Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert

Margarite Fernández Olmos

"A comprehensive introduction to the syncretic religions developed in the Caribbean region"--

An Introduction

Creole Religions of the Caribbean, Third Edition

Beginning with a biographical chapter, this text traces the development of Kincaid's work. Each of the novels and the collection of short stories is discussed in a separate chapter that includes sections on plot, character, and theme.

A Critical Companion

Jamaica Kincaid

With the publication of her novel Annie John in 1985, Jamaica Kincaid entered the ranks of the best novelists of her generation. Her three autobiographical novels, Annie John, Lucy, and Autobiography of My Mother, and collection of short stories, At the Bottom of the River, touch on the universal theme of coming-of-age and the female adolescent's need to sever her ties to her mother. This angst is couched in the social landscape of post-colonial Antigua, a small Caribbean island whose legacy of racism affects Kincaid's protagonists. Her fiction rewrites the history of the Caribbean from a West Indies perspective and this milieu colors the experiences of her characters. Following a biographical chapter, Paravisini-Gebert traces the development of Kincaid's craft as a writer. Each of the novels and the collection of short stories is discussed in a separate chapter that includes sections on plot, character, theme, and an alternate critical approach from which to read the novel, such as feminist. A complete primary and secondary bibliography and lists of selected reviews of Kincaid's work complete the study.

Creolization—the coming together of diverse beliefs and practices to form new beliefs and practices-is one of the most significant phenomena in Caribbean religious history. Brought together in the crucible of the sugar plantation, Caribbean peoples drew on the variants of Christianity brought by European colonizers, as well as on African religious and healing traditions and the remnants of Amerindian practices, to fashion new systems of belief. Creole Religions of the Caribbean offers a comprehensive introduction to the syncretic religions that have developed in the region. From Vodou, Santería, Regla de Palo, the Abakuá Secret Society, and Obeah to Quimbois and Espiritismo, the volume traces the historical-cultural origins of the major Creole religions, as well as the newer traditions such as Pocomania and Rastafarianism. Chapters devoted to specific traditions trace their history, their pantheons and major rituals, and their current-day expressions in the Caribbean and in the diaspora. The volume also provides a general historical background of the Caribbean region. Creole Religions of the Caribbean is the first text to provide a study of the Creole religions of the Caribbean and will be an indispensable guide to the development of these rich religious traditions and practices. With 23 black and white illustrations

An Introduction from Vodou and Santeria to Obeah and Espiritismo

Creole Religions of the Caribbean

Twenty-five short stories from the Hispanic Caribbean. In Pedro Peix's Requiem for a Wreathless Corpse, a family tries to capitalize on the death of a relative who was a famous guerrilla, while the story, Now That I'm Back, Ton, is on a man's disappointment following his return home.

Stories from the Hispanic Caribbean

Remaking a Lost Harmony

The Caribbean is an exotic but not too distant land, full of rich cultural traditions. The literature of the Caribbean reflects the social, political, and cultural concerns of the region and is a valuable tool for learning about the area and its people. This book includes chapters on roughly a dozen contemporary Caribbean writers. Along with plot summaries, these sections discuss major themes and give close attention to how Caribbean culture figures in the writer's texts. To help students conduct further research, each chapter cites works for further reading.

Literature of the Caribbean

For review see: Joseph M. Murphy, in HAHR : The Hispanic American Historical Review, 78, 3 (August 1998); p. 495-496.

Vodou, Santería, Obeah, and the Caribbean

Sacred Possessions

Examines the themes and techniques used in the major works of Jamaica Kincaid.

CreolizationOCothe coming together of diverse beliefs and practices to form new beliefs and practicesOCois one of the most significant phenomena in Caribbean religious history. Brought together in the crucible of the sugar plantation, Caribbean peoples drew on the variants of Christianity brought by European colonizers, as well as on African religious and healing traditions and the remnants of Amerindian practices, to fashion new systems of belief. Creole Religions of the Caribbean offers a comprehensive introduction to the syncretic religions that have developed in the region. From Vodou, Santer a, Regla de Palo, the Abakui Secret Society, and Obeah to Quimbois and Espiritismo, the volume traces the historicalOCocultural origins of the major Creole religions, as well as the newer traditions such as Pocomania and Rastafarianism. This second edition updates the scholarship on the religions themselves and also expands the regional considerations of the Diaspora to the U. S. Latino community who are influenced by Creole spiritual practices. Fernindez Olmos and ParavisiniOCoGebert also take into account the increased significance of material cultureOCoart, music, literatureOCoand healing practices influenced by Creole religions. In the Religion, Race, and Ethnicity series"

An Introduction from Vodou and Santería to Obeah and Espiritismo

The Caribbean is an exotic but not too distant land, full of rich cultural traditions. The literature of the Caribbean reflects the social, political, and cultural concerns of the region and is a valuable tool for learning about the area and its people. This book includes chapters on roughly a dozen contemporary Caribbean writers. Each chapter provides a brief biography, followed by a critical analysis of one or more significant literary works. These discussions consider the plot and themes of the texts and examine how the literary works reflect Caribbean cultural and social issues. Students in literature courses will value this book as a guide to popular works by Caribbean writers, while students in social studies courses will learn how to use literature to study Caribbean culture.

Carmen C. Esteves

Stories offer women's perspectives on slavery, colonialism, racism, sexism, and the history of the Caribbean

Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert

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