“I Wanted To Write Something That Felt More Like A Hug” – DeAndra Davis On Her Enchanting Coming-Of-Age Novel

Despite being smart, funny, and her class’s valedictorian, Jaliya has spent much of her high school career ignored by her classmates. After graduation, her dad encourages her to leave their South Florida home to spend the summer in Jamaica with her family, who she hasn’t seen in several years. Although  reluctant to do so, Jaliya changes her mind after receiving an unsigned letter postmarked from Jamaica asking when she’s going to return there. Convinced the letter is from her estranged mother, Jaliya devises a plan to return to Jamaica, find her mother, and figure out once and for all why she left their family long ago. Yet once she’s back in Jamaica, Jaliya’s life grows unexpectedly richer. She reconnects with childhood friends and finds herself caught in a love triangle between her schoolgirl crush, Andre, and an intriguing new girl, India, who has just moved to her cousin’s neighborhood. DeAndra Davis’s The Lovers, The Liars, And Me is a tender coming-of-age story that sensitively handles estrangement, coming out, cultural identity, and the complicated feelings that arise when you enter the adult world.