Fiction

This One Sky Day

This One Sky Day

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-15 14:51:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Leone Ross
  • ISBN：0571358004
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Summary

Dawn breaks across the archipelago of Popisho， a world where magic is everywhere， food is fate， politics are broken， and love awaits。 Everyone in Popisho was born with a little something… The local name for it was cors。 Magic， but more than magic。 A gift， nah？ Yes。 From the gods: a thing that felt so inexpressibly your own。

Somewhere far away-- or maybe right nearby-- lies an archipelago called Popisho。 A place of stunning beauty and incorrigible mischief， destiny and mystery， it is also a place in need of change。

Xavier Redchoose is the macaenus of his generation， anointed by the gods to make each resident one perfect meal when the time is right。 Anise， his long lost love， is on a march toward reckoning with her healing powers。 The governor’s daughter， Sonteine， is getting married， her father demanding a feast out of turn。 And graffiti messages from an unknown source are asking hard questions。 A storm is brewing。 Before it comes， before the end of the day， this wildly imaginative narrative will take us across the islands， their history， and into the lives of unforgettable characters。

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Reviews

GavRix ，

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read your book。 That’s the great thing about an amazing novel， you can read it over and over and get something new out of it。 。。。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top

Harley ，

On this one sky day， there is infidelity to discover。 On this one sky day， there is a wedding feast to prepare。 On this one sky day， there is an addiction to fight， a message to paint and a storm brewing。 There is a man with the power to imbue magic in his food。 There are wings。 Moths， butterflies。 Wings not yet discovered。 And there are people。 Those on one side， and those on another， their eyes deep with nature and the history of a world that turned its back。 And on this one sky day， when it r On this one sky day， there is infidelity to discover。 On this one sky day， there is a wedding feast to prepare。 On this one sky day， there is an addiction to fight， a message to paint and a storm brewing。 There is a man with the power to imbue magic in his food。 There are wings。 Moths， butterflies。 Wings not yet discovered。 And there are people。 Those on one side， and those on another， their eyes deep with nature and the history of a world that turned its back。 And on this one sky day， when it rains， the world will begin again。There are novels which， when read the first time， sink into our minds and assault our senses。 They creep into our ears with their cacophonous sounds， their taste rests on our tongue and we can feel the sweetness in the air they emanate。 This is such a novel。 Leone Ross has created a novel which is unapologetic in its breadth and vigour。 Never has so much happened in one day， never such a journey travelled。 I already know I’ll read it again， if only to relive the beautiful moments woven here。The way Ross creates the world of Popisho， from its customs， its magic， its cultures and its prejudices， is artful。 This is a world which at once feels real and otherwordly， it’s characters at home in the earth and in the beyond。 Dealing with issues of life and death， love and betrayal， hope and despair， beginnings and endings， the themes in this are expansive and left me mulling over my own feelings long after I put it down。 And yet， unusually for me， I can also remember the tiny moments too – descriptions of hair， or of the way the sky looks。 The handling of a moth in uncertain hands。 It is rare for such small moments to stay with me after I’ve finished a novel， but these did。This is a novel which is loud and beautifully so。 It amplifies the voices of its characters and each one is so vivid I could see them。 I’m doing this novel so little justice in writing about it like this because I can’t put into words how incredible it is。 You should just read it。 Read it， then come and talk to me about it。 。。。more

