High Wind in Jamaica Summary
Richard Hughes

High Wind in Jamaica Overview

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes tells the story of seven colonial English children. Their journey to London for boarding school goes terribly awry when their ship is captured by pirates. Too young to understand that they have been kidnapped, the children enjoy their adventure while constantly courting death and the pirates’ anger. Ten-year-old protagonist Emily faces perhaps the biggest challenges of them all, and by the journey’s end she has a new understanding of herself, though it is only achieved through brutal means. A High Wind in Jamaica is a surreal high seas thriller that confronts themes of colonial power, race, gender, childhood, memory, and guilt with a dark ironic humor.