Hurricane Summer

Hurricane Summer explores the storm within 18-year-old Tilla and the external storm, Hurricane Gustav, on the island of Jamaica. Tilla and her younger sister, Mia, travel from their home in Toronto to Jamaica to visit their father whom they haven’t seen in 376 days. Tilla’s relationship with her father is complex, as would be expected by his extended absences from his Canadian family. Upon their arrival in Jamaica, they are taken to their father’s rural home. Shortly after, their father returns to Kingston, leaving Tilla and Mia in the care of his extended family.

Treated as a spoiled, rich “foreigna”, Tilla struggles to fit in. She does not understand the familial or cultural expectations. Although, Hurricane Summer is written in the first person, so we only ever see the story from Tilla’s perspective, the hurricane that Bromfield creates inside Tilla is devastating. Tilla is the victim of rape, sexism, endures scathing treatment from her extended family who are jealous of her Canadian life, and she suffers through the death of her beloved cousin Andre. She witnesses incest, colourism, poverty and learns of her father's extramarital affair and the existence of her half-brother.

Yearning to spend time with her father, Tilla is looking forward to the time she and Mia will spend with their father in Kingston. Their father takes them to a hairdresser, Paula, who has a five-year-old son named Braxton. As the plot unfolds, readers learn that Paula is her father’s mistress and Braxton is his son. Tilla is broken by this news, and, when she confronts her father, he sends them back to the countryside.

Gustav arrives devastating Jamaica, but initially sparing the lives of the members of Tilla’s extended family. During the eye of the storm, Andre takes her to a viewpoint overlooking a valley, a risky but exhilarating experience. The beauty amid the devastation of the power of the hurricane is a metaphor for the internal storm raging inside Tilla. Witnessing the power of mother nature firsthand helps Tilla acknowledge the beauty of the storm raging inside her.

The prose is colourful and at times literary. There is a lot going on in this story, and there are some loose ends. Bromfield tackles some tough topics but does not flinch. Tilla is self-obsessed, as is the wont of 18-year-old girls, but she flies back to Canada with a much broader understanding of herself, where she fits in the world and her personal strength and resilience.

This story will keep teenage girls turning the pages as there is rarely a dull moment. The patois is easy to follow, but there is a glossary at the front of the book should the reader need assistance. I do wonder if readers will think they will have to read through the glossary before starting the story. If this proves to be a stumbling block, it would be unfortunate as readers would miss a great yarn. Hurricane Summer is a worthy addition to all collections. The caveat is, those purchasing for middle school/junior high libraries should be aware of the content before making a purchasing decision.