Lisa Spicer ，

Leone Ross has written a masterpiece; this is magical realism at its best， a truly original sensory feast of a novel。 Popisho is an archipelago hidden away from the rest of our world。 It is Caribbean in feel and texture; the broken spoken word takes some getting used to， but is so worth the perseverance。 The islands’ inhabitants possess magical powers， or ‘cors’; with each individual power， comes responsibility and the complexity of motivation and personal worth。 At its centre， this is a love st Leone Ross has written a masterpiece; this is magical realism at its best， a truly original sensory feast of a novel。 Popisho is an archipelago hidden away from the rest of our world。 It is Caribbean in feel and texture; the broken spoken word takes some getting used to， but is so worth the perseverance。 The islands’ inhabitants possess magical powers， or ‘cors’; with each individual power， comes responsibility and the complexity of motivation and personal worth。 At its centre， this is a love story; but its multifaceted characters portray so much more。 Over the course of one single day， we witness a community coming together to overcome corruption; it is a story of hope and a portrayal of the good amongst us， who will fight for what is right。 Themes of addiction， love， family， sex， prejudice， sexism and inequality run through this beautiful tale – as the narrative becomes more surreal， our story comes to a climax and our characters are changed forever。‘Not all of them hate us， just the loudest。’ Pilar would not take his hand away。 ‘We are here， Zaza。 We cannot die。 But we may have to pass， for them to learn。 “I’ve always trusted you， Pilar。 Is you teach me。 To waterwalk。 Everything。 To love。 But no， not this！” Why not？ Death is an idea。 You watch things die every day and you rejoice。This One Sky Day is a political， post-colonial satire; yet its writing is a poetic， sensual feast。 It is a joy， a vibrant celebration of life; I read a review that said that Leone Ross had fun writing this， you can feel it。 I agree totally; her writing is playful， witty and lyrical – her characters; beguiling， sensual and full of wonder。 Her imagery， is like nothing I have experienced; the alcoholic butterfly， the moth drug， the walking ghosts whose souls need to be laid to rest… luxurious food fills the pages and evoke such feeling that I spent a lot of my reading time hungry！ I was totally immersed in the lives of the people of Popisho and the skill of Ross’s writing will stay with me。‘But discussions inevitably devolved。 He could hear the exact moment an argument frayed， when it became about feelings， still pretending to be facts’‘It was all true and yet not， in that way that things were’I could go on， but you should go read it。 。。。more

lark benobi ，

Leone Ross's novel Popisho delighted me and tickled me and amused me throughout， but it didn't move me。 That's all right。 No novel can do everything。 The imaginative force of this novel is powerful and captivating。 Reading it was a pleasure akin to a very good meal， maybe even a meal cooked by the magically talented chef， Xavier Redchoose， the "macaenus" of his generation who is gifted with the talent to make a perfect meal for everyone。 I loved the way Ross took time to engage every one of my s Leone Ross's novel Popisho delighted me and tickled me and amused me throughout， but it didn't move me。 That's all right。 No novel can do everything。 The imaginative force of this novel is powerful and captivating。 Reading it was a pleasure akin to a very good meal， maybe even a meal cooked by the magically talented chef， Xavier Redchoose， the "macaenus" of his generation who is gifted with the talent to make a perfect meal for everyone。 I loved the way Ross took time to engage every one of my senses as she told her tale。 It's a lovely， lilting tumble of a story。 。。。more

2TReads ，

Dis a di book you read when you live a farin and u miss u yaad。 This story is forever locked in mind and heart because it was infused with the spirit of my island home。Full review to come。

Tribhuvan Mendiratta ，

nothing extraordinary to hold for long。 one just wants to skip and jump。。。 a wrong choice for reader like me

Joyce ，

Different than what I usually read。 No opinion one way or another。

Kelly ，

I really don’t know what to make of this book except that maybe it’s just not my cup of tea。 Magical realism can be a bit hit or miss for me as a genre。 I couldn’t work out what it was trying to get across， but it was definitely interesting and very unusual。 This One Sky Day is set in one day across a set of fictional islands named Popisho， where all of the inhabitants have a special ‘cors’， a unique magical ability that no one else has， whether it be an extra arm， the ability to see lies， or to I really don’t know what to make of this book except that maybe it’s just not my cup of tea。 Magical realism can be a bit hit or miss for me as a genre。 I couldn’t work out what it was trying to get across， but it was definitely interesting and very unusual。 This One Sky Day is set in one day across a set of fictional islands named Popisho， where all of the inhabitants have a special ‘cors’， a unique magical ability that no one else has， whether it be an extra arm， the ability to see lies， or to flavour things with your hands， everything and anything goes and nobody judges， as cors are a gift from the gods， and thus special。 We follow around a few different residents as they go about their lives， all of them dealing with a particular problem。 The day is extremely weird， lots of uncomfortable， bizarre things happen， which is apparently par for the course in Popisho。 In places the writing is rather poetic and lovely， but there were just so many unexplained bizarre things which happened， as far as I can tellwithout reason - for example the exploding bird。 I didn’t come to feel any particular engagement with the characters or the events。 Maybe it was clever but personally I just didn’t get this one。 For this who enjoy magical realism， however， I think this might resonate - The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende would be a good comparison。 I did like that it tackled some big subjects such as addiction， however。 My thanks to #NetGalley and Faber and Faber for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

