Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam - by Carmen C Esteves (Paperback)

About the Book

Perhaps the most salient feature of the stories collected here is their presentation of the multiplicity of voices of Caribbean women: Parable II, No Dust is Allowed in This House, of Nuns and Punishment, Reminds us of the accomplishments of Caribbean women and promise of their writing.

Book Synopsis

This collection of short stories features moving tales from the rich Caribbean oral tradition, stories that question women's traditional roles, present women's perspectives on the history of Caribbean slavery and colonialism, and convey the beautiful cadences of the language of Caribbean women. It offers the general reader a broad selection of the themes, styles, and techniques characteristic of contemporary women's fiction in the Caribbean. There are twenty-seven enjoyable and vibrant tales in this anthology, some of them originally written in English, others in French, Dutch, and Spanish. There are writers from Guadeloupe, Dominica, Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Antigua, Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Surinam. Along with stories by well-known writers such as Jean Rhys, Jamaica Kincaid, Michelle Cliff, Maryse Conde, and Rosario Ferre, the anthology also includes first-rate stories by lesser-known but equally talented writers. The collection also contains a critical introduction, biographical notes, and a bibliography.

Review Quotes

Provides wonderful insights into writing by women from the Caribbean.--J. Michael Dash "The University of West Indies"

The panorama of insights and visions is vast... the context of women's writings is a broadening link, connecting these writers with their counterparts in other cultures around the world.--Gregory Rabassa

Unique... a wonderful collection that will receive much attention.--Barbara Christian "University of California, Berkeley"

About the Author

Carmen C. Esteves is assistant professor in the department of Romance languages at Lehman College-CUNY. She has translated into English works by Latin American women such as Magali Garcia Ramis and Elena Poniatowska.

Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert is associate professor of Puerto Rican studies at Lehman College-CUNY. She has published many articles on Caribbean writers, and has translated many works into English, including Love (Amour) by the Haitian writer Marie Chauvet.