Debut novel 'Jamaica Road' explores identity and coming of age in 1980s Britain

WBUR

Published July 25, 2025 at 11:59 AM EDT

The cover of "Jamaica Road" beside author Lisa Smith. (Courtesy of Alfred A. Knopf)

Deborah Becker speaks with British Jamaican author Lisa Smith about her debut novel “Jamaica Road.” It centers around Daphne, a British-Jamaican girl growing up in 1980s London and her relationship with a Jamaican boy, Connie, who is in Britain illegally.

Book excerpt: ‘Jamaica Road’

By Lisa Smith

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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