☙ nemo ❧ （pagesandprozac） ，

This review is also available on my blog。"Popisho was just too goddamned Popisho right about now。" Welcome to Popisho， where metaphor becomes real and the real becomes metaphor。This One Sky Day is literary fiction at its absolute finest。 We are introduced to the far， far away archipelago of Popisho， which seems to have a very Caribbean feel - although the word Caribbean is never mentioned， Ross preferring to preserve Popisho's mystery。 The archipelago is populated by the offspring of， generation This review is also available on my blog。"Popisho was just too goddamned Popisho right about now。" Welcome to Popisho， where metaphor becomes real and the real becomes metaphor。This One Sky Day is literary fiction at its absolute finest。 We are introduced to the far， far away archipelago of Popisho， which seems to have a very Caribbean feel - although the word Caribbean is never mentioned， Ross preferring to preserve Popisho's mystery。 The archipelago is populated by the offspring of， generations and generations ago， emancipated slaves and the indigenous population of Popisho。 As much as Popisho is very deliberately isolated from the politics and various goings-on of the outside world （in fact， it could very much be a collection of islands in a mystical parallel world， like a tropical Avalon， if it were not for the very off-hand mention of Korea and Romania at around three-quarters in）， this is important。 "This was the dead language of their ancestors， wrenched to life in these throats; lost， found and streaming out of their mouths and down their lips。 Singing through the thickening air。 In each face she could see terrible compassion and sorrow。" Through everything， Ross displays a fantastic undercurrent of humour of every shade imaginable: playful， witty， surreal， cutting， deadpan - and it works perfectly。 She toes the line between comedy and tragedy， dancing through the shades of grey between and creating something that is so multifaceted， so complex， and so human。 Although Popisho has the makings of paradise， the author does not for one second allow us to think that human nature is any different here than anywhere else。 But here's where this novel differs from so many of the misery-drenched， melancholia-worshipping literary fiction books - the corruption and tragedy never quite manages to eclipse the sheer atavistic wonder both these islands and of the human condition。 Yes， humans can be selfish， greedy， and their arbitrary hatred for that which is different can anchor into society， into conventions， into their very souls。 But Ross also reminds us of the flipside: of how people can find wonder in everything， of the never-faltering curiosity and awe of the human species， and how there's always people who strive to right wrongs - and they aren't always doomed to failure。 Sometimes， they can prevail。 Sometimes， darkness doesn't win。 There's so much more I can say about this novel， but I won't， because a large part of the beauty of this novel is having the intricately imagined world of Popisho unfurl in front of your eyes as the author intended。 But I will say this: If this novel doesn't make it onto the Booker Prize longlist （at least）， there's no justice in this world。 。。。more

Barbara ，

Once in a while， I will come across a book that makes me reevaluate pretty much everything else I have read in the past。 It makes me think， "Wow， how dare I rate X-book as five stars， when it pales in comparison to this？" I had that feeling once or twice in the past and I had it again not when I finished "Popisho" （"This One Sky Day" in the UK） but from the very first pages， when I was immediately swept into a world where ghosts come back to settle their scores， where trees dispense not fruit bu Once in a while， I will come across a book that makes me reevaluate pretty much everything else I have read in the past。 It makes me think， "Wow， how dare I rate X-book as five stars， when it pales in comparison to this？" I had that feeling once or twice in the past and I had it again not when I finished "Popisho" （"This One Sky Day" in the UK） but from the very first pages， when I was immediately swept into a world where ghosts come back to settle their scores， where trees dispense not fruit but fragments of poetry， and where people get drunk on butterflies just as easily as rum。 The thing with "Popisho" is that I could easily compare it to powerhouses of literary fantasies and （I know， I know this is a very loaded term） magical realism。 In fact， this is perhaps the only book that deserves the comparison to "One Hundred Years of Solitude"; it is also the only book that has ever managed to recreate the almost transcendent atmosphere of Garcia Marquez's masterpiece。 You know that sensation that yes， this world Ross has described is magical and thus unattainable beyond the realm of fiction， but something about the characters and the story also fills you with the certainty that if you only know where to go and where to look， you will manage to find it somewhere。 Still， while that comparison might be technically accurate， it feels if not unfair， in that I think all comparisons tend to have the potential of diluting the lesser known author's achievement。 And what an achievement this is！ A powerful love story that takes you by surprise， because it is not about romance， or at least not only。 It's about community building， friendship， our relationship to the natural world， it is also a subtle and tongue-in-cheek critique of power and gender and colonialism， delivered with such panache that I alternated between laughing and crying。 Ross's writing is poetic and like her story， steeped in Jamaican English and Caribbean folklore。 It's just。。。 this is a fantastic story， with a cast of characters you grow to love and ache for， told by a master stylist that made me fall in love with reading all over again。 What can I say， I am a sucker for a story about star-crossed lovers！ 。。。more

