When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd

Caribbean island mythology and culture is pit against the reality of real life violence in the city. Jobs are scarce and his mom's health isn't getting better so Emmanuel knows that cutting off his dreads and taking a gravedigger's job in the city is the only way he can help her. His mother cannot abide by his decision to give up his Rasta roots and taking a job with the dead. Once Emmanuel is in the city he begins to understand the ebb and flow of the giant old cemetery and his role in it. He begins to see ghosts real and imagined as he understands what he has been forced to participate in and the grave he has dug for himself. Yejide comes to understand the old stories shared by the women in the family and her legacy in carrying out those same traditions now that her mom has passed. When she meets Emmanuel at the cemetery their lives will change despite the past and the future others have chosen for them. Colorful verse as vibrant as the islands it represents, this is a love story to the culture and people.  4 stars