Tall Is Her Body

The deeply moving sophomore novel from de la Chevotière (We Were Not Kings) is a magical realist coming-of-age story chronicling a young man’s life in the West Indies. The lush island of Guadeloupe is the only home six-year-old Fidel Rossi has ever known. But when tragedy strikes and Fidel is orphaned, he moves to his mother’s homeland of Dominica. As Fidel is shuffled between extended family members, he learns more about his heritage and family secrets come to light. Sent to Catholic school, he must reconcile his teachers’ lessons with his family’s spiritual practice of Obeah and his own burgeoning ability to see and speak to spirits. After a brief stint in Canada for college, Fidel returns to Dominica and settles into life as a farmer. Following the collapse of the banana industry in the 1990s, an opportunity arises for Fidel to live in Canada with his childhood love, but he struggles with the thought of leaving home forever. De la Chevotière’s fluid and atmospheric writing easily draws readers into both the lush setting of Dominica and Fidel’s inner world. Themes of identity, colonialism, and racism bolster the sprawling plot, and though the magical elements are light, they fascinate. This is sure to impress. Agent: Lane Clarke, Ultra Literary. (Oct.)