Julie Mango

These nine short stories explore the often transient Caribbean experience, both from the perspective of those who have left the islands and returned and those who are dealing with the repercussions of their decisions not to leave. The characters speak with a self-conscious honesty about their choices and peer in from the outer edges of Caribbean society to discuss everything from the homophobic element of the Rastafarian movement to their personal desires to escape restrictive Caribbean definitions of their own personas. All of the stories share a common plea for tolerance.

N. D. Williams was born and educated in Guyana before moving to the United States. In 1992 he was awarded the Casa de las Americas Prize for writing. He is the author of Prash and Ras, The Silence of the Islands, and The Crying of Rainbirds. His work has also been featured in The Penguin Book of Caribbean Short Stories. He lives in New York City.