Cassava Republic Press

My Own Dear People - Dwight Thompson

"An important, beautifully written novel about a young man's struggle to come to terms with the actions (and inactions) of his own past. This is one of the best books I have read in a long, long time." - Jerry Stahl, author of Nein, Nein, Nein!Nyjah Messado has built a life away from home, but he is haunted not by a ghost, but by a memory: the moment he witnessed a brutal sexual assault and chose silence. Raised within the rigid masculine codes of an elite Jamaican boys' school, Nyjah learns early what is expected of him: loyalty to other men, contempt for weakness, and the careful management of guilt. Years later, returning to Montego Bay, he must navigate a city shaped by class divisions, colonial legacies and violence, while confronting the moral cost of what he failed to do. My Own Dear People is a fierce, lyrical coming-of-age novel about masculinity, complicity and self-deception. Unflinching in its treatment of rape culture and homophobia, it asks whether forgiveness, of others, or of oneself, is ever truly possible.

Product names and technical specifications are provided by merchants. Always confirm the exact variant in the merchant’s checkout.