So Many Islands:Stories from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific edited by Nicholas Laughlin is a collection of short stories, poems, essays from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. When I heard about this collection of stories, I instantly gravitated to the idea of different island people coming together to speak their truth in various written forms. Being an Islander myself, I saw myself in most of these stories, there are so many things different islands share but we remain unique.
I think Marlon James’s introduction perfectly summarizes this collection and the writing “It takes a big mind, or at least a big worldview to write from such a small space…” Some of these Writers write of places you may have never heard about or visited but they do so in such a refreshing and engaging way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, the writing was new, refreshing and I really felt at home reading this book. I loved that the book gave an authentic nod to the diverse writing of Islanders, I was captivated by the poetry, prose and essays. The major standouts for me were:
Tread Lightly by Emma Kate Lewis (Malta)
The Plundering by Heather Barker (Barbados)
Granny Dead by Melanie Schwapp (Jamaica)
A Child of Four Women by Marita Davies (Kiribati)
Unaccounted For by Tracy Assing (Trinidad and Tobago)
Coming off the long run by Cecil Browne (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
If you are from an island, currently living on an island or planning on visiting an island, you should definitely pick up a copy of this collection. Outstanding stories from amazing Islanders!
P.S. I absolutely love this cover!
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