Jumping Ship by Janice G. Ross Book Review



Jumping Ship by Janice G. Ross (A prerelease novella to Island Hopping)
Published Date: August 16th, 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction, Carribean

The year was nineteen seventy-five. Pregnant seamstress, Petrina Dugal, became a runaway at the age of twenty-six. She ran away from a brutish husband, Roger, and a well-loved South American home in Georgetown, Guyana; at the heart of her rebellion – an enigmatic lover named Michael Chen. Pet and Mikey, as they became affectionately known, allowed love to blossom in front of her police officer husband and an intrusive community. Were they not aware of the dangers? Or did the pursuit of love trump obligations?

Pet and Mikey’s journey to their new life took them through a multitude of the Caribbean’s treasure trove of islands – Antigua, Martinique, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, and Saint Lucia. More than a month later their voyage landed them at JFK airport, in New York USA. And they disappeared, as though their existence was a myth. During this time, barren couple, Pearl and Edward Riley stumbled upon a newborn baby girl. Her cries could only be heard by a true mother, which Pearl immediately became. Bundled up with their new child, they discovered a parcel of artifacts and a scribbled note that read: Sakkara.

Sakkara Riley grew up with two loving parents – adoptive parents to be exact. She never knew the circumstances surrounding her discovery, until the age of sixteen. The personal artifacts that were handed over had haunted her from that point on. After eight more years, including much research and probing, she was given the opportunity to begin her journey of self-discovery. 

“Jumping Ship” provides the introduction to Sakkara’s attempts to commune with her true heritage.


Review +Rating
4 out of 5 stars

Jumping Ship is a entry into stories that mix culture, love, life, and discovery. There is a marriage of cultures and lifestyles that weave a tale of adultery, new beginnings and most of all love. The characters carry an ethnic essence that is written so realistically throughout the short novel, with the use of native food and language. I always enjoy when a story has that realness and diversity. The author has a firm grip on life in the Carribean and its obvious in her writing.

The story centers around many characters but they're weaved together in a way that they all connect and it doesn't take away from the fluidity of the story. For a short novel I was completely entranced in the journey and thirsting for more. This author is someone to watch and I look forward to the continuation of Sakkara's journey. I can only imagine that it gets better with each step. For a starter (intro) novel it does its job and then some.



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