Lauren Francis-Sharma crafts narratives that delve into the complexities of family bonds and history, weaving tales rich in atmosphere and psychological depth. Her work explores universal truths about love, loss, and the search for belonging. Through her distinct prose, she invites readers to reflect on their own heritage and the enduring power of connection. Francis-Sharma's storytelling offers a compelling journey into the heart of human experience.
Ambitious and masterfully-wrought, Lauren Francis-Sharma's Book of the Little Axe is an incredible journey, spanning decades and oceans from Trinidad to the American West during the tumultuous days of warring colonial powers and westward expansion.
The New York Times Sunday Book Review Shortlist Black Caucus of the American Library Association 2015 Honor Book in Fiction Booklist Starred Review O, The Oprah Magazine "10 Titles to Pick Up Now" "Lauren Francis-Sharma's talent shines."-USA Today A glorious and moving multigenerational, multicultural saga that sweeps from the 1940s through the 1960s in Trinidad and the United States. 'Til the Well Runs Dry opens in a seaside village in the north of Trinidad, where young Marcia Garcia, a gifted and smart-mouthed sixteen-year-old seamstress, lives alone, raising two small boys and guarding a family secret. When she meets Farouk Karam, an ambitious young policeman (so taken with Marcia that he elicits help from a tea-brewing obeah woman to guarantee her ardor), the rewards and risks in Marcia's life amplify forever. On an island rich with laughter, calypso, Carnival, cricket, beaches, and salty air, sweet fruits and spicy stews, the novel follows Marcia and Farouk from their sassy and passionate courtship through personal and historical events that threaten Marcia's secret, entangle the couple and their children in a tumultuous scandal, and put the future in doubt for all of them.