The Mark of Cane : Short Stories from Trinidad (p/b) - Kenneth Jaikaransingh

In this enthralling collection of short stories, the author takes us from early twentieth century Trinidad into a more contemporary setting, then drags us back again repeatedly to create a mosaic covering life during and after the experience of colonialism on a small island. His rich assortment of characters and episodes range from English plantation managers to the descendants of indentured immigrants, from a school in crisis to a family unravelling its skeletons over a Christmas event. Gangsters and criminals, incompetent or corrupt policemen, and ordinary citizens caught up in various personal crises populate the pages of these narratives.