Here Comes the Sun

A Novel

23 May 2017

Territory Rights — Worldwide including Canada, Singapore and Malaysia, but excluding the British Commonwealth.

Description

Capturing the distinct rhythms of Jamaican life and dialect, Nicole Dennis- Benn pens a tender hymn to a world hidden among pristine beaches and the wide expanse of turquoise seas. At an opulent resort in Montego Bay, Margot hustles to send her younger sister, Thandi, to school. Taught as a girl to trade her sexuality for survival, Margot is ruthlessly determined to shield Thandi from the same fate. When plans for a new hotel threaten their village, Margot sees not only an opportunity for her own financial independence but also perhaps a chance to admit a shocking secret: her forbidden love for another woman. As they face the impending destruction of their community, each woman—fighting to balance the burdens she shoulders with the freedom she craves—must confront long-hidden scars. From a much-heralded new writer, Here Comes the Sun offers a dramatic glimpse into a vibrant, passionate world most outsiders see simply as paradise.

Reviews

"[A] lithe, artfully-plotted debut.... Margot is one of the reasons to read this book. She is a startling, deeply memorable character. All of Ms. Dennis-Benn’s women are. The author has a gift for creating chiaroscuro portraits, capturing both light and dark.... Here Comes the Sun is deceptively well-constructed, with slow and painful reveals right through the end." — Jennifer Senior, The New York Times

"One of the most stunningly beautiful novels in recent years... it feels like a miracle." — Michael Schaub, NPR.org

"Impossible to forget.... Dennis-Benn’s writing is as lush as the island itself.... [She] knows how to make the women so complex that we believe every hairpin turn of her plot." — Caroline Leavitt, The Boston Globe

"The book vividly captures the fraught dynamics of familial and romantic relationships... Poignant." — The New Yorker

"Similarities to fellow Caribbean writer Edwidge Danticat, or early V.S. Naipaul, are plentiful... [A] rich, accomplished novel." — Kenneth Champeon, BookPage

"Here are visceral, profound writing and invigorating characters. Here, too, is the deep and specific sensation of experience… Haunting and superbly crafted, this is a magical book from a writer of immense talent and intelligence." — Kirkus Reviews [Starred Review]

"With eloquent prose and unsentimental clarity, Dennis-Benn offers an excellent reason to look beyond the surface beauty of paradise. This novel is as bracing as a cold shower on a hot day." — Connie Olge, The Miami Herald

"[A] striking portrayal of a vibrant community where everyone is related and every action reverberates, and [an] unstinting description of how shame whips desire into submission." — Publishers Weekly

"Her prose is lyrical and vibrant, but Dennis-Benn has a deeper purpose, and she takes the reader on a trip that is impossible to forget." — Molly McArdle, Brooklyn Magazine

"Stuns at every turn." — Marlon James, author of A Brief History of Seven Killings

"A moving portrait of a Jamaican family and community wrestling with the great questions in life - how to live and love freely in a world filled with obstacles to both. Nicole Dennis-Benn's exploration of Caribbean women's desires for themselves and each other is an important contribution to our literature." — Naomi Jackson, author of The Star Side of Bird Hill

"Here Comes the Sun is every bit as dazzling as its title suggests. Nicole Dennis-Benn draws us so deeply into the fates of her unforgettable characters that we can’t help but dream, suffer, celebrate, and grieve alongside them. Each page of this terrific debut vibrates with power, heart, and unflinching honesty—I couldn’t put it down, yet didn’t want it to end." — Mia Alvar, author of In the Country

"An indelible portrait of a woman in motion. Nicole Dennis-Benn has created in Margot a fierce and fearless striver. A fantastic debut." — Laila Lalami, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Moor's Account

"In Here Comes The Sun, Nicole Dennis-Benn boldly takes on the emotional and psycho-social effects of colorism and classism, among other topics. Here is a story of love and betrayal within the parameters of friendships and families in one Jamaican community. Most prominently, we follow the struggles of Margot, Delores, Thandi, and Verdene as they embark on their journey toward self-fulfillment. Nicole Dennis-Benn has written a book that is full of culture and crackling with life." — Chinelo Okparanta, author of Under the Udala Trees