More books by authors of the Caribbean
After exploring our ocean of offerings and discovering ten Caribbean authors, we could hardly stop so suddenly, especially when, with our heads down and books open, we can really get our money’s worth by learning some smart money rules and, with our positioning, it is more important than ever. Caribbean author Marie Deary shows how regionally born authors can offer solid non-fiction. Smart Money Rules deals with budgeting to save, saving toward investing, and investing in the future. Our historical context has left remnants of the idea of literally labouring for our money. Deary helps to enlighten how unsound money management might be holding many of us back and the idea of moving from working hard to working smart. She challenges readers to consider our heart and mind and how it connects to our money management styles. In our current economic tide, this is one book truly worth opening.
As with many of our Caribbean authors, we can turn to Amazon as we make a move toward getting our Smart Money Rules: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Money-Rules-Marie-Deary/dp/0692425748
It would be quite understandable if we are left wondering about the background of Marie Deary. Deary is a senior financial advisor and money expert with over ten years’ experience; she shares her knowledge via radio and http://www.wealthmanagementlb.com/ blogs.
Marie Deary
Even more importantly is Marie’s outlook as she puts it, “My financial planning philosophy is based on the belief that behind every checkbook and every retirement account is a personal story … It’s not just a numbers game. It’s truly about people.” Therefore, we already know when we open our Smart Money Rules it is personal; it becomes our money story being rewritten in a way that truly counts.
Marlon James
One of the things that truly count for the Caribbean and the Diaspora is viewing ourselves as we are. Marlon James helps us do just that. In his curious novel titled A Brief History of Seven Killings. James uses some real-life history to explore existing socio-political-economic experiences within the isle of Jamaica. The Chicago Tribune described the book as a ‘go-for-broke BIG BOOK’ written from the edges of history. This historical novel works with the research on the Shower Posse, who, in the early sixties, spread their drug trade from Jamaica to the United States. This information is brought to life around characters giving evidence to the different activities and circumstances created. This is one novel for which the ready must be both prepared and patient, for as Irvine Welsh put it, A Brief History of Seven Killings is a ‘haunting, incendiary work.’
Having won The Man Booker Prize 2015, the four-year effort of the author could be well appreciated. Born Jamaican, Marlon James is also the author of The Book of Night Women which won both the Minnesota Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and John Crow’s Devil which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. He teaches at Macalester College, Minnesota, USA.
Thankfully, we have authors like Marlon James who approach those ‘hot topics’ and in a sense ‘bring the sun’ to our literary tropical Caribbean context. Then, we have those authors who reflect our tropical sun in another way.
Nicole Dennis-Benn
One such author is Nicole Dennis-Benn with her offering Here Comes The Sun. Sure enough, Dennis-Benn touches a tough topic as we enter an opulent setting in Montego Bay, Jamaica where Margot, looking after her sister, trades her sexuality as she applies her ‘street smarts’ for money. For Margot financial independence is linked to any opportunity to increase her quality and quantity of clientele, so she anticipates the new hotel resort. The heat from the tropical sun increases too as Margot deals with sharing her lesbian sexual orientation. As the sun shines it light over all so does Dennis-Benn shine light upon some less seen areas in our regionally-inspired literary landscape.- https://www.nicoledennisbenn.com/book.html
This debut novel for Dennis-Benn, who holds an MFA in Creative Writing and lives with her wife in Brooklyn, New York, received much acclaim. Here Comes The Sun was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, an Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Entertainment Weekly, and an NPR Best Books of 2016 and a BuzzFeed Best Literary Debuts of 2016, among others. In fact, Vice listed Dennis-Benn among immigrant authors “who are making American Literature great again”.
Ten to one has been given as an estimate for the women to men in our region, so it is little surprise to discover another protagonist, nineteen-year-old Lucy Josephine Potter, pursuing the American dream as she travels to the ‘Big Apple’ to become an au pair to four American children. As Lucy enters the world of the rich and privileged, she realizes that all that glitters is not gold. This experience leads Lucy to explore life and appearances on a deeper level. Author Jamaica Kincaid in her novel Lucy introduces us to some life experiences and how it causes some to question those things they once longed for and builds those characters of integrity within our Caribbean context.
Lucy finds herself growing closer to her employer, Mariah, and begins to marvel at the differences between her impoverished colonial background and Mariah’s privileged circumstances. Nonetheless, as Lucy, Mariah, and Mariah’s four daughters take a trip to the Great Lakes; Lucy observes that she and Mariah hold quite different views on lots of things, from dining cars and plowed fields to Indian heritage. Lucy then notices that Mariah’s pampered perspective of the world leads to her feeling both rage and pity for her employer.
As with our other offerings, Lucy can be easily sourced at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Lucy-Novel-Jamaica-Kincaid/dp/0374527350
Jamaica Kincaid hails from the isle of Antigua. She is a Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at Harvard University. Before the author we meet today, Jamaica Kincaid was Elaine Potter Richardson, that little sassy and disobedient girl. Fortunately for our Caribbean literature, Kincaid’s mother, a book lover herself, taught Elaine to read at the tender age of three and gave her an Oxford Dictionary four years later for her seventh birthday.
Keeping our heads down and continuing to focus on the children, we discover author Baptiste Paul.
Baptiste Paul – http://baptistepaul.net/
St. Lucian born, Baptiste Paul is a man of many talents, as a dad and avid sports fan who holds a degree in Environmental Studies and currently resides with his family near a wildlife sanctuary in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he brings it all together in his literary offering, The Field. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZsbvWUnM4E
If Paul were to introduce himself in his own words, he’d say; “I speak and share my experiences at schools and events, and would be happy to speak for your group on any topic from my culture to the environment or politics. I also write stories for kids with my wife, children’s author Miranda Paul.” http://baptistepaul.net/
Getting assistance from Jacqueline Alcantara for illustration, Paul brings to life a scenic children’s picture book. The Field showcases the joys of the game of soccer within our Caribbean isles and the big part it plays in childhood. Such a book, especially for parents of the Caribbean Diaspora, brings some cool Caribbean culture to the concrete jungle.
“Vini! Come! The field calls!” cries a girl as she and her younger brother rouse their community—family, friends, and the local fruit vendor—for a pickup soccer (futbol) game. Boys and girls, young and old, players and spectators come running—bearing balls, shoes, goals, and a love of the sport.”- http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Field/Baptiste-Paul/9780735843127
There we go then, heads down, books open and imagine it is only the beginning.
By KerriannToby
Kerriann Toby is a dynamic therapist currently pursuing her Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD). She is a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and has trained as a cybercounsellor. Her areas of experience, expertise, and interest include child development, sexual and reproductive health, gender-related matters, marriage and family life, and promoting the idea of positive psychology, using strengths to support mental health and wellbeing. Visit her Wellness Blog www.karryonservices.com/blog or Facebook : Karry Morph https://www.facebook.com/ongoingProgressiveMovements/
