Clarke, Austin The polished hoe: A novel ISBN 13: 9780887621109

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9780887621109: The polished hoe: A novel
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Winner of the 2002 Scotiabank Giller Prize and of the 2003 Commonwealth Writers' Prize: Best Book (Canada and the Caribbean)

When an elderly Bimshire village woman calls the police to confess to a murder, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the African diaspora in one epic sweep. Set on the post-colonial West Indian island of Bimshire in 1952, The Polished Hoe unravels over the course of 24 hours but spans the lifetime of one woman and the collective experience of a society informed by slavery.

As the novel opens, Mary Mathilda is giving confession to Sargeant, a police officer she has known all her life. The man she claims to have murdered is Mr. Belfeels, the village plantation owner for whom she has worked for more than thirty years. Mary has also been Mr. Belfeels' mistress for most of that time and is the mother of his only son, Wilbeforce, a successful doctor.

What transpires through Mary's words and recollections is a deep meditation about the power of memory and the indomitable strength of the human spirit. Infused with Joycean overtones, this is a literary masterpiece that evokes the sensuality of the tropics and the tragic richness of Island culture.

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About the Author:

Culminating with the international success of The Polished Hoe in 2002, Austin Clarke’s work since 1964 includes ten novels, six short-story collections, and three memoirs published in the United States, England, Canada, Australia and Holland. In 1998, Clarke was invested with the Order of Canada, and has received four honorary doctorates. In 1999 he won the W.O. Mitchell Prize and the Martin Luther King Junior Award for Excellence in Writing. He lives in Toronto.

From Publishers Weekly:
Clarke, considered one of Canada's finest political novelists, but less well known in the U.S. (a memoir, Pig Tails 'n Breadfruit, was published by the New Press in 2000), gets a new launching in this country with this eloquent, richly detailed novel, awarded Canada's Giller Prize. A murder takes place in the 1950s on the fictional Caribbean island of Bimshire (a stand-in for Clarke's native Barbados), where the culture of English gardens and cricket contrasts sharply with the legacy of slavery. The murderer is Mary Gertrude Mathilda, a respected elderly black matriarch. But the identity of the victim is less clear. In the 24 hours covered by Austin's tale, Mary is determined to tell the police about the lifetime of degradations that led up to her homicidal rage, and Sgt. Percy Stuart, a black member of the police force, is determined to stop her. Percy is in love with Mary, but his life has been a continual compromise with the still-lingering plantation system. Nobody represents the system better than Mr. Bellfeels, the white manager of the sugar plantation at the center of the villagers' lives. When she was 13, Mary was, in essence, bartered to Bellfeels by her mother, who was his previous mistress. For 38 years, she bore his groping and his children. Though he has helped their son, Wilberforce, become a doctor, Bellfeels has never shown Mary herself any kindness. At times, Clarke loses confidence in his characters and has them deliver forced sociological truths-for instance, when Mary gives a lecture about Christopher Columbus. Most of the story, however, unfolds through brilliantly written dialogue, a rich, dancing patois that fills out the dimensions of the island's painful history and its complex caste system. Like Texaco, by Martinique writer Patrick Chamoiseau, Clarke's novel, by harnessing the genius of Creole, shows how art can don a liberating face.
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  • PublisherThomas Allen Publishers
  • Publication date2002
  • ISBN 10 0887621104
  • ISBN 13 9780887621109
  • BindingHardcover
  • Number of pages462
  • Rating

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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. New - Unread Copy. May Have Minor Shelf Wear To Edges. - For More Information On Condition. Please See All Photos. - Winner Of The 2002 Scotiabank Giller Prize And Of The 2003 Commonwealth Writers? Prize: Best Book (Canada And The Caribbean) When An Elderly Bimshire Village Woman Calls The Police To Confess To A Murder, The Result Is A Shattering All-Night Vigil That Brings Together Elements Of The African Diaspora In One Epic Sweep. Set On The Post-Colonial West Indian Island Of Bimshire In 1952, The Polished Hoe Unravels Over The Course Of 24 Hours But Spans The Lifetime Of One Woman And The Collective Experience Of A Society Informed By Slavery. As The Novel Opens, Mary Mathilda Is Giving Confession To Sargeant, A Police Officer She Has Known All Her Life. The Man She Claims To Have Murdered Is Mr. Belfeels, The Village Plantation Owner For Whom She Has Worked For More Than Thirty Years. Mary Has Also Been Mr. Belfeels? Mistress For Most Of That Time And Is The Mother Of His Only Son, Wilberforce, A Successful Doctor. What Transpires Through Mary?S Words And Recollections Is A Deep Meditation About The Power Of Memory And The Indomitable Strength Of The Human Spirit. Infused With Joycean Overtones, This Is A Literary Masterpiece That Evokes The Sensuality Of The Tropics And The Tragic Richness Of Island Culture. Seller Inventory # 005105

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