Jennifer Marshall

 Geoffrey Philp, Dub Wise (Leeds, UK: Peepal Tree, 2010); 72 pages; ISBN 978-1845231712 (paper)

In his recent collection of poetry, Dub Wise, Geoffrey Philp explores themes of Caribbean identity in a postcolonial framework and the effect of these internal conflicts on communities and family relationships. The work speaks of modern-day environmental, spiritual, and political concerns, and Philp incorporates dimensions of reggae and the Rastafari movement to express stories of history, place, and the human condition.

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 Jennifer Marshall 

Amanda Smyth, Lime Tree Can’t Bear Orange (New York, Three Rivers Press, 2009) 273pp, ISBN-978-0-307-46064-6 (paperback)[1]

Throughout Amanda Smyth’s debut novel, Lime Tree Can’t Bear Orange, Celia, the protagonist, searches for her own tree, hoping to find in its welcoming branches a sense of belonging and identity. Celia’s mother died during childbirth and her father, she believes, is an Englishman living in Southampton, England. Raised by her Aunt Tassie in Tobago, Celia longs to find her father. She is lured to Trinidad by the promise of a new and exciting life, away from the threatening advances of her Uncle Roman. (more…)