These Ghosts Are Family
Book description
Longlisted for the 2020 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
A "rich, ambitious debut novel" (The New York Times Book Review) that reveals the ways in which a Jamaican family forms and fractures over generations, in the tradition of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
*An Entertainment Weekly, Millions, and LitHub Most…
Why read it?
2 authors picked These Ghosts Are Family as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
There’s no escaping past actions in this book—from a dying man confessing he assumed the identity of a dead friend and began a new life to the exploits of the Paisley family during colonial-era Jamaica.
I love the way the family stories intertwine, how the book traces the movement of Jamaican people from the Caribbean island to England and America, and the way the ghosts in the family are not just people but also broader things: slavery, colonization, migration, and abandoned families.
From Donna's list on haunting: how the past lingers with us.
Maisy Card’s These Ghosts Are Family revolves around one of the great plots that are all too common in real life, a secret family. The central patriarch has faked his death, stole an identity, and abandoned his kin to migrate to the United States, where he has made another family. Card’s portrait of migration, kinship, and history is as thought-provoking as it is nuanced, and the prose is a joy to read. And I don’t want to spoil anything, but the farthest back historical chapter will stick with you for some time.
From Elias' list on fiction by Jamaican women writers.
Want books like These Ghosts Are Family?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like These Ghosts Are Family.
Browse books like These Ghosts Are Family
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in mourning, Jamaica, and death?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about mourning, Jamaica, and death.