‘The Star Side of Bird Hill’: Book offers a cool dive into different cultures

Naomi Jackson's debut novel, 'The Star Side of Bird Hill,” is a moving exploration of the ties that bind a family together. For Jackson's characters - especially two young sisters who find themselves in their grandmother's care - many of those ties are frayed at best. The book charts the girls' efforts to find their own inner strength as the nature of their family is redefined.

The novel is set in Barbados where Dionne and Phaedra live with their grandmother Hyacinth while their mother remains behind in Brooklyn. Ten-year-old Phaedra is very much at the heart of the story, and her relationship with Hyacinth is beautifully portrayed. As change swirls around her, Phaedra must make choices and gain understanding that will help shape who she will become.

Jackson, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, trusts her reader to dive into the culture of Barbados without a guidebook. Dialect, cultural traditions, and more are convincingly and strikingly rendered without being hampered by explanatory text. The effect is much like traveling to a new and welcoming place where there is plenty to figure out, but the task is pleasant.

Though young people feature prominently in the book, 'The Star Side of Bird Hill” is more than a coming of age story. It is also a poignant reminder of what adults - often battling their own demons and insecurities - can and cannot provide for children as they seek to find their way in the world. Jackson has compassion for her characters as they struggle, and sometimes fail, to be their best selves.

Book reading

What: Naomi Jackson reads from 'The Star Side of Bird Hill”

Where: Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Cost: Free