The Wine of Astonishment - Softcover

Earl Lovelace

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1478611278 ISBN 13: 9781478611271

Publisher: Waveland Press, Inc., 2014

Synopsis

The Wine of Astonishment is a powerful and heart-wrenching story of the persecution of Spiritual Baptists during British colonial rule in Trinidad from 1917 to 1951. The novel, situated in the remote village of Bonasse, is narrated by Eva, a middle-aged peasant and member of the Baptist Church. Her insider view, conveyed in Trinidadian Creole, pulls readers into the communal character of the Church, the oppression of West Indian people, political corruption, and the disparate motivations of community members.

Earl Lovelace's poignant novel placed him in the front ranks of Caribbean writers and established his international reputation. His well-crafted tale of change and perseverance connects us with authentic, complicated characters who struggle to exercise their freedom and retain their identity. Through their experiences of hope, betrayal, and humiliation we gain a better understanding of ethnic and religious strife and West Indian culture.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction by Marjorie Thorpe 1. Bee Goes to See Ivan Morton 2. The War Still Fighting 3. We Church 4. To Break the Law 5. Bolo and Prince 6. Elections 7. Bolo Returns 8. Badjohn 9. The Calamity 10. The Church Comes Back

Other titles by Caribbean writers from Waveland Press

Brodber, Jane and Louisa Will Soon Come Home (ISBN 9781478622840); Brodber, Myal (ISBN 9781478623113); Hodge, Crick Crack, Monkey (ISBN 9781478606598); and Warner-Vieyra, Juletane (ISBN 9781478611783).

About this title

About the Author:

Earl Lovelace was born in Toco, Trinidad in 1935, and spent his childhood in Tobago and Port of Spain. His first job was as a proof reader with the Trinidad Publishing Company, and he later joined the Civil Service, serving first in the Forestry Department and then in the Department of Agriculture.His first novel, While Gods Are Falling, won him the BP Independence Literary Award which enabled him to study in the United States as visiting novelist at Howard University, Washington. It was followed by The Schoolmaster, a novel which drew on his experiences of rural Trinidad. The promise evident in these novels of the sixties was fulfilled in The Dragon Can't Dance, and The Wine of Astonishment which, West Africa magazine argued, 'put him in the front rank of Caribbean writers'. It was followed by a collection of plays, Festina's Calypso, which was published in 1984.

Review:

"His writing is lyrical, reflecting Trinidadian speech habits as well as they have ever been reflected. This is an energetic, very unusual, above all, enlightening novel; the author's best yet." --Financial Times

"With deft artistry and writerly grace Lovelace has penned a remarkably informative and tender story of Trinidad's spiritual Baptists, transporting readers to a major turning point in this free Church's religious history. Kudos to Waveland Press for this timely reissue!" --Darren Middleton, Texas Christian University

"With deft artistry and writerly grace Lovelace has penned a remarkably informative and tender story of Trinidad's spiritual Baptists, transporting readers to a major turning point in this free Church's religious history. Kudos to Waveland Press for this timely reissue!" --Darren Middleton, Texas Christian University

About this edition

• Publisher: Waveland Press, Inc.
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1478611278
• ISBN 13: 9781478611271
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 146