbs the stories of her mother's people. The mystery of what happened to Avril to weight her life with such sadness fuels the book, becoming the driving force behind Dionne's desire to discover the pieces of Avril left behind in her old Barbados bedroom. But as Avril delays returning to take the girls back to Brooklyn, Dionne begins to act out and make unwise relationship decisions, leading her grandmother to believe she's on her way to becoming the kind of "easy" girl who lets herself be used by men. What Dionne's grandmother doesn't realize is that the one thing Dionne had learned from watching Avril was "that if you wanted to keep a man, he should love you at least a little bit more than you loved him"-one of many moments of awareness that permeate this delightful debut novel. An engrossing and poignant coming-of-age story populated with engaging, well-drawn characters.

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Starred review from June 1, 2015

With this work, Fulbright scholar and Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate Jackson joins her peer Angela Flourney, author of the just-published The Turner House, in continuing the rich tradition of African American storytelling. In the summer of 1989, the mentally fragile Avril sends her daughters, ten-year-old Phaedra and 16-year-old Dionne, to visit their grandmother in Bird Hill, Barbados, while she works to build a better foundation for them after their father leaves her destitute. The island provokes culture shock in Dionne, who misses her life in Brooklyn and rebels against her grandmother. Phaedra, on the other hand, feels at home on the island, as she draws wisdom from the grandmother she barely knew. Interestingly, Avril, who rarely appears in the narrative, is the glue that binds everyone together, including the father who shows up after her death to claim his daughters. The writing is especially fine, with even minor characters benefiting from Jackson's lyrical descriptions. VERDICT Recalling Toni Morrison's Love, this work will appeal to fans of African American and literary fiction.--Ashanti White, Yelm, WA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2016

Two sisters-Dionne, 16, and Phaedra, 11-are suddenly shipped off from Brooklyn to Barbados by their mother in the summer of 1989 to live with their grandmother, a midwife and practitioner of obeah, because their mother can no longer take care of them. The siblings struggle to find their places at Hyacinth's home in Bird Hill: Dionne longs to fall in love and return to New York; Phaedra immerses herself in her grandmother's practice. They discover family secrets and are confronted with their long-absent father, who comes to reclaim them. Soon, the sisters have to choose between familiar Brooklyn and the island. In this lyrical debut, the two protagonists come of age against the backdrop of the sumptuous and vibrant Bird Hill, Barbados. Woven throughout are tender moments of love and loss, along with deep issues such as mental illness, sexuality, and betrayal. The protagonists are multilayered and nuanced, and the island becomes a character in itself. Equally heartbreaking and triumphant, this narrative is filled with the pain and hope of growing up. VERDICT Unforgettable characters, a lush setting, and family drama will keep teens reading this deft and stunning work.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Jackson's debut, about two young girls transplanted from their Brooklyn home to their mother's native Barbados, is rich in the aspect and feel of the Caribbean. The year is 1989, and 16-year-old Dionne and her 10-year-old sister, Phaedra, have been shunted off to live with their maternal grandmother, Hyacinth, while Avril, their mother, remains in New York trying to get her life together. Naturally, adolescent Dionne resents the change. But Phaedra is happy to have an adult take responsibility for the girls' needs, which Avril routinely ignored. Though both are lonely for their mother and the city they grew up in, Jackson's characters pack a credible punch as generations clash over cultural differences, clothes, boys, and Vacation Bible School. Predictably, Hyacinth dishes out plenty of criticism, but she also provides ample servings of love, discipline, and Caribbean-style wisdom. If there's a flaw in Jackson's sensitive story, it would be the lack of surprises. Still, this is a charming, laid-back bildungsroman and an uplifting story about the importance of a stable, loving home and the embrace of one's culture.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)