Huracan

by Diana McCaulay

Set in Jamaica, this novel discusses the island’s story of slavery and independence from a personal perspective, shifting from an 18th-century narrative to one in the 1980s. Leigh McCaulay left Jamaica for New York at the age of 15 following her parents’ divorce. In the wake of her mother’s death another 15 years later, she returns to the island to find her estranged father and the family secrets he holds. As Leigh begins to make an adult life on the island, she learns of her ancestors: Zachary Macaulay, a Scot sent as a young man to be a bookkeeper on a sugar plantation in 18th-century Jamaica who, after witnessing and participating in the brutality of slavery, becomes an abolitionist; and John Macaulay, a missionary who came to Jamaica in the 19th century to save souls and ended up questioning the foundations of his beliefs. Leigh struggles with guilt and confusion over her part in an oppressive history as she also encounters the familiarity of home and the strangeness of being white in a black country. Examining themes of homecoming, belonging, love, and redemption, this novel—loosely based on the author’s own family history—explores how individuals navigate the inequalities and privileges they are born into and how the possibilities for connectedness and social transformation occur in everyday contemporary life.

Genres: Historical Fiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2012

Reviews

[BookOfCinz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up Diana McCaulay's Huracan with not a lot of expectations. I usually enjoy reading her novels so I figured I would enjoy this book, that was not the case.

Huracan is set in Jamaica follows the descendants of the McCaulay line who ended up to Jamaica. Starting from the 18th century we meet young Zachary Macaulay, sent to the island to be a bookkeeper on one of the more prosperous sugar plantations. Zachary who is new to island life assimilate but cannot get use the brutalities of slavery and after years of working on a plantation he becomes an abolitionist. Fast forward to the 19th century, we see John and his brother Brian who are both missionaries heading to Jamaica to help spread the Baptist message. We focus on John's ministry in a remote part of Jamaica, how he integrates with the village and locals who recently experience freedom from slavery. Last, we meet Leigh McCaulay who is returning to Jamaica after hearing of the death of her mother. Leigh's storyline is set in the 1980s and it is during that time we learn about how she is tied to the previous McCaulays.

The book is loosely based on the authors' family history so it is hard to separate what is fact from what exactly is fiction. Overall I felt the book started off really strong, I felt I was being carried on a journey, however, I felt like I got taken for a ride that went no where. I just felt the author lacked focus, too much was being explored so it turned out A LOT got glossed over. I am a little annoyed that the author didn't zone in on ONE storyline and went from there. I felt she was a bit too ambitious trying to do Zachary, John and Leigh and fitting their lives into less than 300 pages.

A disappointing read, especially because I am such a big fan of the author.

[Annie Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I have a 2800 word response i wrote to it so its difficult to write a short blurb here...just to say that its an intense exploration of what it means to be white in a post-slavery, post-colonial society--Jamaica...highly recommended.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this book.

There's nothing wrong with using one's family history as inspiration for writing fiction, but fictionalizing your entire family, such that you seem to be descended from heroes, and giving the main character, Leigh McCaulay (who is analogous to Diana McCaulay, as far as I can tell), a fictitious source of black heritage feels...odd? Stories should be reflections of the truth. That reflection can take many forms, both literal and metaphorical, but what McCaulay is doing here feels more like playing out personal fantasies rather than drawing inspiration from history or taking valid artistic liberties with a true story. In her author's note, McCaulay literally writes, "This was a narrative I could rally behind. I was the descendant of an abolitionist, a missionary, and... well, a businessman, I suppose" (289). It's an entertaining story and easy to read, but I'm just not sure how much it really says about racial experiences in Jamaica.

The writing doesn't seem especially mind-blowingly skillful or beautiful either. The ending felt superficial. Zachary's and John's transitions from shameless racists to champions of human rights were essentially glossed over, which, besides being lazy writing, is something with which I wasn't really comfortable. Both Zachary ("She might be free or still a slave, but he was sure any man could have her," p. 75) and John ("She has silky brown hair and blue eyes, not so beautiful as to inflame the thoughts of men, but pretty enough. Obedient to his will, but able to butcher a yard fowl and ride a horse," p. 106) are also extremely sexist and disrespectful toward women, and this is never even revisited. Again, it felt like Diana McCaulay was too eager to push a narrative that made white people (her white family) the heroes. A lot of interesting stories were put forward, but none felt particularly fleshed out. In my eyes, the really interesting story exists in the details that were largely left out: Zachary's and John's changes of heart, the root of the rampant police brutality that kills Jelly, the tensions that led to the killing of Leigh's mother...All of the stuff that would give us real insight into who we are as humans, beyond the superficial and cliched depictions of racism during the slavery and post-slavery eras, seems to be absent from Huracan. This isn't even to mention how disrespectful it seems to use a Taino word for the title while leaving Taino people entirely out of the novel.

Not true enough to be an autobiography or a history. Not well written enough to be a novel.

Overall, I shrug my shoulders.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical fiction chronicling the lives of three people at different points in time, who may or may not be related. I liked it, I wish that we could have learned more about each of the three main characters. I feel that we barely got the tip of the iceberg. An interesting read nonetheless.

[Diana McDonough]

Loved this work by Diana McCaulay. She retraced the steps of her ancestors from Scotland to Jamaica and back. Her insight into Jamaica's history is sensitive and accurate. Can't wait to read another one of her books.

[Fabienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Sophia Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

So by now everyone knows that I love historical fiction. This book was full of history and the author was able to tie it in to modern day life. I am not a fan of going back and forth between characters and timelines but it was an easy read filled with all the qualities of a great book. Well done!

[Bill Brydon · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 periods generations in Jamaica excellent research/ imagination

Review Huracan by @dmccaulay Looking for “Decolonial Love” in Postcolonial Jamaica @AnniePaul http://smallaxe.net/wordpress3/review... …