Jennyh ，

This novel includes several interlinked stories set on the beautiful island of Popisho during the course of one day。 。 The inhabitants of the island all have individual ‘cors’ or magical talents and Leone’s in depth descriptions bring both them and their Island to life。This book takes you on a journey of discovery covering deadly sins， redemption and love。Beautiful。

Dr G ，

Entertaining and unconventional。

Melissa ，

Magical， bizarre， and so many things - I loved it

Nicole ，

I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。As an undergrad。， I wrote my Honors thesis about two female Jamaican authors and the roles of gender， language， and identity in their works。 Therefore， I thought this would be a good book for me。 Unfortunately， I didn’t care for it。 The magical elements were too much。 I didn’t connect with any of the characters， especially Xavier。 I wanted to shake him out of his moping。 I found the concept of everyone getting one meal specifically designed I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。As an undergrad。， I wrote my Honors thesis about two female Jamaican authors and the roles of gender， language， and identity in their works。 Therefore， I thought this would be a good book for me。 Unfortunately， I didn’t care for it。 The magical elements were too much。 I didn’t connect with any of the characters， especially Xavier。 I wanted to shake him out of his moping。 I found the concept of everyone getting one meal specifically designed for them interesting， though。I’ll put the next part as a spoiler， though it is a major part of the story， and if I had known about it， I probably wouldn’t have read the book。 （view spoiler）[ About half the story deals with women’s vulvas falling out all at once。 Like， they are standing there and then they just hit the floor。 There’s a lot of talk about examining them and reattaching them。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Breanne Mc Ivor ，

'On the first anniversary of his wife's death， Xavier Redchoose got up before light and went downstairs to salt the cod。 He sat in his kitchen， green notebook in hand， rubbing his left thumb along the stained pages， waiting for delivery。 Through the restaurant window， he could see the golden stalk of the fading moon。 Around him， the Torn Poem was silent， except for the morning wind， making the front doors shiver。 It was going to be a trying day， of that he was sure。'🦋But Xavier has no idea just 'On the first anniversary of his wife's death， Xavier Redchoose got up before light and went downstairs to salt the cod。 He sat in his kitchen， green notebook in hand， rubbing his left thumb along the stained pages， waiting for delivery。 Through the restaurant window， he could see the golden stalk of the fading moon。 Around him， the Torn Poem was silent， except for the morning wind， making the front doors shiver。 It was going to be a trying day， of that he was sure。'🦋But Xavier has no idea just how trying the day will be。 This One Sky Day by Leone Ross takes place over a single day in the magical archipelago of Popisho。 And boy， trying does not begin to describe what these characters go through。🦋Xavier braces himself to confront his wife's ghost， even as he admits that he always loved another woman。🦋But the woman Xavier loves is married to another man and she spends the day investigating his infidelity。🦋The Governor's daughter is getting married but she's a virgin who is deeply apprehensive about the thought of sex。 Also， in an island where everyone is blessed with magical abilities， she has always been the only ordinary one。🦋Meanwhile the indigent of the island， a group of first peoples relegated to the literal fringes of society， are preparing to come to town。🦋And， in this extraordinary day， all women's vaginas fall out at exactly the same moment。🦋Believe me when I say that these descriptions barely ripple the surface of this world。 Popisho is painted in deep and illuminating detail， both instantly recognizable as the Caribbean with all the political machinations and bachannal that characterise our islands and utterly unique in its traditions and its magic。🦋One of the things I am loving about Caribbean writing right now is the sheer variety。 We've got crime fiction， YA， romance， the seriously literary， social commentary， short stories， so much poetry and now this， the most magical magical realism。 。。。more

Kendra ，

I was so excited for this book and I really wanted to love it however it is not my style。 I personally have struggled to get into the book and truly understand what is going on。 I believe that is more due to my lifestyle right now than the writing style however。 The hospital has been very busy as of late and I'm constantly in a state of exhaustion so this may not be the right book for me to read at this time。 I hope to come back to it when I have more time and I will update my review at that tim I was so excited for this book and I really wanted to love it however it is not my style。 I personally have struggled to get into the book and truly understand what is going on。 I believe that is more due to my lifestyle right now than the writing style however。 The hospital has been very busy as of late and I'm constantly in a state of exhaustion so this may not be the right book for me to read at this time。 I hope to come back to it when I have more time and I will update my review at that time。 。。。more

