Clara loves life on Sycamore Hill in tropical Jamaica. It can get a little boring though, as nothing really interesting happens in the little town of Sycamore. Her best friend Gaynah has some exciting news. A new girl is coming to stay with Ms Gee, the grumpy, old, blind woman who lives nearby.

Gaynah and Clara are in fact cousins and spend all their time together. Lately, Gaynah’s sharp tongue and caustic comments have annoyed Clara more than usual. Especially when Gaynah reminds Clara about her missing memories of the year before. Something happened in water, stealing Clara’s love of the ocean and her favourite pastime of all – surfing.

When Clara discovers a betrayal of a secret, she decides she has had enough of Gaynah. Their friendship is broken forever. Still, she sees Gaynah every day as part of the small group of kids who hang out together, especially now it’s school holidays. The new girl Rudy has slotted into this group effortlessly with her bubbly, outgoing nature, exotic British accent and quirky dress sense.

Rudy is imaginative too, taking Clara and the others into adventure role play. With nothing else to do, even the boys join in. Rudy however, is unaware and unafraid of the recluse who lives in the grand house at the top of the hill. The overgrown gardens and mystery feeds her imagination further, taking her new friends where they fear to tread.

Rudy’s belief in all things good breaks a spell of mistrust, rumour, anger and blame that has lain over Sycamore for decades. Clara’s lost memories are slowly drawn from her, finally explaining her fears and confusion of the last year.

 If you enjoyed Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, you’ll love When Life gives you Mangoes. Instead of a dog being the catalyst for change, it is a girl from far away. The main character tells this story from her point of view, first person / present tense. Clara is authentic, sometimes funny, and a much loved daughter. She has a fiery temper and blurts out what she’s thinking when she shouldn’t, and is confused about her fear of the water.

Her blocked memories are revealed in a surprising way, then the story goes backwards in time to allow the reader to understand further. This provides a rethinking of what’s been read so far. The setting is deftly set, the tropical heat present throughout the tale.

Author – Kereen Getten

Age – 10+

(2021, Pushkin, Jamaica, Memory Block, Memories, Ocean, Sea, Friendship, New friend, Lies, Rumours, Mistruths, Grief, Blame, Adventure, Growing up, Family, Conflict, Mystery)