This One Sky Day

Review A glorious shout of a novel, a sensual, saturated blend of romance, magical realism and erotic comedy . . . Bravura pieces of whimsy blend with intimate explorations of grief, childlessness and crises of sexuality in an intricate narrative set on a single day. -- Alex Clark ― Guardian A haunting story about grief and love . . . Among the many charms of the novel is the way it celebrates the oddness of life. ― Independent How to sum up this sizzling, sprawling magic-realist odyssey, set over 24 hours in a fictitious Caribbean archipelago? A kind of X-rated fairytale narrated in a zesty Jamaican-influenced argot, it follows two would-be lovers on crisscrossing quests . . . There's a dash of real-world politics in a subplot about government corruption and colonial history, but the novel's atmosphere is chiefly defined by its bizarre goings-on, not least when the body parts of island women start to drop off and take on a life of their own. Noisy, sexy, profusely inventive, Ross's storytelling crashes over the reader like an invigorating ocean wave. ― Daily Mail Easily one of the most gorgeous and lavishly sprawling books of 2021 . . . Ross's descriptions are rich with inventiveness, colour, flavour. ― Financial Times A bold and bizarre story set over one day on a fictional Caribbean archipelago. In Popisho, everyone has a "cors" - some small piece of magic that is entirely their own. We follow star-crossed lovers Xavier, a master chef who can flavour food through the palms of his hands, and Anise, who learns of someone's ailment simply by touching them. Ross spins delight from utter mayhem - at one point, the vulva of every woman on the island drops out of their bodies, for no apparent reason - resulting in a work that is unpredictable and wonderfully fearless. ― New Statesman Intensely absorbing, this dazzling tale charts two lovers on the imaginary Caribbean archipelago of Popisho who must find their way back to each other over a single day. Vividly conjured, This One Sky Day brings to life a colourful cast of characters facing life-changing decisions across the island: Xavier who has a wedding feast to conjure and cook while Anise an infidelity to investigate. Love, second chances and fate, with razor-sharp postcolonial satire, this love story has already drawn comparisons to Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Toni Morrison and Arundhati Roy. ― Cosmopolitan This One Sky Day is fire and magic. Leone Ross's ruthless humour immerses us in a dense, rich place where stories twist and worlds collide in audacious ways. -- Ingrid Persaud One of those everyone will be talking about. -- Sara Collins Magical. Just magical . . . a true feat of imagination and wonder. -- Nikesh Shukla A big, carnivalesque novel that takes on desire, addiction and postcolonialism, but is also a celebration of food, love and joy. ― Guardian, 'Books to Look Forward to in 2021' I now understand why Leone Ross took so long in writing This One Sky Day. A novel this big in heart and imagination, this beautiful in prose, takes time. And my goodness it's worth it. This is a stunning novel. -- Kei Miller A masterful blend of magical realism, satire and sheer joy: every page has something new to enchant the reader. ― The Bookseller A vibrant story of sensual characters and awe-inspiring, sometimes hilarious magic . . . This fresh take on magical realism delivers the goods. ― Publishers Weekly [I] relished my brief time as a guest on Leone's enchanted island. I'm suggesting a sojourn there to everyone I know, as a refreshing and subversive tonic for the times we live in. ― Wales Art Review This One Sky Day is full of wondrous, allegorical manifestations and captivating language... an enchanting fable about magic, desire, sisterhood, community and connection, told with warmth and a light touch. So delicious, now that I've finished the novel, I feel compelled to read it again. ― Irish Examiner Product Description SHORLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS LONGLI