There were other quotes from A High Wind In Jamaica that I could have chosen for the title of this post that better captured the story of the novel, but I just loved that line so much when I read it, I had to mark the page, save it, write it down. To be shared and admired.
It's kind of strange to think that there aren't that many books (at least that I can think of...I'm sure a more avid, expert level reader could list off many) that are written by adults, about children, that aren't a children's book per se, but that accurately capture the minds and inner lives of children. And I wasn't expecting A High Wind in Jamaica to do that as marvelously as it did. I think Lord of the Flies is the more obvious example that I could think of that felt similar to this book, but this one felt a little more fanciful and imaginative, as though someone much younger could have read it and enjoyed it for the adventuresome tale of the children's voyage and totally missed the much darker themes that pervaded the story. Like, much darker.
The story tells of the 5 Bas-Thornton children (and 2 Fernandez children), ranging in age from 4 to about 15 growing up in the wilds of Jamaica during, what I assume, is the mid to late 1800s (I don't believe an actual year was specified). The children live, what I can only describe as feral lives on the island. They play in the exotic surroundings, mess with bugs and animals, and definitely don't live in a conventional way as would be expected of a white British family (the girls all have their hair cut short and don't wear clothes...the one time the older daughter wore a dress while playing, she almost drowned from the fabric wrapping around her face). A terrible hurricane sweeps through the island destroying everything the Bas-Thorntons own and just barely leaving them all with their lives. Following the storm, the parents freak and realize it's time to send their children back to a safer upbringing. They are sent on a ship bound for England, but shortly after leaving Montego Bay, the ship is ambushed by pirates who take nearly everything from the ship, including the 7 children. And so the rest of the book tells of the children's time spent with the pirates, their life on the ship, and the very complicated relationships that develop during this time.
What fascinated me about this book was how the immediacy of the children's experiences affect the overall story. The children very much lived only in the present moment (as kids do!); as soon as something was out of site and they had a new environment and people to explore, it was as though the previous existence never was. As soon as the kids have the fascinating expanse of the pirate ship to explore, they give no thought to their parents. At one point at a stop in St Lucia, one of the children becomes seriously injured and is left behind on the island, and none of the children seem to mind or give it another thought. In fact, the boy is not mentioned again in the novel until nearly the very end. And once the children are eventually set on a steamer bound for England, as soon as they set foot on the much more elaborate ship, they give no thought to leaving the pirates and become completely absorbed in their new surroundings.
And this impermanent memory is also an important facet of the story. Back in England, the children tell revisionist histories of what they experienced that often were not true, but romanticized (and violent) stories of what one would have expected to have happened with the pirates. In reality, the children became very attached to all of the sailors on the ship, captain Jonsen and first mate Otto in particular, and didn't see them as dangerous at all. The children developed strong affections for them and they even assumed a parental role in the eyes of the children. And in fact, the children didn't even know they were pirates for a very long time after then had been on the ship and were reluctant to admit they were. And I appreciated that the "pirates" were not depicted as "typical" pirates...no peg-leg, no eye patches, no "Arrrggg."
There was also a very discomforting sexual dynamic with the children and the pirates. In particular, a good portion of the story is focused on 10-year-old Emily. At one point, Captain Jonsen strokes her hair in a kindly way (he expresses his feelings for the children as fatherly and not ill-intentioned at all) that slightly borders into an inappropriate way, and while Emily doesn't really understand what this means, she reacts by biting his hand incredibly hard and runs away. The captain feels ashamed for his actions but is also angry with her. All of the other children don't understand at all and just angry with Emily for hurting him and exclude her from playing with them. Later in the story, when Emily injures her leg and the captain carries her down to the bunk and she kisses him. Like I said...discomforting sexual dynamic. It's as though the girl is just slightly too young to understand what is happening and also doesn't have an adult female to explain anything so any understanding of appropriate interactions are all over the place. Her coming of age in this way, and really for all the children, gives them an odd contrast of living amongst violent men and still being naïve and vulnerable. And while there are glimpses of this innocence ebbing away, they still live with the mindset of children. This is even more evident with the ending of the book. I won't go into details to give it away, but it certainly seems that some of the darker, sadistic sides of the pirates rubbed off on the children, Emily in particular.
The book was one that I felt was remarkable. There were so many different levels and nuances to what was going on not just directly in the action of the characters, but indirectly in the author's descriptions. Upon finishing the book, I had a very satisfying feeling of, "This is what good writing is about." I would highly recommend if you're looking for an action-driven book that has a lot more to say.
Onwards and upwards. Next up is The Radiant Way by Margaret Drabble. It's on my list of female novels. It seems to be written in the 1980s, so it will be an interesting change to read something from that time.
226 to go. Happy Sunday!
