Author: Edison T. Williams
Publisher: Edison T. Williams
Published: 2013-07-02
Total Pages: 152
ISBN-13: 9789768233684
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An antidote to the daily farrago of celebrity lives served up by the media, this book celebrates the true 'homo ordinarius' and his response to personal, natural and man-made challenges. It is a well prepared potpourri lovingly served with gentle humour and a dash of nostalgia. "If you keep facing north, you'll never see the sun rise." These are the words of the character, Three Schools, in the story Facing North. It is the story that gives the collection its name, Facing North - Tales from Bathsheba. It is Three Schools' way of saying that you won't find the right answer, if you are not looking in the right place. This applies to many of the characters in the book of short stories by Barbadian author Edison T. Williams. The ten intriguing stories span almost a century of Barbadian life starting in the 1930s. The stories are told with humour and the insight of someone who understands the nuances of this small Caribbean society. These stories are about the drama of life in a small community. They also deal with the way in which villagers' lives can from time to time be impacted by its transient residents. But the Bathsheba in these stories is more than a small seaside village; it is a microcosm of Barbados. Other writers had this to say about the book: "Reminiscent of some of Mavis Gallant's short fiction... The stories, all good reads, deal with serious current issues of ...politics, economics, race, sex, land appropriation and identity...these are hopeful stories..." (Robert Edison Sandiford author of THE TREE OF YOUTH AND OTHER STORIES). "(Edison T. Williams) is a story teller! He has the technique of gripping the reader from the beginning. (His) endings are classic Somerset Maugham/O. Henry. I have my favourites among the stories, 'Desmond Lola and Bassman' is fascinating...'The New Sybaris' is a riveting read... but I really loved them all." (Peter Laurie, author of MAUBY'S QUEST FOR THE MAGIC FLOWER AND OTHER BOOKS.) ..".an excellent collection of short stories and a couple not so short. Good set of characters that remind me of Steinbeck's Cannery Row...I would love to meet these characters... 'The New Sybaris' is substantial and intricate in describing the many motives involved in a political issue. I liked every story... If I can speak for the public, we want more."(Lennard Sillanpaa, On, Canada, Author of AWAKENING SIBERIA.) This book stands out because the stories are great and the characters memorable.
