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A High Wind in Jamaica

Published
Jan 1929
Main Genre
General Fiction General Fiction
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About This Book

First published in 1929, A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes is a haunting and darkly whimsical novel that subverts the traditional adventure story. Set in the 19th century, the tale follows a group of British children who are sent home from their plantation in Jamaica after a hurricane—only to fall into the hands of pirates on the high seas.

What begins as an adventure quickly turns into something far more unsettling. Hughes masterfully portrays the bizarre and unpredictable nature of childhood, where innocence and cruelty often coexist. The children's emotional detachment, moral ambiguity, and surreal reactions to danger challenge adult notions of right and wrong.

Written in rich, poetic prose and laced with irony, A High Wind in Jamaica is both thrilling and deeply psychological. It examines the fragility of civilization, the complexity of youth, and the limits of adult understanding.

A compelling read for lovers of literary fiction, this novel remains a powerful exploration of imagination, danger, and the wild terrain of the human mind—young and old alike.

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Jun 1968 Signet ISBN 0451504224
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Digireads.com ISBN 1420982656
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Positronic Publishing ISBN 1515464784
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Jan 1972 HarperCollins ISBN 0060830999
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Jan 1989 HarperCollins ISBN 0060916273
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Mar 1994 HarperCollins (UK) ISBN 0002713128
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Oct 1999 New York Review of Books ISBN 0940322153
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Jan 2001 Signet ISBN 045150545X
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Jan 2001 Signet ISBN 0451500679
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Jan 2001 Signet ISBN 0451026489
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Jan 2001 Signet ISBN 0451006283
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Jul 2002 Vintage (UK) ISBN 0099437430
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Apr 2016 Createspace ISBN 153284610X
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Dec 2023 Nighthawk Books ISBN B0CQ6XZQJF
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Jan 2025 Martino Fine Books ISBN 1684229464
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May 2025 Dover Publications ISBN 0486854582
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Hardcover

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Positronic Publishing ISBN 1515464776
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Jan 1929 Ebury Publishing (UK) ISBN 070112153X
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May 2025 Ancient Wisdom Publications ISBN 1963956923
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eBook

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Sep 1999 New York Review Books ISBN 1590173716
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May 2010 -- Not Selected ISBN B003KN3KDS
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Apr 2011 Andrii Ponomarenko ISBN 6178622821
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Apr 2011 Digireads.com Publishing ISBN 1420982664
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Jul 2011 Vintage ISBN 1446433986
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Mar 2021 NICE COLLECTION
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Jan 2025 Rare Treasure Editions ISBN 1774649756
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Feb 2025 Open Road Publishing ISBN 1504097874
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Audio

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Apr 2011 -- Not Selected ISBN B004X9M0ZM
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May 2012 CSA Word ISBN 1906147825
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