Winner of the Stonewall Book Award!
Winner of the Lambda Literary Award!
Caroline Murphy is a Hurricane Child.
Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and twelve-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She's hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit only she can see won't stop following her, and -- worst of all -- Caroline's mother left home one day and never came back.
But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline's luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados with a special smile for everyone, becomes Caroline's first and only friend -- and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush.
Now, Caroline must find the strength to confront her feelings for Kalinda, brave the spirit stalking her through the islands, and face the reason her mother abandoned her. Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother -- before Caroline loses her forever.
Kacen Callender
Kacen Callender's debut novel,
Hurricane Child, was the winner of the 2019 Stonewall Book Award and the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, as well as a Kirkus Best Book of 2018. Born and raised in St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, they enjoy playing video games and watching anime and reality TV shows in their free time. Kacen currently lives and writes in Philadelphia.
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- My ma's voice is rough and low. When she speaks to strangers on the telephone, they
call her "sir." I guess it must be surprising to some people, the way her voice
sounds, because she's so beautiful--just about the prettiest woman you've ever seen--but
I think it suits her just fine. I love the way her rough voice vibrates through
the air like a beat on a drum. She sings around the house. Under her breath, since
people say her voice is so ugly all the time.
Why you wanna fly, Blackbird?
That's
the song that's stuck in my head now.
You ain't never gonna fly.
***
Kalinda
walks into the room, head as high as ever, taking her time smiling and greeting
everyone in the room. She leaves me for last, but I know it's only because she has
the most to say to me. She takes someone else's seat beside me and takes my hand
and tells me that I would never believe what has happened.
