Kingstown Burning
Loyalty, community, and current social and political issues related to the legalization and gentrification of marijuana are explosive companions in Kingstown Burning – the debut novel of Afro-Barbadian American writer Rachelle J. Gray. Set in the southern Caribbean between the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and Barbados, Kingstown Burning explores folklore, friendship, romance, perseverance, and revenge when three women unexpectedly find themselves caught in the crossfire of a regional ganja war. Someone is keeping a secret. Another is about to unearth a truth—in a thrilling mix that moves along a mystical timeline on a tropical paradise.
What People Are Saying
“Kingstown Burning is your favorite pastry with extra filling, you are thinking this is going good and somewhere in the middle you are awed, because you get to transcend into a paranormal, folklore realm that’s exactly what you live to read.”
“I loved that the book was authentic to Bajan culture and dialect. I think those elements are so important to highlight in Caribbean literature and Rachelle nailed it.”
“I thoroughly appreciate that Gray did not centre this narrative on the movement of the herb across land and sea. She takes the time to build her characters, introduce us to their lives and motivations, as well as highlight the natural world influences, impacts and is a major pillar in the lives of Rastafarians.”
— @2treads
“I look forward to more stories by Rachelle Gray, because I would love to meet and get to know more of these characters she creates.”
“Descriptions flow with a poetic simplicity that touched me.”
About the Author
A writer of short stories and debut novel Kingstown Burning, through her words, Rachelle J. Gray traverses liminal spaces occupied by Caribbean folklore, social commentary, and speculative fiction elements to amplify Antillean-based stories with a fresh voice.
In 2021 and 2022 respectively, she was longlisted and shortlisted in the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers Prizes. Her writing has appeared in PREE and she teaches high school English part-time in Dakar, Senegal.
Rachelle has written lifestyle and features for several publications including Island Origins Magazine, Island Life Magazine, and The Nation Newspaper. The former editor-in-chief of BimROCK Magazine, in 2020, Rachelle went on to establish LadyGray Publishing—a creative outlet manifesting social change through independent literature. In 2022 inspired by encounters from her travels Rachelle launched Trodd Culture, an online publication of curated thoughts and perspectives.
A mother, an adventurer, and an avid gardener, living and working between the USA, Barbados, and Senegal, Rachelle is currently writing her sophomore novel, Because Nobody Sleeps.