MiA ，

In the beginning， I had no idea what I was reading。 A bit about myself: I am not a consummate reader of magical realism; however， I do enjoy a touch of the uncanny。On an island， somewhere， every person is born with a touch of magic。 Someone with the gift of healing。 Someone else with the gift of detecting lies。 Someone with wings inborn in their bones。 And there's this exalted position of a Macaenus， a cook， or a food artisan if you prefer for someone with the gift of fashioning taste and smells In the beginning， I had no idea what I was reading。 A bit about myself: I am not a consummate reader of magical realism; however， I do enjoy a touch of the uncanny。On an island， somewhere， every person is born with a touch of magic。 Someone with the gift of healing。 Someone else with the gift of detecting lies。 Someone with wings inborn in their bones。 And there's this exalted position of a Macaenus， a cook， or a food artisan if you prefer for someone with the gift of fashioning taste and smells。 And it is the duty and privilege of a Macaenus to cook the people of the island a meal they'll never forget。 But the Macaenus is nothing more than a star-crossed lover with a traumatic past。 And on the one day he is supposed to cook a feast for the island in honour of the daughter of the governor's wedding， weird things start to happen。 Women drop their intimate parts。 Opposing slogans to the governor start to appear on the walls。 The toys from a toy factory disappear。This book was a scherzo of sensations， full of life and zest。 Hilarious， highly imaginative， yet so real and at many times relatable。 。。。more

Sofia ，

A Celebration of Words， Bodies， Living， Women， Men。Leone Ross with her magic reality grabs our realities， our regrets， sorrows， griefs， loving， choices and takes a deep look at them。 While she infuses them with her fantastical words， they remain our reality。 How different persons see the same person differently， how they love or not love that same person differently。 Zeb's view of Nya was so lovingly written， such a poignant moment。Ross continues giving us contrasts throughout the story， men - w A Celebration of Words， Bodies， Living， Women， Men。Leone Ross with her magic reality grabs our realities， our regrets， sorrows， griefs， loving， choices and takes a deep look at them。 While she infuses them with her fantastical words， they remain our reality。 How different persons see the same person differently， how they love or not love that same person differently。 Zeb's view of Nya was so lovingly written， such a poignant moment。Ross continues giving us contrasts throughout the story， men - women， enslaved - indigent， right - wrong。 She also examines different gifts， blessings we are given and by putting a light on them she values what we might in our busy world discard。All in all I loved the strength and joy she painted with her words and I'd love to taste more。An ARC gently given by author/publishers via Netgalley。 。。。more

