Highly Rated Jamaican Novels

The Secret Pact

Author: Glen Carty
4.8 of 5
Publication: 2024

A fast paced historical novel set in 1743 Jamaica, after the First Maroon War. Tensions remain high and two young Maroons defy the treaty, risking everything for what they believe is right.

The Book of Night Women

Author: Marlon James
4.6 of 5
Publication: 2009

Lilith is born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation. The Night Women have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age, she reveals her power.

Augustown

Author: Kei Miller
4.5 of 5
Publication: 2017

1980s Jamaica, blind Ma Taffy senses upheaval when her great-nephew’s dreadlocks are cut by a teacher, triggering repercussions that ripple through the community.

Here Comes the Sun

Author: Nicole Dennis-Benn
4.1 of 5
Publication: 2016

A novel set in Montego Bay, where Margot fights to protect her sister and conceal a forbidden love while a new hotel threatens their community.

A Brief History of Seven Killings

Author: Marlon James
4.2 of 5
Publication: 2014

Exploration of the 1976 attempted assassination of Bob Marley, spanning three decades through the lives of gunmen, CIA agents, and more. Winner of the Booker Prize.

Small Island

Author: Andrea Levy
4.4 of 5
Publication: 2010

Story of immigrants moving from Jamaica to 1948 London, facing racial prejudice and the personal challenges of resilience and survival.

Wide Sargasso Sea

Author: Jean Rhys
4.3 of 5
First Publication: 1966

A prequel to Jane Eyre, offering the backstory of Bertha Mason. It explores her life in Jamaica and England, focusing on themes of colonialism and identity.

The Long Song

Author: Andrea Levy
4.4 of 5
Publication: 2010

Set during the final years of slavery in Jamaica, telling the story of a young slave girl and the chaotic transition to freedom.

Pao

Author: Kerry Young
4.4 of 5
Publication: 2012

1938, Yang Pao rises to become a formidable figure in Kingston's underworld during the transformative 1960s.

How to Say Babylon

Author: Safiya Sinclair
4.6 of 5
Publication: 2024

A memoir: A beautifully written account of the author's childhood, shaped by a strict Rastafarian household, patriarchal control, and her struggle to claim her own voice and sense of self.