Four Influential Books
These are four of the more influential books that have inspired and informed the writing of my first novel Oristano, Book one of the Jamaica Chronicles:
The Story of Westmoreland: A Jamaican Parish by Marguerite R. Curtin helped give me the background necessary to write a historical fiction book set in Westmoreland, Jamaica.
Pieces of the Past: A Stroll Down Jamaica's Memory Lane by Rebecca Tortello was particularly helpful in understanding the cultural roots of many Jamaicans--Out of many, one people!
Drumblair: Memories of a Jamaican Childhood by Rachel Manley afforded me an insider perspective on the family history of the politically influential Manley family and the beginnings of the pre-independence movement, which gave Jamaican men and women over 21 the right to vote in 1944.
A Simple Smile: A Poetic Memoir by Dorothy Mahfood is by far the most influential book. While my mother penned most of the poems after I had written the majority of Oristano, the stories she told me in the past formed many of my ideas for the novel, all of which I have fictionalized and added other fictional characters and events to. Reading A Simple Smile will prepare you for my novel, not to mention, the first chapter of my novel is at the back of her book.
