THIS BOOK COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
January 10, 2010
| By | Heather Marshall Negahdar “SUGAR-CANE” (Bridgetown, Barbados) – See all my reviews |
“Man how you could leh she tek dem way?”
“”How you mean I leh she Jeffrey?
“Chicken you believe this man! How I could leh she tek them way as if I could stop she. I only ten years old! She nearly twice my age and twice my size.”
Over the years there has been as expansion of young Caribbean authors, and we hope to see more of their work published. Melanie Springer was new to me but her novel has so impressed me and kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see what was happening next.
She displays a colourful portrait of our island Barbados in the summertime at one of the busiest seasons of the year, and that is obviously, The Crop Over Festival. Melanie in a class of her own and in her novel Pearl, you will see it all as she entertains you with great humour, heart-beating suspense and at times an overwhelming of sadness for some of the dear and not-so-dear characters.
As in most West Indian societies the young boys in their teens like to tease the older girls as they are growing up and allowed to wear more sophisticated clothes if you want to call it that or special attire in the form of what is new on the market. Pearl became a victim after being laughed at by her brother and his friends by anything she did. They were always making fun of her but she had the upper hand on them, and she let them know. She will report their bad behaviour to their elders.
Frightened the boys Omar, Chicken and Jeffery got jittery and started making some plans to work some ‘obeah’ or witchcraft on Pearl.
It is not long before Pearl one morning is found in her bed by Omar, but she does not budge. He tries in vain to wake her but there is no response. While the festivities of Bridgetown Market, Party Monarch at Cattle Wash Cohoblopot and even Kadooment are in full swing, Pearl is still in that bed in the same position as her brother Omar has found her. I do not want to spoil the story for you by saying too much more, but I guarantee you won’t be disappointed as the suspense grasps you tight, to the last page.
Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar – BARBADOS
