The Inspiration, Realities, and Resilience of 'Better Must Come': An Interview with Author Desmond Hall

The Inspiration, Realities, and Resilience of "Better Must Come": An Interview with Author Desmond Hall

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Desmond Hall was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved to Jamaica, Queens. He has worked as a high school biology and English teacher in East New York, Brooklyn; counseled teenage ex-cons after their release from Rikers Island; and served as Spike Lee’s creative director at Spike DDB. Desmond has served on the board of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and the Advertising Council and judged the One Show, the American Advertising Awards, and the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival. He’s also been named one of Variety magazine’s Top 50 Creatives to Watch. He’s the author of Your Corner Dark and Better Must Come. Desmond lives outside of Boston with his wife and two daughters.

What inspired you to write "Better Must Come"? Are there any personal experiences or stories that influenced the narrative?  

“Barrel Children” is a term that refers to young people in the Caribbean who are left with family, family friends or by themselves when their parents venture oversees to countries like the US, Canada, or England to seek employment. The economic conditions on island are such that the parents can make more in a few years abroad than they can working a decade in their home country. 

My sister was one of these children and on top of that she also suffered from a crippling illness before dying at all too young an age. So, in writing Better Must Come I sought, in some small way, to give my sister the agency on the page that she didn’t have in life. I sent her on the “adventure of a lifetime.” Many have said that they see that I care for my characters—well, with the character of Deja in Better Must Come, I probably feel more for her than most will ever know.  

The book delves into the darker side of Jamaica. What themes or issues were you hoping to highlight through Deja and Gabriel’s story? 

I wanted readers to get an understanding of the link between money and limited opportunities. So many times, people see images of people either doing desperate things or living in desperate situations. However, in reading BETTER MUST COME, I hope they’ll see how a nation whose dollar once had more buying power than the American dollar could slip into tough circumstances—and how those circumstances can lead to the aforementioned desperation. 

Deja is described as a “barrel girl.” Can you explain the significance of this term and how it shapes her character and perspective? 

As I mentioned, “Barrel Children” is a term that refers to young people in the Caribbean who are left with family, family friends or by themselves when their parents venture oversees to countries like the US, Canada, or England to seek employment. The economic conditions on island are such that the parents can make more in a few years abroad than they can working a decade in their home country. 

As a “barrel girl” Deja is tasked with taking on the role of a “substitute” parent for her two younger siblings. And oftentimes, she feels like a single mom who has to take care of the children, study, and work all while being a teenager. It’s a difficult set of duties to reconcile with her life experience—and that along with the fact that she is a teenager with an unfinished brain makes her vulnerable to making a dangerous choice. 

The moment when Deja discovers the wounded man and the knapsack is pivotal. Can you talk about the significance of this scene and how it sets the tone for the rest of the book? 

When the great American playwright, David Mamet talks about scene work he usually discusses how a character must have a “need.” At the start of the scene where Deja discovers the wounded man, she has a strong “need” to help her mother who is living in the States. Though this fact doesn’t play into the scene at the start, it does during the “turn” in the scene. 

The dying man thrusts a bag at Deja begging that she take it to someone she doesn’t know. She hesitates and the dying man tells her that she will be rewarded for her efforts. At that moment, Deja is more concerned with trying to keep the man alive, but after he can speak no more, she’s left with this heavy decision—do this dangerous deed, keep the promise to this man and collect the reward that might help her mother, or play it safe? She chooses the former because of the “need.”

How did you approach portraying Jamaica in your book? What aspects of the setting were most important for you to capture authentically? 

Jamaica is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The mountains, the sea, the foliage and so much more is intoxicating--and I had a great time writing about it. But it was vital to capture the different walks of life and to animate the people a visitor to Jamaica would not meet at their resort—people whose jobs are service oriented. Further, it was vital to render the patois in a way that’s authentic to that part of the island (yes, there are different ways Jamaicans speak “patwah”). But it was just as important to make the patois accessible. 

I could have written the patois so thickly that many Jamaicans would have to take time to sound out the words. But I think it’s important to translate responsibly. I liken this to the discrepancy between St. Augustine and Jerome. They differed on how to translate the Bible of their time. Augustine wanted the actual language of the ancients. Jerome argued back that his version, though not the original thing, conveyed a more significant meaning to the readers of that day. And I agree with Jerome’s thinking--with all due respect to St. Augustine. 

 The contrast between the light-filled Jamaica and its darker underbelly is a key element. How did you use the setting to enhance the story's tension and atmosphere? 

 I don’t depict any of what you usually see in the glossy tourism commercials, where there’s the fancy all-you-can-eat buffet, the infinity pools, and pristine beaches. I go into detail of country life (the areas outside of the capital city of Kingston) while parsing out the difficult social realities that that life can pose. 

The theme of fate versus self-determination is strong in the book. How do you explore this through the experiences of Deja and Gabriel? 

A lot of it is summed up by the Jamaican phrase “What a fi yu cannot be un fi yu” (What is meant for you is meant for you.)  In other words, you can’t escape your fate. However, Deja and Gabriel exert their agency to try to rewrite their destinies and that of their loved ones. 

How do cultural and social dynamics in Jamaica influence the characters and plot of "Better Must Come"? 

The economy is very dependent on tourism and many of the other industries that once buoyed the nation have fallen by the wayside because of issues within the country and those that came from abroad. This inevitably leads to crime, corruption, and abandonment of the youth. Both Deja and Gabriel’s characters are shaped by these social and economic forces to varying extents. And they serve as obstacles to test their characters throughout the story. 

What was your writing process like for "Better Must Come"? Were there any particular challenges you faced while crafting the story? 

I used a lot of dramatic irony in the manuscript—the craft technique where the readers know more than the characters. For example, in horror stories the readers might dread a character walking into a room because they know the monster is in there waiting. Or in romances the boyfriend walks into the room and sees his girlfriend’s arm around his best friend’s shoulder, but the reader knows it’s not what it seems. 

But in Better Must Come, there are two POV characters, 4 major plot lines, and more than twenty set ups and pay offs. So, juggling all that while switching around the levels of dramatic irony was tricky and needed a lot of outlining. But in the end, my beloved editor and I knitted it all together for a very rewarding ending. 

How did you ensure authenticity in depicting the lives of teens in Jamaica, especially with such intense and complex themes?

I was a “Barrel Child” and so was my sister, who lived and died under difficult conditions. In addition, several members of my family made unenviable choices given their financial circumstances, which lead them into the crime world and their eventual deaths. 

Can you share any details about your future writing projects? Will you continue exploring similar themes or settings? 

I’m doing a rewrite on a middle grade historical fiction/fantasy story where a brother and sister go back in time to the Tulsa Massacre to use powers to try and help a young girl secure her legacy.

I also just finished a new draft of a YA historical fiction novel set in WW2, where a group of teenage school kids in occupied Denmark rise up to fight the Nazis because the grownups aren’t. 

How do you see the role of young adult fiction in addressing real-world issues and providing a platform for diverse voices?

I think YA fiction has to address real world problems because young people are facing a lot of them. From climate change to the growing migrant issues, to a lack of empathy when it comes to dissenting opinions. Literature has a major role to play in how the youth are prepared or unprepared to take on these important challenges. And in regards to diversity, it’s vital for traditionally underrepresented voices to be heard. Young people growing up with books that they can identify with can only help them become more well rounded grownups.