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Amazon Shorts - Read Judith Woolcock Colombo for just 49¢
Amazon Shorts are exclusive short stories and essays by favorite authors, delivered digitally.
Amazon Shorts are exclusive short stories and essays by favorite authors, delivered digitally.
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this fine debut, Jamaican-born Columbo artfully narrates a powerful Caribbean myth in which a village shaman (the Fablesinger) and her apprentice use powers of "foreseeing and herbal healing" to overcome the fear and hate unleashed by the vengeful Obeah man who serves the Sasambonsam, the King of Evil. The author develops her characters sensitively, particularly the aging, fragile Fablesinger who reluctantly relinquishes her power to a much younger woman, and her pupil, Marcia, an insecure and lonely "spirit-touched" girl mourning the death of her tormented mother. The struggle between good and evil is convincingly illustrated by descriptions of prophetic dreams. In one, Marcia is hit on the head by one of her severed fingers as it falls from a tree, while the Obeah man watches, laughing and grasping a bloodied hatchet. Though a heavy dose of symbolism and abstract language occasionally breaks the story's flow, Columbo's sensuous, melodic voice re-establishes it, conjuring haunting "visions of strange, beautiful slopes with lush green grass, purple orchids, and quaint wooden villages nestled on their shoulders," where "large, majestic . . . birdss with amber eyes" lead dreamers "over unfamiliar terrain and through strange obstacles."
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up-- A strange, disjointed book. The titular character is an elderly woman who lives in a poor village in an unnamed location. The Fablesinger is a Mayal, a priestess of an ancient African religion. Opposing her is the Obeah man, a priest of the Great Shadow and practitioner of dark, voodoolike arts. Entering their conflict is Marcia, an anthropology student of mixed race who becomes the Fablesinger's apprentice. Colombo writes in a knowledgeable and nonexploitative way about a segment of African-American culture that is rarely explored--the survival of ancient religions and beliefs. She also pulls off a very tricky feat: writing in dialect. The Fablesinger speaks in a Gullahlike language that is rhythmic and unfamiliar, yet clear and understandable. However, there is a lot of plot crammed into this slim novel. As a result, some developments are described in great detail while others are glossed over quickly, making it difficult for readers to get any sense of time. Not only is the time fragmented, but also the geography remains elusive. Although there are enough clues that these events are taking place in real time and real space, readers can only guess that the location is somewhere in a former slave state, or possibly a Caribbean island. A book with very limited appeal. --Susan M. Harding, Mesquite Public Library, TX
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
In this fine debut, Jamaican-born Columbo artfully narrates a powerful Caribbean myth in which a village shaman (the Fablesinger) and her apprentice use powers of "foreseeing and herbal healing" to overcome the fear and hate unleashed by the vengeful Obeah man who serves the Sasambonsam, the King of Evil. The author develops her characters sensitively, particularly the aging, fragile Fablesinger who reluctantly relinquishes her power to a much younger woman, and her pupil, Marcia, an insecure and lonely "spirit-touched" girl mourning the death of her tormented mother. The struggle between good and evil is convincingly illustrated by descriptions of prophetic dreams. In one, Marcia is hit on the head by one of her severed fingers as it falls from a tree, while the Obeah man watches, laughing and grasping a bloodied hatchet. Though a heavy dose of symbolism and abstract language occasionally breaks the story's flow, Columbo's sensuous, melodic voice re-establishes it, conjuring haunting "visions of strange, beautiful slopes with lush green grass, purple orchids, and quaint wooden villages nestled on their shoulders," where "large, majestic . . . birdss with amber eyes" lead dreamers "over unfamiliar terrain and through strange obstacles."
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up-- A strange, disjointed book. The titular character is an elderly woman who lives in a poor village in an unnamed location. The Fablesinger is a Mayal, a priestess of an ancient African religion. Opposing her is the Obeah man, a priest of the Great Shadow and practitioner of dark, voodoolike arts. Entering their conflict is Marcia, an anthropology student of mixed race who becomes the Fablesinger's apprentice. Colombo writes in a knowledgeable and nonexploitative way about a segment of African-American culture that is rarely explored--the survival of ancient religions and beliefs. She also pulls off a very tricky feat: writing in dialect. The Fablesinger speaks in a Gullahlike language that is rhythmic and unfamiliar, yet clear and understandable. However, there is a lot of plot crammed into this slim novel. As a result, some developments are described in great detail while others are glossed over quickly, making it difficult for readers to get any sense of time. Not only is the time fragmented, but also the geography remains elusive. Although there are enough clues that these events are taking place in real time and real space, readers can only guess that the location is somewhere in a former slave state, or possibly a Caribbean island. A book with very limited appeal. --Susan M. Harding, Mesquite Public Library, TX
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
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