Synopsis

A collection of short stories written by the late Barbadian author, Timothy Callender. Eighteen years after his death, his wife has published these hidden treasures, nearly all of which have never been published or even seen before! This long awaited “resurrection” of Callender’s work has at last come into print in the form of twelve, amusing, entertaining, interesting, ‘Caribbean-flavoured’ short stories. Theses stories though hysterical, have an authentic historical background information, and are a good read for Caribbean and non-Caribbean readers all over the world.

Reviews

The conversational tone and ease with which the Barbadian dialect is employed,

act as a magnet to readers who can readily identify with the main characters.

As a result, the work is compelling reading. Interestingly, non Caribbean readers are given an opportunity to appreciate the power of words and expressions such as: “nuniform” “Englant” “wunna” “duppy” and “mekking sport”.

Additionally, Callender’s sense of humour is revealed through his clever descriptions of the unexpected, details given about cultural misconceptions, his use of wit, absurdity and cynicism. However, after a hearty laugh, no reader can miss the underlying serious tone of the writer, who draws our attention to a range of concerns including the negative impact of colonialism, socio-economic problems, and his own subtle political commentary.

 

Despite this unveiling of the undesirable, Callender impresses on readers, the critical need to be nationalistic in outlook. Therefore, like the true artist, he impacts positively on our senses and sensibilities. 

As a result, the journey we are taken on is a realistic one, presented to us through the Barbadian landscape, through the eyes of the Caribbean immigrant in Britain, or through the experiences of Africans captured and taken on the perilous Atlantic journey in slave ships.

I commend readers to "Tales of the Caribbean" for an educational experience that is unique.
 

- Review by
Gwen Thompson
English Tutor.
CBC College
St. Kitts, 1977

Other Information:

Latest compilation of short stories

Contains information on true historical events both West Indian and worldwide.