On the high seas of the Caribbean, a family of English children is set loose – sent by their home in Jamaica to receive the civilizing effects of England.
When their ship is captured by pirates, the thrilling cruise continues as the children transfer their affections from one batch of sailors to another. Innocence is their protection, but as life in the care of pirates reveals its dangers, the events which unfold begin to take on a savagely detached quality.
‘I read Richard Hughes’ A High Wind in Jamaica this year and felt breathless with shock and awe . . . Appallingly dark story . . . dreadfully funny.’ Independent
Why Must She Grow up?
The book was A High Wind in Jamaica (1929) and it is indeed a short book, but one that grips and fizzes with ideas, images and energy. Thirty-five years ago, as an inexperienced schoolteacher, I had...
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