About the Book

“Boonoonoonoos” is a Jamaican word that means wonderful! I wish to share my wonderful childhood holiday experiences in rural Jamaica in the district of Mendez, St. Catherine, during the mid-seventies, and the hilarious and colourful characters that were a part of it. It is based on the truth that my imagination stretched and twisted to create an intriguing and humorous story.

The story is about eleven-year-old June, a lovable menace. For four years in a row, June’s mother, Penny, and Cousin Babzie take June to spend the entire eight-week summer holiday with Grandpa Reggie and Aunt Joyce, who lived in the country. On her last visit, June smoked Grandpa Reggie’s tobacco pipe and got sick. Of all the annoying things June had done before, smoking Grandpa Reggie’s pipe was the last straw. Penny curtailed future visits, but she reluctantly granted the last four days before going back to school. Given a second chance, June redeemed her menacing ways. She took on a bully and ended up saving the day alongside her bestest best friends, Wendy and Opal.

I highly recommend A Boonoonoonoos Time for young readers from age eleven up to adults. My aim is to put a smile on the reader’s face as I take them to an era where a self-sustaining community lived a simple life void of most modern-day conveniences. My target readers are the Caribbean diaspora in general, and other readers who are interested in an easy-to-read, funny story. 

By Heather Bryan

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