Margaret Cezair-Thompson Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Margaret Cezair-Thompson is a published American author. She is known for writing her novel The True History of Paradise as well as her novel The Pirate’s Daughter.

She was born in Jamaica, West Indies. She has had her writing featured in such publications as Callaloo, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, The Washington Post, Graham House Review, Elle, and more. All of these publications have featured her articles, essays, and short fiction.

Today Margaret continues to write in addition to carrying out her teaching duties as an instructor of literature and creative writing at Wellesley College.

The True History of Paradise is the debut novel by Margaret Cezair-Thompson. If you have been looking for a book that is new to you to read that is also engaging but doesn’t have to be the latest release, this early debut is a great potential selection. Open the pages and let the words whisk you away as you experience the dramas of characters and see what they go through and how they handle it.

The year is 1981. Jean Landing wants to get away from Jamaica, making plans in secret to flee the country. Even though she loves it so much and it is truly the only place that her family has called home, things have changed to the extent that it is now necessary to consider leaving it behind for the moment and potentially forever.

The reason for wanting to leave is that Jamaica is now in the midst of severe political turmoil. Before Jean is able to make final preparations to depart, she gets disrupted by some horrible news. It turns out that her sister Lana has passed away. Due to the state of emergency that is in place in the country, there is no time left to them to sit down and plan a funeral.

Jean’s mother has not spoken to Lana in over ten years, but despite this she is deeply affected. Like Jean, Monica is finding it difficult to open herself up to the grief. This tragedy only deepens the need that Jean feels to get away from this island. She once loved it so much, but with everything that has happened and is happening, Jean just doesn’t see much of a future for herself in Jamaica.

The journey that she ends up taking to get to a place of greater freedom will also carry the reader along with her in a variety of memories. She recalls moments from her childhood, memories about the bond that she shared with Lana, and moments with lovers and friends that ended up being part of her life and part of her days, shaping them along the way.

This is an incredibly interesting book that shows just how complex things like relationships and family can be as well as how difficult life can be when you are in a physical place that is not in a state of stability and peace– and how sometimes the lure of escape also promises the arrival of an emotional liberation. Will Jean get to her desired location and will she find a deeper sense of emotional relief when she does? Grab a copy of The True History of Paradise to follow along with every word and find out!

The Pirate’s Daughter is a fictional novel written by Margaret Cezair-Thompson. Whether you’re already a fan of this author or looking to get a sense of her literary voice for the first time, this is a great book to check out. Perfect for reading on your own or bringing up as a potential next read for your book club, this fictional work also carries the distinction of being the winner of the Essence Literary Award in Fiction.

The year is 1946 and Errol Flynn is well known for being the most famous swashbuckler in Hollywood. He has come to the island of Jamaica in a small boat that frankly has been vastly affected by the storm– but not so much that it keeps the little boat from getting him to his destination.

Errol spent a long time on the silver screen in a distinguished career that many would be famous people in Hollywood would have given anything to have for themselves. He chose to spend the final remaining years of his life living off a modest island located just off of the coast of Jamaica. There he found his paradise. Flynn fell in love with everything about this place– the people, the setting, the privacy.

In exchange for his soaking up the pleasures of this locale, Flynn also brought something to the little island. The West Indian community now had a celebrity there to brag about and boast of, and Flynn provided some Tinseltown glamour that had not been there previously. The novelty factor was off the charts.

In this novel, Cezair-Thompson pictures the concept of an affair that takes place between the movie star and the local girl Ida. While Flynn may not be predictable, it doesn’t keep the gorgeous girl from picturing their life together and dreaming of what an existence together would be like after the birth of their daughter.

On the surface this may seem like an imaginative tale about a movie star. But at the end of the day, Cezair-Thompson has crafted an incredible story that incorporates so much more– incorporating relationships between mothers and daughters, between men and their lovers, between country and kin, and the story of two women coming of age who are doing the best that they can in order to define their path and discover their way as a nation contends with its own incoming independence.

Pick it up and read this story in parts or just sit down and complete it all in one go. What would happen if Errol Flynn packed up his bags and relocated to a new exotic location in Jamaica? Cezair-Thompson blends a true icon of entertainment history’s true existence with a hefty blend of fiction in this fascinating read. Check out The Pirate’s Daughter to follow along with every word for yourself!