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