PATTY DREAMS

Dreams of flaky, perfectly seasoned meat-filled pastry manifest for a family of Jamaican emigrants.

August awakens to the smell of delicious beef patties wafting in from the kitchen, where Daddy’s cooking. August, sister June, and their parents are initially able to support themselves with the money they make selling Daddy’s tremendously popular patties, but as August’s classmates and their families start to leave the island for “far-off places like New York City, London, Miami, and Toronto,” the business struggles. August’s family decides to leave, too. Their lives change dramatically—now they must don cumbersome winter coats, and Daddy takes a bustling subway and two buses to his factory job, leaving him little time for cooking. Young August decides to try whipping up some patties; unfortunately, the child endures a painful burn in the process. But soon after, Daddy’s motivated to get back into the patty business, and the family adapts, preparing vegetarian, halal, and gluten-free options for members of their new community. Hohn has crafted a relatable tale of characters whose love of food keeps them anchored even after they leave home, brought to life by Robinson’s warm, earth-toned illustrations. An especially memorable scene sees August’s classmates at a sort of crossroad of global migration, boarding a stairway set against a globe as an airplane soars in the background. Backmatter discusses the enduring global significance of Jamaican beef patties.

A unique immigration story sure to please the stomach and the heart.