ASHA ASHANTI.
Asha Ashanti Bromfield is an actress, singer, author, screenwriter and producer of Afro-Jamaican decent. Known for her work as Melody Jones, drummer of Josie and the Pussycats in CW's Riverdale. Asha also stars as Zadie Wells in Netflix’s hit show, Locke and Key.
She is the author of HURRICANE SUMMER and SONGS OF IRIE.
"Our Most Anticipated Young Adult Books."
-Goodreads
Songs of Irie is a sweeping coming-of-age novel from Asha Bromfield about a budding romance struggling to survive amidst the Jamaican civil unrest of the 1970s.
It's 1976 and Jamaica is on fire. The country is on the eve of important elections and the warring political parties have made the divisions between the poor and the wealthy even wider. And Irie and Jilly come from very different backgrounds: Irie is from the heart of Kingston, where fighting in the streets is common. Jilly is from the hills, where mansions nestled within lush gardens remain safe behind gates. But the two bond through a shared love of Reggae music, spending time together at Irie's father's record store, listening to so-called rebel music that opens Jilly's mind to a sound and a way of thinking she's never heard before.
As tensions build in the streets, so do tensions between the two girls. A budding romance between them complicates things further as the push and pull between their two lives becomes impossible to bear. For Irie, fighting―with her words and her voice―is her only option. Blood is shed on the streets in front of her every day. She has no choice. But Jilly can always choose to escape.
Can their bond survive this impossible divide?
Praise for
SONGS OF IRIE
"October 2023 Books By Black Authors I Can't Wait to Read"
– THE ROOT
"Dramatic, deeply sensual."
– Booklist
"Jamaican history, provocative lyricism, and relatable characters form an effective foundation for this bittersweet queer love story...A richly intimate novel of rebellion, romance, and reggae."
– Kirkus Reviews
"A devastating and nuanced look at two teens’ battle for freedom, hope, independence, and love."
– Publishers Weekly
