Book reviews December 2009 and  January 2010
Reviews of some books recently acquired by the Philipsburg Jubilee Library. These reviews have also appeared in The Daily Herald

Caribbean dispatches beyond the tourist dream
By Jane BryceCaribbean Dispatches takes a highly original approach to one
 of the world’s most diverse cultures, covering a wide cross-section from Guyana
 to Trinidad & Tobago in the south to the Bahamas in the north. Written by 28 writers
of different backgrounds.For readers who want to get beneath the exotic surface
of the tourist experience.It s not a guide book, but for the curious it’s full of inside
information. It is the ideal companion for anyone
fascinated by the Caribbean who wants to find out more.
 

Still a dog
By Mark Anthony
Lance Thomas is up to his old tricks again.
Even though his promised his wife several years ago
that he was through with the lying and cheating, he just can’t resist the lureof
forbidden affairs. No longer tied down with a nine-to-five blue collar job,
Lance is a bestselling author with a lot of free time- and plenty of women
offering to spend it with him. Before he knows it, he’s caught up in player mode.
Follow along as this dog tries to juggle a wife, a son, multiple mistresses, a love
child, and now baby momma drama.
  

Matrimony
By Joshua Henkin
Matrimony is about love and friendship, money and ambition,
desire and tensions of faith. It asks what happens to a marriage
when it is confronted by betrayal and the specter of mortality.
What happens when people marry younger than they’d expected to?
Can love survive the passing of time? In its emotional honesty, its luminous
prose, its generosity and wry wit, matrimony is beautifully detailed portrait of
what it means to share a life with someone- to do so when you’re young,
and to try again, afresh, on the brink of middle age.

                         
Hold love strong
By Matthew Aaron Goodman
Abraham, the youngest of the Singletons, born to a thirteen –year-old
in the bathroom of his family’s small apartment.Deeply intuitive and cerebral,
he is determined to thrive in a place that has destroyed the dreams of those
around him. College means opportunity, yet it also means leaving behind those
he loves. Abraham’s Journey into adulthood will  break his heart but ultimately
offer the possibility of redemption. It is a spellbinding coming- of-age tale  about  love,
hope, and the will to survive.

The black arts movement
By Dave Robson
Discusses the black arts movement which was considered the the 
artistic branch of the black power movement. Legend has it that on the
day Malcolm X died the black arts movement was born. The artists and
thinkers who started the movement were outraged by his murder.  
They collectively determined to carry on his ideas of separatism and revolution.
According to the author the black arts movement was a cultural landmark in
 American history. It paved the way for diversity in American arts and popular culture.
Although the black arts movement ended in 1975 it still influences the black artists of today.

Understanding  Jonestown and peoples temple
By Rebecca Moore
Most people understand Peoples Temple through its violent end in
 Jonestown, Guyana in 1978 where more than 900 Americans committed
 murder and suicide .Media coverage sensationalized the group and obscured
the background of those who died. This book provides a fresh perspective on
Peoples Temple.. Locating the group within the context of religion in America.
The Author  Dr. Rebecca Moore draws on a wealth of sources, including primary
source material recovered from Jones-town and  first hand knowledge from her
own experience as a family member of two women in the Temple. The book will
help its readers to better understand Peoples Temple and its members.
 

Trafficking and prostitution reconsidered :
new persectives on migration, sex work and human rights
Edited by Kamala Kempadoo This is a collection of  thought provoking 
essays about human trafficking and prostitution. Trafficking and prostitution
are widely believed to by synonymous and to be leading international crimes.
This collection argues against such sensationalism and advances carefully considered
and grounded alternatives for understanding transnational migrations.
The book sheds new light on everyday circumstances popular discourses and
strategies for survival under twenty-first century economic and political conditions
with a focus on Asia but with lessons globally. The writers not only give us  critique
of superficial approaches to sexual labor but point the way to a deeper understanding
based on human rights.

At  Blanchards table : a trip to the beach cookbook
By Melinda Blanchard and Robert Blanchard
In  “ A trip to the beach”  Bob and Melinda Blanchard shared the true
story of the couples adventures as they escaped civilization to open a restaurant
on Anguilla. In this book Bob and Melinda share recipes drawn from their
New England roots, their years in the gourmet food business and their life in the Caribbean.
The result is a delectable collection of 160 recipes perfect for get together of family
and friends illustrated with glorious photographs. Although the restaurant gets rave
reviews for the food Melinda was never formally trained as a chef, so her recipes
are true home made meals that are appealing and easy.