Description
Uncle Brother unfolds a tale of unflinching devotion against a tapestry of neglect and exploitation.
Under the curious eyes of a succession of children glimmer fragments of stories that interlock to produce the saga of Nathan Deoraj - brother, uncle and teacher. The young boy on an early twentieth century cocoa estate in Trinidad begins his own story, and soon the opportunity for education and Nathan's own passion for books opens the way to a brilliant future. Then a crippling loss reshapes his path.
But the very limitations that close on him provoke him to unleash his mind into the awakening consciousnesses around him. Others who have taken up the tale reveal how Nathan's subsequent choices lead to a recharting of countless lives, and to the forging of connections that cross Caribbean social divides. Yet, running alongside Nathan's devotion to family and community are stories of those children who had no Nathan. Resentments arise and smolder, shocking injustice leads to tragedy, and, in old age, Nathan must tap yet deeper reserves of strength and endurance.
Uncle Brother speaks to audiences of all ages in and beyond the Caribbean by exploring bonds between children and older family members, and, uniquely, between a girl growing to awareness in the light and shade of a powerful male relative. Then, threading the tale of the living legend are cries for help from a child who enters the story late in Nathan's life, when nothing more should have been required of him....
About the Author
Barbara Lalla is the author of two other novels, Cascade, A Novel, and Arch of Fire. Professor Emeritus of Language and Literature at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Barbara Lalla was born in Jamaica and educated at UWI, Mona, before moving to Trinidad and Tobago. A winner of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence, and Campus Orator for many years, Barbara Lalla has several scholarly publications, including Postcolonialisms, Defining Jamaican Fiction, Voices in Exile and Language in Exile (in collaboration with Jean D'Costa), and Caribbean Literary Discourse (co-authored with Jean D'Costa and Velma Pollard).
Book Information
ISBN 9789766404604
Author Barbara Lalla
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint University of the West Indies Press
Publisher University of the West Indies Press
Weight(grams) 438g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 156mm * 18mm
Under the curious eyes of a succession of children glimmer fragments of stories that interlock to produce the saga of Nathan Deoraj - brother, uncle and teacher. The young boy on an early twentieth century cocoa estate in Trinidad begins his own story, and soon the opportunity for education and Nathan's own passion for books opens the way to a brilliant future. Then a crippling loss reshapes his path.
But the very limitations that close on him provoke him to unleash his mind into the awakening consciousnesses around him. Others who have taken up the tale reveal how Nathan's subsequent choices lead to a recharting of countless lives, and to the forging of connections that cross Caribbean social divides. Yet, running alongside Nathan's devotion to family and community are stories of those children who had no Nathan. Resentments arise and smolder, shocking injustice leads to tragedy, and, in old age, Nathan must tap yet deeper reserves of strength and endurance.
Uncle Brother speaks to audiences of all ages in and beyond the Caribbean by exploring bonds between children and older family members, and, uniquely, between a girl growing to awareness in the light and shade of a powerful male relative. Then, threading the tale of the living legend are cries for help from a child who enters the story late in Nathan's life, when nothing more should have been required of him....
About the Author
Barbara Lalla is the author of two other novels, Cascade, A Novel, and Arch of Fire. Professor Emeritus of Language and Literature at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Barbara Lalla was born in Jamaica and educated at UWI, Mona, before moving to Trinidad and Tobago. A winner of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence, and Campus Orator for many years, Barbara Lalla has several scholarly publications, including Postcolonialisms, Defining Jamaican Fiction, Voices in Exile and Language in Exile (in collaboration with Jean D'Costa), and Caribbean Literary Discourse (co-authored with Jean D'Costa and Velma Pollard).
Book Information
ISBN 9789766404604
Author Barbara Lalla
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint University of the West Indies Press
Publisher University of the West Indies Press
Weight(grams) 438g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 156mm * 18mm
