The Last Warner Woman

Born in one of Jamaica's last leper colonies, Adamine Bustamente is raised by Mother Lazurus before leaving for England, where she is met with fear when she shares her gift of warning. Now older, she seeks to tell her story to "Mr. Writer Man," for no one person ever owns a story or has the right to tell it. Prize-winning Jamaican author Miller (The Same Earth)—wonderfully weaving together realism and fantasy as he shares the story of Mr. Mac, the taxi driver, or Adamine's stubborn yet loving grandmother—shows us that magic is inherent in humanity. Each character is portrayed as a real person, not someone to be forgotten as we move on to the next. Perhaps Miller's greatest feat is the incorporation of the decorous yet often unused second person; sparingly used, it draws in the audience and demonstrates the special relationship between Adamine and Mr. Writer Man as well as the relationship between Miller and his readers.