Pariag Alley: A novel

Pariag Alley takes you into a world of fear, evil spirits, violence, sex in its various forms, insanity, shredded dreams, greed, and death. These are some of the key elements through which the reader comes to understand the inner life of this society, its perils and its promise. This is not to say that there is an absence of hope, generosity, humor, or wisdom here, it’s just that forces in this island drama, relentlessly push the opposite way. This story unfolds in the idyllic setting of Arena Island, a fictional Caribbean country. But the white sand, warm sun, palm lined beaches, and seemingly happy people mask a rigid society and a crumbling social order. The social fractures split wide open when young lovers break almost every village rule to be together. The unblinking narrative examines through remarkable characters, the realities of tradition, race, religion, and a harsh economy. Pariag Alley is more than a coming of age account of a pair of lovers. It is also about the failure of a society to adapt fast enough to satisify the needs of a new generation. The story demonstrates what happens when rules are so rigid that a village is prepared to cannibalize itself to preserve the demands of an old order and the terrible price participants often pay.