Kereen Getten’s debut novel WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MANGOS is described as “a celebration of island life as well as a rich, lyrical mystery.”
From her web site: “Twelve-year-old Clara lives on an island that visitors call exotic. But there’s nothing exotic about it to Clara. She loves eating ripe mangos off the ground, running outside in the rain with her Papa during rainy season, and going to her secret hideout with Gaynah—even though lately she’s not acting like a best friend.
The only thing out of the ordinary for Clara is that something happened to her memory that made her forget everything that happened last summer after a hurricane hit. Sometimes things come back to her in drips like a tap that hasn’t been turned off properly. Other times her Mama fills in the blanks…only she knows those aren’t her memories and it is hard feeling like she is not like everybody else.
But this summer is going to be different for Clara. Everyone is buzzing with excitement over a new girl in the village who is not like other visitors. She is about to make big waves on the island—and give Clara a summer she won’t forget.”
From her publisher: “Kereen Getten grew up in Jamaica but now lives in Birmingham with her family. She has previously written short stories for multiple publications including Notts Review and Adhoc Fiction. She was nominated for Best Short Fiction 2018 and highly commended for the FAB prize.”
THE BUZZ
“Getten’s handling of potentially tough topics like family, disability, and religion is spot-on, weaving important discussions into an adventurous, summery plot that just keeps going.” —SLJ, Starred Review
“Getten lures readers in. Readers occupy pretty much the same position as the island kids, puzzling over clues and gossip but unable to pry out the truth.” —The Bulletin, Starred Review
“A touching novel about letting go of the past and moving on.” —Kirkus Reviews
You can listen to an excerpt of the novel, and learn more by visiting Kereen Getten online.