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Of age and innocence

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An insightful exploration of the nature of race and ethnicity in colonial and postcolonial Caribbean societies, this tale follows the charismatic Isaac Shepherd, who returns to the island of San Cristobal to lead an independence movement that unites the island’s diverse groups against the colonial establishment. However, mutual suspicions arise as the groups fail to communicate openly about their different perspectives on colonialism, making them all vulnerable. Paralleling the world of political turmoil is the bond between Ma Shepherd, Isaac's mother, and the sons of the sparring politicians, including the white son of a reactionary chief of police. Tense and tragic, this novel delves into the implications of ethnic difference as it investigates the process of perception, communication, and knowledge.

412 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1981

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About the author

George Lamming

34 books76 followers
George Lamming was born in the Caribbean island of Barbados on June 8, 1927. He attended The Combermere School which has produced other Barbadian literary icons including Frank Collymore and Austin Clarke. He left that island for Trinidad in 1946, teaching school until 1950. He then emigrated to England where, for a short time, he worked in a factory. In 1951 he became a broadcaster for the BBC Colonial Service. He entered academia in 1967 as a writer-in-residence and lecturer in the Creative Arts Centre and Department of Education at the University of the West Indies.

Since then, he has has served as a Visiting Professor and Writer-in-Residence at the City University of New York. He has worked as a faculty member and lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Pennsylvania. He has also served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Duke University and a Visiting Professor of Africana Studies and Literary Arts at Brown University. In addition to his American teaching and lecturing experience, Lamming has also taught or lectured at universities in Tanzania, Denmark, and Australia.

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