She's Gone [Paperback]

Kwame Dawes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2007

A prominent Jamaican reggae singer falls in love with an African American woman while on tour in South Carolina. The two struggle to forge a relationship across a cultural and psychological divide in a story that spans from Jamaica to South Carolina to New York City.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his debut novel, Jamaican writer Dawes unites Kofi, singer and lyricist of the Jamaican Reggae band Small Ax, and the equally last-nameless Columbia University sex researcher Keisha on the dance floor of a beachfront Carolina club, but can't make them connect fully, with each other or as characters. With sparks flying (and over the protestations of the ambitious bass player Pedro), the two decamp to Spanish Town in the Greater Antilles, where Keisha takes a job in a private high school and Kofi, inspired by rubbish scavengers, composes social lamentations. When word comes that Kofi's Aunt Josephine is on her deathbed, the two rush to the Jamaican backwater of Castlevale to find the old lady holding off the inevitable until she has had a chance to fill Keisha in on her nephew's complicated genealogy. Kofi grieves by purging himself with bags of oranges, and Keisha, feeling spurned, travels deeper in-country, and ends up dissuading a would-be rapist by means of projectile vomiting. She returns to Spanish Town to bid Kofi farewell, but secondhand tidings of a pregnancy lure him into stalking her across the Caribbean. Dawes then maps out Keisha's South Carolina backstory, but all of the attributes of these two characters-from Kofi's Ghanian roots to Keisha's tardily-recovered molestation memories and abuse at the hands of former beau Troy-don't gel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Keisha, recovering from an abusive relationship, meets a Ghanian-born Jamaican reggae singer at a nightclub in Columbia, South Carolina. Kofi's obvious emotional needs are a strong contrast to her former boyfriend's brutish chilliness. But when Keisha consents to return with Kofi to Jamaica, she discovers that Kofi has his own emotional limitations. He warns her that women leave him when they realize that they cannot be satisfied with what he is willing to give them. Both are rooted and rootless at the same time, tied to their places of birth and culture but wandering in search of a place to belong--urged, encouraged, and berated by a chorus of manipulative relatives and relationships. When Keisha returns to the U.S., it is Kofi's turn to chase her across the upper continent. Dawes, a Ghanian-born Jamaican author, offers vibrant characters and locales, from Jamaica to the American South to the urban North, in this diaspora of black culture and strong emotions, bordering the fine line between love and madness between two troubled people. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Akashic Books (February 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933354186
• ISBN-13: 978-1933354187
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,151,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Books Do Sometimes Have Flaws, September 9, 2007

By 

William m Coles (BALTIMORE, MARYLAND United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: She's Gone (Paperback)

This was a great read, it kept me turning pages and really caught up, like it was really true. However, there were instances where the descriptions of places were overly done and the weeks of conversation with various family members was over done and seemed a bit unrealistic. I was impressed with the relationship with Troy and how the storyline led you to believe Keisha would return to him and at the last minute she did not fall to sexual desires and follow through with an intimate encounter with him particularly when she could see he was the same person he used to be. I think this was very realistic but she somehow was able to do what was best for her. Eventhough, she was not entirely pleased with the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy she did feel a sense of being victorious over that situation. I did not like the ending because I wanted more and wanted to know that Kofi got over his insecurities and was not just caught up in the moment. But to the author's credit, it does leave room for a sequel and I hope it would come with a happy ending. You know, Alma growing up in a way that Keisha would have liked for herself and a family bond for her that Kofi lacked because of his mother's ways. But I loved this book, overall. I do intend to read Wisteria by this author as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They're Gone...can they be found?, July 25, 2007

By 

Angelia Menchan "acvermen.blogspot.com" (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: She's Gone (Paperback)

Mr Dawes has written the best kind of love story. One filled with heart attraction and the complications that love brings. Kofi a successful reggae artist from Jamaica has fallen for Keisha, a social researcher from the American south. There is an immediate chemistry between the two and they feel they can foster a relationship. Keisha joins Kofi on the island and discovers a different world and a different man than the one she fell in love with. Kofi struggles with inner demons, while Keisha struggles with life on the island and her choices. This novel is rich with scenery and emotional angst. I recommend She's Gone to all readers who enjoy a beautifully written and well told story. Wonderful!

Angelia Menchan

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Debut Novel I've Read in a Very Long Time..., August 6, 2007

By 

J. Belfield (Newport News, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: She's Gone (Paperback)

I read a synopsis of this book in a magazine and thought I need to check it out since it was the only one that came highly recommended. It did not disappoint. A very good story. I look forward to more novels by this author. He won me over with the first chapter.