A new arrival on a Caribbean island dominated by the cane fields, fifteen-year-old Midra falls under the spell of the island prince, whose African ancestry brings Midra a revelation from the ancient past. A first novel.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Restless spirits of slaughtered slaves are as vibrant as any human character in this notable debut. In 1894, after the abolition of slavery, a tiny community on an island reminiscent of the author's native Barbados is still dominated by the local plantation and its cane fields. The return to this community, after a year's absence, of the exotic Peata and her teenage daughter, Midra, inspires a chain of events that alters the uneasy relationships between the landowners and their tenant workers. Before their disappearance, both women had been drawn to Prince Johnson, an itinerant seaman who spurned Peata's advances and seduced Midra, impregnating her; Johnson's body was found just before the two women left. Back in town, the women are initially mistrusted by the locals, yet Brandon Fields, an apprentice blacksmith, is drawn to Midra and her son, Hartseed, eventually marrying her. Hartseed is seven when he meets another of Johnson's children, a half-sister with whom he explores a remote cave in which the pair discover a mysterious mask. The mask releases its secrets selectively: wearing it, the children envision scenes from their family's past and decipher the secrets of their heritage. The mask also leads to the resolution of the rampant and bizarre destruction of the cane fields that has ravaged the plantation. Absorbing tales of other tenants fold not entirely smoothly into the otherwise richly descriptive narrative. Though the novel suffers slightly from harsh, choppy dialogue, it promises a bright literary future for the author.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
First novelist Lovell joins the ranks of such writers of magic realism as Alejo Carpentier with this novel, which is set in Barbados. Strange things start happening in the close-knit village of Monkey Road after Peata and her beautiful daughter Midra arrive. They both fall in love with the village Robin Hood, Prince Johnson, but Prince chooses Midra, who bears his child. As jealousy separates the two women, the community seeks to repossess land still owned by the plantation though slavery has long been abolished. Mysteriously, the sugarcane lands are being destroyed, and the villagers believe that monkeys possessed by ancestral spirits seeking revenge are the culprits. There are mysterious deaths, bizarre sex, and, of course, a strange mask. Lovell's story rushes onward at full speed, and it is difficult to separate magic from reality, which adds even more to the intrigue of this brilliantly crafted tale. Highly recommended.
Corinne Nelson, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Corinne Nelson, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An extra-ordinary caribbean tale!,
By Ann Baj (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fire in the Canes (Hardcover)
Glenville Lovell's remarkable and interesting way of plotting the story line in each chapter seemed to open up a new thought process as I read. This book captured my attention in numerous ways. Having the experience myself of growing up in a small village, I enjoyed and seemed familiar with the description of some of the places mentioned in the book. Mr. Lovell's skillful and poetic use of language is very refreshing, and I was even more captivated with the use and mix of the dialect, that at times seemed to have taken me back in time to my childhood days. The use of magic and myth, combined with love/love-making, fear, history, insight and triumph indeed revealed a skillfully written story of two young lovers and an entire community whose journey leads to precious insights that connected them to their displaced ancestors to achieved new awakenings and complacency. To fully appreciate and experience this insightful journey - READ FIRE IN THE CANES! Extra-ordinary and brilliant!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fire in the Canes,
By "jujubajan" (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fire in the Canes (Hardcover)
Mr. Lovell is an excellent writer and very creative. I love books that takes me to another level, books that make you get into the characters. He took me back to my childhood days sitting on the stoop of my grandmother's house in Sturges watching the monkeys eating the bananas. I also went into Harrison's Cave before it was discovered. I saw the beauty of Monkey Road tenantry.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An extra-ordinary caribbean tale!,
By Ann Baj (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fire in the Canes (Hardcover)
Glenville Lovell's remarkable and interesting way of plotting the story line in each chapter seemed to open up a new thought process as I read. This book captured my attention in numerous ways. Having the experience myself of growing up in a small village, I enjoyed and seemed familiar with the description of some of the places mentioned in the book. Mr. Lovell's skillful and poetic use of language is very refreshing, and I was even more captivated with the use and mix of the dialect, that at times seemed to have taken me back in time to my childhood days. The use of magic and myth, combined with love/love-making, fear, history, insight and triumph indeed revealed a skillfully written story of two young lovers and an entire community whose journey leads to precious insights, awakenings and new beginnings! To fully appreciate and experience this insightful journey - READ FIRE IN THE CANES! Extra-ordinary and brilliant!
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