Sea Spirits

9/3/2021

Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne

It is best not to make trouble with a sea spirit...

I thought Josephine Against the Sea would be a simple story of a girl learning to accept her father's interest in women following the death of his wife. But there is more going on here. A lot more.

Josephine, affectionally called Bean, is a girl who knows her own mind and is determined to get what she wants. This girl has a serious attitude. That's attitude with a capital A. She loves to play cricket. However she is no longer allowed to play because of an acccident two years ago. Bean hopes to redeem herself, proving to the coach and her father that she belongs on the team. Daddy has his doubts.
This eleven-year-old is very possessive and resents any woman inserting herself into this father/daughter relationship. She often resorts to devious tricks to send away any potential girlfriend.

Josephine meets her match when her father dates Mariss, who is one step ahead of Josephine, outsmarting her at every turn. Mockingly referring to her boyfriend's daughter as "Josie Sweets," Mariss moves in and begins to take control of the entire family.

Josephine is stunned by the change in her father. He is obviously trapped under an evil enchantment. She realizes that Mariss is a Sea Mumma, a water monster with the face and torso of a woman that spirals down into a slithering snake tail. It is up Bean to dive into the deep and fight this evil Carribean spirit.

In a high stakes, nail-biting finish Josephine must brave a violent storm, locate her father trapped in an underwater cave, confront an raging Mariss, and free her father. When all her efforts fail and it seems that hope is lost, Josephine comes through with her own powerful weapon. She uses her cricket-playing skills to defeat the Sea Mumma and release her father from the spell. Shakirah Bourne's middle-grade novel will bewitch readers with its fascinating characters, humor, and a boatload of Caribbean folklore.