-Caribbean Reading

When a young Caribbean boy, born into poverty and abandoned by teenage parents, stumbles upon the international bestseller, The Power of Positive Thinking, he vows to make it the bible that would guide his path to a life of prosperity.

Despite devastating academic failures, he predicts before incredulous classmates, a successful career in accountancy, citing the name of his future employer a British telecommunications giant with deep colonial roots. And during moments of repose he d visualize his future bride, a beautiful girl from a different world, totally oblivious of his affection.

Against formidable odds, he sets out on an ill-prepared trip to London to pursue his dreams. But nothing goes according to plan. Meeting his mother and half-siblings for the first time leaves permanent scars. The search for his father proves futile. A bout of blindness all but crashes his dreams.

When he finds himself marooned in the seemingly desolate city in the depth of a bitter English winter, and facing destitution, he d have to summon more than The Power of Positive Thinking to see him through.

How long would it be before he returned to his island home to fulfill his destiny, and claim his heart s desire still oblivious of his affection?

The fateful events of 9/11 stir in him a profound desire to unlock the vaults of history. Private investigators unearth his father living good in London, a successful man with haunting secrets of a past life hidden from his loving family ... pictures buried in an attic ... a grandmother on a nearby island grieving her recently departed husband who d never seen his grandson ...

All the while, his relentless ambition profoundly reshapes his goals, his life, and just might redefine a generation.

Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the critically acclaimed A Caribbean Tale is a compelling non-fiction novel spanning decades, of hope and dreams, triumph and disaster, and the lessons of life and of living.

Highly recommended for those who dare to dream.

Michael Garfield Smith was an internationally distinguished anthropologist. He was also a poet of merit, but few people knew that or really understood the conflicts, personal and professional, that made him, in the opinion of many who knew him, appear arrogant and unapproachable. This account tries to show the whole man, and it is to date the only biography of M. G. Smith.

"A Man Divided" is a brief account of M. G. Smith the man, "the talented, hardworking Jamaican and how he made his way, rather than of the academic performance of Professor M. G. Smith the internationally distinguished anthropologist". Preface

Philip Hunte wrote this book as a gift to the people of Barbados. They provide an honest yet critical assessment of social and global issues that impact Barbados. The perspectives address diverse topics, and the reason for their publication is to provide another point of view for discussion.

A dramatic nineteenth-century tale, originally published in the newspapers of the day, Adolphus traces the adventures of a mulatto son of a black slave woman raped by a white man.

Every reader will find a point of contact in "After the Storm". This book is for everyone who is trying to cope with the death of a loved one or who is placed in the role of comforter. Dr Pottinger facilitates an understanding of the process of grieving, examines the varying causes of grief and attempts to guide the reader through what is often a painful process.

The subject of death is still considered somewhat taboo. However, understanding the process of grieving, both pathological and normal, and the varying causes of grief with its accompanying reactions should help us to be better educators, counsellors, role models and friends.