Heidi ，

Different to any other book I read。 Good， but not type of book is read again。

Fran ，

The Torn Poem Restaurant was located on a cliff above the harbor with a view of the islands of Popisho。 "Everyone in Popisho was born with a little something extra。 The local name was Cors。 Magic， but more than magic。。。a gift。。。from the gods: a thing so inexpressibly your own。。。Cooking Cors were rare as hell in a man。。。but。。。Xavier could flavor food through the palms of his hands。 Xavier's old friend Entaly had musical earlobes and three buttock cheeks"。After grueling training as the acolyte of The Torn Poem Restaurant was located on a cliff above the harbor with a view of the islands of Popisho。 "Everyone in Popisho was born with a little something extra。 The local name was Cors。 Magic， but more than magic。。。a gift。。。from the gods: a thing so inexpressibly your own。。。Cooking Cors were rare as hell in a man。。。but。。。Xavier could flavor food through the palms of his hands。 Xavier's old friend Entaly had musical earlobes and three buttock cheeks"。After grueling training as the acolyte of retiring Macaenus Des'ree， Xavier was elevated to this exalted position。 As Macaenus， his task was "to cook a meal for every single adult man and woman on Popisho。 To delight a whole nation with his food。。。He tried to ignore it all: the worship， and the disapproval and the expectations"。 Xavier maintained a random guest list。 "No one skips the line。 No special treatment。。。"。 A letter from Governor Intiasar arrived addressed to Xavier Laurence Redchoose-the 413th Macaenus， announcing his daughter's engagement， requesting that Xavier prepare a traditional wedding night meal。 Not so fast， governor！It used to be part of the Macaenus's duties to perform a walkround for purchasing the necessary ingredients for a feast。 "Look， Macaenus！ Some of the traders he recognized from their bartering techniques。。。He felt like a dancer， back in the arms of a former partner: old friends with intimate half-forgotten memories。 They worked hard， these people: farmers， bakers， butchers。 He'd spent 20 years building relationships with them for the first pick of their freshest produce。Sonteine Intiasar， the nervous bride to be， had a brother， Romanza。 Disowned by their father， ZaZa had found happiness with Pilar， an indigent from the Dead Islands。 Zaza became Pilar's acolyte and lover。 The indigent people wore scant， frayed clothes。。。most had lost their capacity to blink and live in houses。 They ate fruit， veggies， tubers， insects， occasional meat-and poison。Intiasar was seeking another term as governor。 Apparently a rival had been painting signs of criticism， exposes of rundown buildings and complaints of lower wages。 A single missive， in orange paint， was posted everywhere "What's Your Alternative？""Popisho" by Leone Ross is a delightful romp into the world of magic realism。 Xavier Redchoose was haunted by the ghost of his dearly departed wife and remorseful for not marrying his one true love。 Strange occurrences abound。 The toys from the Dukuyaie Toy Factory had disappeared。 Women's private parts were falling out。 A storm was brewing。 Change was in the air。 I highly recommend this imaginative， hilarious， mournful， playful read。Thank you Farrar， Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Nic ，

Read for review in SFX magazine。 4。5 stars。

Amanda ，

Sparkling and sensual。On the mythical island of Popisho everyone has a magical gift， known as 'cors'。 Still in mourning for his wife， Xavier yearns for his former potential acolyte， Anise。 In turn， she is chronically unhappy following multiple miscarriages。 When she hears rumours her husband is having an affair， she goes in search of the truth。Taking place within one day， the novel encompasses sexuality， politics， magic and mischief。 Ross's writing is wonderfully imaginative and effervescent。 Th Sparkling and sensual。On the mythical island of Popisho everyone has a magical gift， known as 'cors'。 Still in mourning for his wife， Xavier yearns for his former potential acolyte， Anise。 In turn， she is chronically unhappy following multiple miscarriages。 When she hears rumours her husband is having an affair， she goes in search of the truth。Taking place within one day， the novel encompasses sexuality， politics， magic and mischief。 Ross's writing is wonderfully imaginative and effervescent。 The italics give the text a crazy paving appearance， which detracts from the original and sumptuous storytelling。A feast for mind and body。My thanks to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for the ARC。 。。。more

3 Things About This Book ，

I don't know where to begin when it comes to this story！ There were moments when I asked myself what did I just read and others when I was simply on the verge of crying。 As much as magical realism took over the lives of all Popisho residents and their individual stories， it was a big fat allegory of today's world just like Animal Farm was for the time it depicts。 Everyone in Popisho had a magical touch， something that made them stand out compared to others， called cors。 Xavier had it for flavors I don't know where to begin when it comes to this story！ There were moments when I asked myself what did I just read and others when I was simply on the verge of crying。 As much as magical realism took over the lives of all Popisho residents and their individual stories， it was a big fat allegory of today's world just like Animal Farm was for the time it depicts。 Everyone in Popisho had a magical touch， something that made them stand out compared to others， called cors。 Xavier had it for flavors and he was destined to give each members of Popisho community the meal of their lifetime when it was their turn。 But annoying governor decided to force Xavier to break his rules and prep a wedding meal for his daughter。 It turned out this was not the only place where he was acting like a politician that he was。 The amount of magical and unbelievable things happening in this place goes head to head with tragedies and heartbreaks people facing。 While everyone was blessed with a talent to make others jealous， everyone had trauma that held them back: Xavier fighting his heart， Anise fighting her womb， governor's daughter fighting her innocence。。。 Once the fluffy layers outside were peeled， the story was simple yet powerful reminder of human survival and push to find alternative！ 。。。more

Rick Jackofsky ，

A dream-like journey through a magical land where power， prejudice， and politics are confronted by love and truth。

