A High Wind in Jamaica

A High Wind in Jamaica, by Richard Hughes (New York Review Books, $14.00, 1929)

I read such a reverent endorsement of this classic novel that I just had to check it out.  Get this edition as the cover and paper quality is as good as the novel.  What a ride.  It turns out that the high wind and Jamaica are only in the beginning of this adventure, but they play a huge part in catapulting these 3 rambunctious kids on to their journey - both physically and metaphorically.  Their rough and tumble life in Jamaica prepares them for the courage they will need as this story progresses.   Said Jamaica, and all the wilds it provides, endures an earthquake and a hurricane, and the Thorntons decide that life is just too rough there for the children.  They feel that  they'd be safer being educated properly in England and send them off on a ship - the youngest being 3!.  Best laid plans, as that provides a far more harrowing experience when the ship is overtaken by pirates.  These are not your normal pirates, luckily, but that doesn't mean that the children don't endure some mighty scary stuff.  It's beautifully written and full of depth, as reality is questioned both from the vagaries of a child's perceptions and memory, and the unpredictable quality of human nature.