Joanne C. Hillhouse crafts narratives deeply rooted in the Caribbean, exploring themes of identity and adolescence for young adult and children's audiences. Her storytelling captures the unique spirit of the region, offering readers vibrant characters and immersive settings. Hillhouse's work is recognized for its engaging prose and its ability to connect with readers on an emotional level. She brings a distinctive voice to Caribbean literature, enriching the global literary landscape.
Vere's irrepressible spirit is an asset as he comes of age in Antigua. His is a hard-knocks existence marked by poverty and loss - but he is equally shaped by his family, his first love and island life. Beautifully told, his is the story of a Caribbean boy, trying to hold on to what's real and precious to him while learning to be a man.
A stirring novel about a woman facing cross-cultural odds and redefining everything she understands about her family, herself, and the country she’s never really been able to call home. A stirring novel about a woman facing cross-cultural odds and redefining everything she understands about her family, herself, and the country she’s never really been able to call home. Nikki Baltimore was born in Antigua but grew up with her dad in the United States. With each year, she’s grown further apart from her mother and maternal siblings, potters in rural Antigua. Her mother’s funeral brings Nikki back to the island, and, at a professional and personal crossroads, she makes the impulsive decision to stay after being offered a job by the ruling government. Soon, Nikki is embroiled in a hurricane of an existence which includes a political hot potato, confusion in her romantic life, and deepening involvement in the lives of the family she left behind. Will Nikki eventually find her place in the chaos and begin to plant the roots that have escaped her all her life?