Jamaica Road

Understated and beautifully affecting, unblinking in its examination of friendship and era … Smith is a fiercely compassionate writer. Connie and Daphne are a gift I didn’t know I needed. – Leone Ross, author of THIS ONE SKY DAY
Jamaica Road exudes love … with a wisdom and warmth that jumps off the page. – Vanessa Chan, author of THE STORM WE MADE
Wonderful … The racism of the 1980s and in particular the Deptford fire form a poignant backdrop which is only too familiar now. – Marcia Hutchinson, author of THE MERCY STEP
Daphne’s voice is transporting as she turns her sharp eye on the decade unfolding around her while trying to unravel the tangled loyalties at home. Lisa Smith has crafted a beautifully expansive, immersive and vividly detailed tale. – Sarah Marsh, author of A SIGN OF HER OWN
Dazzling-rich in detail and atmosphere … Smith has crafted a tender, nuanced and unforgettable coming-of-age story. – Essie Chambers, author of SWIFT RIVER
Smith’s evocative prose had me thinking about Connie and Daphne long after I closed the book. An impressive debut from an exciting new voice. – Diana McCaulay, author of A HOUSE FOR MISS PAULINE
Jamaica Road is a truly incredible novel of wisdom, pain and joy … Lisa Smith is a storyteller of immense talent. – Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of THE THREE OF US
A beautiful story about love, friendship and the importance of community … A wonderful read. – Louise Hare, author of MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS
A tender, marvellous ode to love in all its forms … These characters are some of the most memorable fictional persons I’ve come across in a long time. Lisa Smith is an inspiration. – Alexia Arthurs, author of HOW TO LOVE A JAMAICAN
An immersive debut full of heart. – Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of FOUR TREASURES OF THE SKY
Lisa Smith deftly portrays a world in flux … A wise and moving tale of love, loss, redemption and renewal. – Gina Chung, author of SEA CHANGE and GREEN FROG
A hugely immersive and wonderfully entertaining read. Jamaica Road is bursting with heart. I highly recommend it. – Carole Hailey, author of SCENES FROM A TRAGEDY
Jamaica Road shines in its incredible, portrayal of British multiculturalism in the eighties. – Letitia Jarrett
Rife with secrets, surprises and characters you can root for. – Christina Cooke, author of BROUGHTUPSY
Tender and moving … Lisa Smith shows us how friendship and love can endure, even when tested by time and tragedy. – Anissa Gray, author of THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS and LIFE AND OTHER LOVE SONGS
Immersive and sweeping … A novel to savour. – Mai Sennaar, author of THEY DREAM IN GOLD
A luminous, powerful debut. * People *
A winning debut … Profound. * Boston Globe *
A major achievement from an author with talent to spare. A moving, beautifully structured novel from an incredible new voice. * Kirkus *
Captivating … This gritty drama hits hard. * Publishers Weekly *
Poignant and gripping … [Jamaica Road] feels as urgent today as it would have decades ago, an unforgettable story of love, resistance, and self-discovery. * Booklist *
Tender, tense and beautifully crafted. * Rhody Magazine *

Lisa Smith is a writer from South London born to Caribbean parents. She has an MA in Creative & Life Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London, where she won the Pat Kavanagh Prize in 2019. Her short story Auld Lang Syne won the 2017 Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize and in 2020 she was selected to join the London Library Emerging Writers Programme. Jamaica Road is her first novel.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.