Josephine Against the Sea
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- €9.99
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- €9.99
Publisher Description
Meet Josephine, the most loveable mischief-maker in Barbados, in a magical, heartfelt adventure inspired by Caribbean mythology.
* “A heart-wrenching adventure with big laughs and well-earned surprises.” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Eleven-year-old Josephine knows that no one is good enough for her daddy. That's why she makes a habit of scaring his new girlfriends away. She's desperate to make it onto her school's cricket team because she'll get to play her favorite sport AND use the cricket matches to distract Daddy from dating.
But when Coach Broomes announces that girls can't try out for the team, the frustrated Josephine cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life . . .
The next day, Daddy brings home a new catch, a beautiful woman named Mariss. And unlike the other girlfriends, this one doesn't scare easily. Josephine knows there's something fishy about Mariss but she never expected her to be a vengeful sea creature eager to take her place as her father's first love! Can Josephine convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save Daddy from Mariss's clutches before it's too late?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bourne (My Fishy Stepmom) conjures young heroes and a mean game of cricket in a roaring tale of hidden Caribbean mysticism set in Barbados. Spirited 11-year-old Josephine has grown accustomed to living with just her Guyanese fisherman father after her mother's death, but she hates the way her dad avoids mentioning her mom—or discussing cricket, the sport they all loved—and his efforts to move on by dating. Alongside her best friend Ahkai, who's on the autism spectrum and selectively nonverbal, Josephine successfully ousts each prospective partner—the latest with "operation slime"—until the arrival of mysteriously seductive Mariss, with whom her father falls in love. As the relationship deepens, Josephine notices strange household changes, including fading traces of her mother, that hint at an uncanny presence. While struggling to keep her father safe, preserve her mother's memory, and make a cricket team that she's told is only for boys, Josephine looks into a figure of Caribbean folklore. Twining fantastical elements with a steady pace and a contemporary setting, Bourne nets a relatable story of processing grief, trust in one's family and community, and Black girl magic. Ages 8–12.
