SOURCE: Gerschel, Liz. “Caribbean Childhoods.” Third World Quarterly 10, no. 2 (April 1988): 995-98.

In the following review, Gerschel praises the well-crafted stories in Summer Lightning, concluding that it is “an outstanding collection by an extremely talented writer.”

One of the best books published in 1987 was undoubtedly Olive Senior's Summer Lightning and Other Stories. Told in dynamic and powerful language, this perceptive, humorous and poignant first collection reflects the author's own experience of life in rural Jamaica, and the inter-related and often conflicting worlds of children and adults. Although over the last few years there has been increasing interest in the works of black American women writers, the literary strengths of Caribbean woman have not received the same attention. This is a pity, as there is no lack of good writing by women from the Caribbean.

A significant and promising development has occurred, however, with the establishment by the Commonwealth Foundation...