📘My Caribbean Grandma: From Thought to Publishing

     So much has changed in the world but many things about rural life in many island nations remain the same.
 
     To finally have a product that is as a result of thoughts about my childhood meandering through my mind for years is satisfying.  To write something that reflects an authentic part of who I am is indeed an awesome accomplishment.  The story “My Caribbean Grandma” was written to accomplish many things, i.e. sharing with others an aspect of what rural life is like for many children in island communities and building an awareness of cultural diversity.  Most importantly I wanted there was a need to make rural children especially those from my home community see something about themselves in print.  To fulfill a desire to leave a legacy in print for those who come after me, and to provide for rural children in my home community, something that may remind them of themselves and their cultural heritage was important.
 
     In the absence of migrant parents, children in many rural communities on the island of Jamaica find themselves being taken care of by grandparents. They spend much of their time like the children in the book, helping grandparents with many farming chores.  It becomes apart of their everyday existence and in 2016 the lifestyle is still very much apart of many children’s lives. 

     My book “My Caribbean Grandma” captures moments in the life of a little girl growing up with her grandma in Epping Farm, a small rural community on the island of Jamaica.   After reading the story, readers are asked not only to think about their own memories with their grandma, but also to do some comparing and contrasting of their childhood experiences with that of the book’s characters.
 
     The book is about sharing culture, heritage, diversity, and humanity.  I hope readers will enjoy the story and participate in discussions about its contents.