These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy CardMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This (debut!) novel covers multiple generations of a Jamaican family and it starts in the middle, when a dying man decides to admit that he faked his death to his adult daughter. This isn't a typical family saga in the sense of a linear story; each chapter features characters related to Abel/Solomon either as offspring or ancestors. It deals with the ghosts of slavery; immigration, and memory. (Some reviews use the word colonialism instead of slavery, which masks the actual content.)
Along the way, I also learned some Jamaican history, some I feel sheepish for not knowing, for instance the connection between Haile Selassie and Rastafarianism (and now that I've read more about it, I feel pretty dumb! I mean I've even been to Jamaica!)
Maisy Card was born in Jamaica but raised in Queens; this is a great selection for ReadCaribbean month!
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