The Possibility of Tenderness: A Jamaican Memoir of Plants and Dreams

by Jason Allen-Paisant

'An extraordinary, necessary book' Robert Macfarlane, author of Underland
'Strangely restorative and tenderly written. Hold it in your hands and then dream of the green world' Monique Roffey, author of Passiontide
'This book is a triumph' Professor Corinne Fowler, author of Our Island Stories
'An unforgettable read' Tice Cin, author of Keeping The House
'Profound and lyrical' Ekow Eshun, author of The Strangers

The Possibility of Tenderness is a personal history narrated through the lens of the ‘grung’ and plants. It’s also a people’s history of the land, a family saga, an archival detective story through time. It’s the migration tale of a young scholar who arrives in Britain from rural Jamaica to study at Oxford to achieve ‘upward social mobility’ and who now lives in Roundhay Leeds. Suddenly, amidst his journey of dreams and class aspiration, the plants and people of his native district, Coffee Grove, begin to offer different ways of living, alternative dreams, and the possibility of tenderness and the permission to roam England.

Marrying the local and the familial with global history and unfolding as a timely and immersive tale of land, environment, and the world of plants, The Possibility of Tenderness reveals how the history of a tiny rural village in a mountainous region of Jamaica is interlinked with that of modern Britain. And, also what that rural village can teach us about leisure, land ownership and reclamation today.

Mama, the author’s grandmother, is a central protagonist of the story. Alongside her, herbalists, plant workers, farmers, and plant lovers help forge an intimate portrait of Coffee Grove, as do the plants themselves; fever grass, jointa, search mi heart, leaf of life, helping Allen-Paisant revise his sense of self and solidify a new understanding of his place in the world.

The Possibility of Tenderness is a cross-pollinating book about the transformative power of plants, the legacy of dreams, and the lessons they offer for living with the earth.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Nature, Biography

264 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[BookOfCinz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender, reflective and deeply moving... Jason shares his love for his grandmother and country

In reading this book I am blow away by the tenderness but also how the author explores his relationship with this Grandmother who raised him. He writes about identity, where is home, regret and the land. Trying to piece together his grandmother's life after her death was hard but the author takes us through that.

If you are Jamaican, this is an important piece of work.

[Lila Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in the middle of reading The possibility of Tenderness by Jason Allen-Paisant. It's a wonderful book documenting the connection with the earth or the 'grung' as he puts it, in Jamaica of his family. It is such a throwback to the family stories of land in Jamaica that I heard about growing up, and what that land means. Like many diasporaan Jamaicans I am (theoretically) the owner of a share of land in Jamaica via my late father, but I've never seen it and don't know where it is. In politically strange times like these it is doubly important for Black people to remember the importance of tenderness that comes from our lin wit the 'grung'. Tenderness is always a possibility and choosing it is a valid choice. It's part of memoir, part geography, part poetry, but all inspiration.

[Stephanie Zahrbock]

Milkweed rec 8/25

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book I listen to the audiobook the author narrated it, the depth and tenderness of his story as he taught me the beauty of the land through his grandmother and mother and what we are losing and why we need to hold onto to it

This book is heartwarming and heartbreaking educational all at the same time as the author goes back as far as slavery to present day through the effects of how we were once connected to gardening/farming and the healing properties of herbs to present day of how and why we are disconnected now and how historical it was prestigious to have land as the slave owners built they wealth of it in the Caribbean Islands it is an eye opener

A must read for all people especially people from the Caribbean or from Caribbean descent I will be purchasing the hard copy

To the author Thank you for writing and narrating the audiobook it is beautifully calming and like the title it glows with tenderness it strangely filled me with a sense of belonging

[Gill James · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some striking passages in this memoir and we do get a real feeling of time and place and of the writer’s relationship with plants.
I learnt a lot about the health-giving properties plants by reading this book.
You can feel the richness of the soil.
However, I wanted a structure and couldn’t find it. I wanted a completed story.
Nevertheless, this is a good read and the hardback edition is beautifully presented.

[Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"How do we find tenderness while fighting to preserve our bodies?"

[Jay White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written book.

[Melissa Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely. I enjoyed learning more about plants and how people interact with them. Thank you for sharing, dear author.

[An]

touch me yes but wear sap first

[anklecemetery]

Really lovely prose, but I ran out of time to finish before it was due back at the library.