Sophie ，

Taking place over the course of 1 day in an archipelago of islands where everyone has a cors， or magical power， this is an odd mix of a book。 The premise is intriguing and parts of it were fantastic。Unfortunately， I found the broken， spoken word style of writing disjointed and I was having to concentrate too hard on the way it was written to fully sink into the story。 I also wasn't taken with the storyline of the 'pumpums' （vulvas）。 It didn't see to have a message within the context of the book。 Taking place over the course of 1 day in an archipelago of islands where everyone has a cors， or magical power， this is an odd mix of a book。 The premise is intriguing and parts of it were fantastic。Unfortunately， I found the broken， spoken word style of writing disjointed and I was having to concentrate too hard on the way it was written to fully sink into the story。 I also wasn't taken with the storyline of the 'pumpums' （vulvas）。 It didn't see to have a message within the context of the book。 On the other hand， I could see and appreciate the parallels with colonisation and the treatment of indigents within the novel。 I would also have liked to see a little more on Xavier's investigations in the hunger that people on the island were experiencing。I don't know if this book was just unfortunate in being read during a reading slump or if it just wasn't my cup of tea。 Either way it was good， but not amazing。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc。 。。。more

Kimberly Ouwerkerk ，

Leone Ross speaks of lovers who teach you all kinds of flavor in her acknowledgments。 I can assure you that this book shows you as many flavors as there are cors （magical gifts） on Popisho。 It has never been clearer that every person is unique。 Some are right for you and others aren’t， but they all bring color to your life。 It is up to you to choose the right person。Reading this book feels like exploring a lesser-known part of the world。 Popisho would be the perfect travel destination， with the Leone Ross speaks of lovers who teach you all kinds of flavor in her acknowledgments。 I can assure you that this book shows you as many flavors as there are cors （magical gifts） on Popisho。 It has never been clearer that every person is unique。 Some are right for you and others aren’t， but they all bring color to your life。 It is up to you to choose the right person。Reading this book feels like exploring a lesser-known part of the world。 Popisho would be the perfect travel destination， with the passionate and gifted but flawed natives of the archipelago as your guides。 This is the only land where moths are the new drugs and you can get rid of a man by folding him like a piece of paper and drop him far away on the beach。 The narrative is wildly imaginative and at times you will wonder what you are reading。The people in Popisho try to overcome addiction as they deal with love and relationships， and all the weird things that the exotic archipelago throws at them。 If your most intimate body parts can fall off anytime and you live to tell， then you know that you can adapt。 And that is one skill that you need to have if you want to live on Popisho。Leone Rosse wrote such a fun and entertaining story。 Enjoy the ride and go wherever it takes you。 Popisho is a book unlike any other。 It is magical and absurd， sensual and down-to-earth。 The only drawback for me was the use of （Caribbean） slang and grammar to illustrate the exoticness of the islands， as it made reading more energy-consuming。 But other than that， I loved the story。 The characters are interesting – I especially liked Anise， Xavier， and Des’ree – and the events are as far from boring as it gets。 You might not always be able to follow what is happening – I didn’t – but that doesn’t matter。 Only Popisho natives will truly understand this story about love， addiction， and choices。 So I encourage you to read this book （and to take a good look at the amazing cover）。 I mean， what’s your alternative？Many thanks to Farrar， Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

This is a book to read slowly; to breathe it all in properly; to linger in its tale told over a single day。 A story luxuriously and confidently told， which is sumptuous from sentence to sentence。 There is both literal and literary magic here。

Katie ，

It feels a somewhat incongruent experience to finish reading This One Sky Day and have to leave the fictional archipelago Popisho， brimming in life and warmth to come back to a frost and snow ridden UK。 I have never experienced reading a book quite like it and I was transfixed from the very start。 This One Sky Day is filled with sensual imagery: the sounds of the islands， the descriptions of the taste of food and colour were extremely vivid which made the reading experience unique。 It felt throu It feels a somewhat incongruent experience to finish reading This One Sky Day and have to leave the fictional archipelago Popisho， brimming in life and warmth to come back to a frost and snow ridden UK。 I have never experienced reading a book quite like it and I was transfixed from the very start。 This One Sky Day is filled with sensual imagery: the sounds of the islands， the descriptions of the taste of food and colour were extremely vivid which made the reading experience unique。 It felt throughout that the landscape and its beauty was a preoccupation within the text。 A place that can inspire admiration but can also change suddenly to something ominous and threating made the setting particularly vivid and compelling。The characters too all felt immediate and complex。 The story centres around a single day in the lives of the Popisho community focussing primarily on Xavier and Anise。 It is an exploration of how they， both in their separate ways， are dealing with trauma and attempting to reconcile it with their present day lives and contexts。 Even though we are asked to focus on the relationship of these two central protagonists， other characters have stayed with me after reading it。 The young Romanza Intisiar， an outcast of the society， but more in tune with his surroundings， felt particularly well drawn。 A section of the text dedicated to the meeting and development of the relationship between Romanza and Xavier felt to be particularly poignant。 How they were both marked by the occasion but at the same time were able to learn something about themselves illustrating ideas of acceptance and understanding。Magic too plays a central part within the novel， each character has Cors， a special gift that sets them apart。 The exploration of this in relation to character motivation and its impact on the community made me laugh on so many occasions but it also felt incredibly heartfelt and touching at others。 The ability to strike this balance makes me so excited to read more by Leone Ross。 。。。more

