Sweetness in the Skin
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 OCM BOCAS PRIZE FOR CARIBBEAN LITERATURE
Pumkin Patterson dreams of a life beyond her Jamaican hometown. But what we dream of and where we belong aren’t always the same thing…
‘A dazzling coming-of-age novel with an unforgettable heroine’ Red
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Eleven-year-old Pumpin knows a few things:
That her mother has never loved her
That Aunt Sophie does
That baking makes everything better
And France is a long way from her Jamaican home
What Pumkin doesn’t know is:
What will happen when Aunt Sophie leaves for France
How far a mother can go to hurt a daughter
Why a secret can rot a family
That her cakes might just help save her life
Whatever happens, Pumkin knows she needs someone to love her.
But she just doesn’t know who . . .
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Praise for Sweetness in the Skin
‘Serves up a taste of Jamaica that will have you craving coconut drops, gizzada and sweet potato pudding’ The Times
‘Wonderful, tender, vivid’ Glamour