My book draws many parallels to Mark Twain’s classic, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. My fresh writing approach and familiarity with Jamaican culture renew the old story and make it unique.

 

If Tom Sawyer grew up in Jamaica, his name would have been Todd Christian—the main character in the novel Leaving Home. The story chronicles the growing pains of a twelve-year-old boy from my home country. I write vividly about the carefree days of youth and the often tumultuous transition into adulthood.

Leaving Home is a true-to-life account of a young boy growing up...