Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield

Perfect for fans of The Black Kids, Songs of Irie is a sweeping comingof-age novel from Asha Bromfield about a friendship struggling to
survive amidst the Jamaican civil unrest of the 1970s.
It's 1976 and Jamaica is on fire. The country is on the eve of important
elections and the warring political parties have made the divisions between
the poor and the wealthy even wider. And Irie and Jilly come from very
different backgrounds: Irie is from the heart of Kingston, where fighting in the
streets is common. Jilly is from the hills, where mansions nestled within lush
gardens remain safe behind gates. But the two bond through a shared love of
Reggae music, spending time together atIrie's father's record store, listening
to so-called rebel music that opens Jilly's mind to a sound and a way of
thinking she's never heard before.
As tensions build in the streets, so do tensions between the two girls. A
budding romance between them complicates things further as the push and
pull between their two lives becomes impossible to bear. For Irie, fighting -
with her words and her voice - is her only option. Blood is shed on the streets
in front of her every day. She has no choice. But Jilly can always choose to
escape.
Can their bond survive this impossible divide?
Asha Bromfield has written a compelling, emotional and heart-rending story of
a friendship during wartime and what it means to fight for your words, your life,
and the love of your life.

ASHA ASHANTI BROMFIELD is an actress, singer, producer and writer of
Afro-Jamaican descent. She is known for starring in CW's Riverdale, and
Netflix's Locke and Ke y. Her name means Life, and she is a lover of it. She
currently lives between LA and Toronto, where she enjoys nature, family, and
walking her dog Luka. She's the author of Hurricane Summer and Songs of
Irie

St. Martin's Press
On Sale: Oct 10/23
5.38 x 8.25 • 400 pages
Includes color endpapers
9781250846808 • $27.00 • CL - With dust jacket
YA Fic / Diversity & Multicultural • Ages 13 years and
up