Swati ，

PopishoIn the midst of an already chaotic year， this book came into my life （thanks @netgalley and @fsgbooks） - and I just had a TIME with it！！Popisho is an island， and a world。 It is a concept and a feeling。 It is the thread between every protagonist of the novel， and it is a political statement。 In Popisho， people have cors - god-given gifts of healing， cooking， and catching lies。 Cors are their folly and their reason to live - with their life’s purpose arranged from childhood， the people of P PopishoIn the midst of an already chaotic year， this book came into my life （thanks @netgalley and @fsgbooks） - and I just had a TIME with it！！Popisho is an island， and a world。 It is a concept and a feeling。 It is the thread between every protagonist of the novel， and it is a political statement。 In Popisho， people have cors - god-given gifts of healing， cooking， and catching lies。 Cors are their folly and their reason to live - with their life’s purpose arranged from childhood， the people of Popisho are left instead to finagle with drama and destiny。To open， we meet Xavier， a maceanus who has the gift of cooking exactly the right thing per person。。。when the time comes。 His wife Nya has surrendered herself to the sea， but throughout the novel we are left trilling between whether it was an accident， suicide， or homicide。 Xav has been commissioned to cook for the governor’s daughter Sonteine， out of turn of his ability。 Meanwhile， Anise has discovered a cheating husband and Romanza has been disowned。 In between all this， Ross zooms out to the political climate of Popisho - which is in tumult。The first hints of upcoming chaos on Popisho are when mysterious yellow graffiti emerges - they interrogate Popishans （sp？） with the know-how of Big Brother and the heart of a revolutionary。 Then， at exactly 12 noon， the “pum pum” of every woman falls out - some are bouncing in the streets， stolen by peeping Toms， or secured into locked drawers until they can be re-attached。 That’s right， when all women find their vulvas spontaneously detached， the government passes an edict that all sexual intercourse must halt for 24 hours until a solution is reached。 *GASP*This 24 hours turns into a witching hour - we get the feeling of a storm stirring as warm western winds meet the eastern ones。 Popisho is on edge。 Yet， with spry storytelling and boundless imagination， Ross tackles heavy subjects like addiction， grief， and broken hearts with a lens of joy。 It brought curiosity and playfulness into my life， frosted with unapologetic feminism， and rich mythology baked from scratch。As amazing as these characters seem， this book has earned a forever spot on my bookshelf for one other reason - Leone Ross has a cors herself。 She spreads words onto the page with artistic genius。 She is a composer of the page。 Her word choice is eccentric， but she creates cadence and character in fonts。 I’m telling you people - this book is a best-kept secret at the moment。 There is nothing else like it。 。。。more

Melise ，

This was an amazing read。 I struggled at the beginning with the language， but once I settled in with it， I felt as if I was listening to an actual storyteller telling me this amazing tale。 I wish I had read this in a college class or a book club—I feel as if there were whole layers of the story underneath what I read， and would love to talk about it with others to tease out more of the richness that is there。 If you like magical realism （because there is plenty here）， I highly recommend this boo This was an amazing read。 I struggled at the beginning with the language， but once I settled in with it， I felt as if I was listening to an actual storyteller telling me this amazing tale。 I wish I had read this in a college class or a book club—I feel as if there were whole layers of the story underneath what I read， and would love to talk about it with others to tease out more of the richness that is there。 If you like magical realism （because there is plenty here）， I highly recommend this book。 Thanks to Farrar Strauss & Giroux for providing me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=This One Sky Day

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=This One Sky Day&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,This One Sky Day&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0