Angel - Softcover

Merle Collins -

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0704340828 ISBN 13: 9780704340824

Publisher: Women's Press -, 1987

Synopsis

A dramatic coming-of-age tale that parallels the life of a young woman with the political fortunes of her Caribbean island nation, Angel vividly portrays the harshness of life in the Third World. . . . An enthralling look at women's lives in a developing country (Library Journal).

About this title

About the Author

Merle Collins is a professor of comparative literature and English at the University of Maryland. She is the author of Angel, Because the Dawn Breaks, The Colour of Forgetting, Rain Darling, and Rotten Pomerack. Her critical works have appeared in From My Guy to Sci-Fi: Genre and Women's Writing in the Postmodern World and Slavery and Abolition. Her literary work has appeared in Penguin Modern Poets Volume 8 and The Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories.

From Publishers Weekly

This first novel by a Caribbean poet relates a familiar story: thanks to her mother's determination and sacrifices, the daughter of an impoverished provincial family receives a college education and returns to her family alienated by her inevitable politicization, her own growth mirroring the struggles of her country (in this case, Grenada) to gain political autonomy. What distinguishes this work is its lyrical rendering. Collins's characters think and speak in patois: " 'People like you an me so, the harder we work in people kitchen and in people lan, the more we kill weself out and bring riches, is the poorer we get while we sweat goin in other people pocket.' " The initial strain imposed by the singular language quickly abates, and the technique enables the reader to share the perspectives of the protagonists and implicitly challenges the hegemony of "standard" English. In spite of the feminist and political themes, the characters are never reduced to mere mouthpieces; their dignity lies in their remaining conflicted even as they struggle with oppression. When America invades Grenada, the title character says, " 'We wrong. But that don make dem right.' " The combination of artistry and objectivity will commend this book to many readers.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Women's Press -
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0704340828
• ISBN 13: 9780704340824
• Binding: Paperback