Dear Editor,
I have just completed my second reading of a heart breaking and compassionately written Guyanese novel, which again kept my eyes continuously moist with tears, from the second chapter to the end. I was compelled to do a re-read because it is that kind of novel. It is just impossible for one to grasp the full meaning of the message with one read. I thought that the second read would have been easier on my emotions. I was wrong.
This story took me along avenues that I did not see the first time, opening my eyes and forcing to the fore so much stuff in my subconscious as a child, helping me to relive the sometimes melancholic experiences of my upbringings in the late fifties, sixties and the early seventies.
Set in British Guiana, the novel, Generational Curse written by Kwesi Oginga, popular Guyanese actor and playwright, is based on a true story of a decent Beterverwagting woman, who due to no known fault of her own ended up facing life’s worst tribulations, that took her from Beterverwagting to Ituni, McKenzie, Mathews Ridge and back as she fought those demons, which can only be surmised as being generational curses.
Anita’s story represents the situation and experiences of a lot of post slavery and pre- independence women. With humility and great physical and psychological strength, women, married or single, single-handedly raised and guided families of men who left them in villages on the coast and went away into the hinterlands to do logging, balata bleeding or porknocking.
Women had to use ingenuity to either find jobs, plant kitchen gardens or develop relationships with shopkeepers to get goods for credit, all in finding ways of providing for hungry children while they wait for these men to return and pluck then from their plight. After a hectic and frustrating day’s work and after putting the children to bed I can almost see these women sitting at their bedroom windows peering down dark streets with the hope that their husbands will protrude out of the darkness and bring much needed relief.
The reality was that in many cases no one came. The few who returned came after raising other families in far off places, while others came when old or sick begging their wives to be caretakers and nurses. Money was always non-existent.
Anita’s experiences were unique because although they were part of the experiences of that period, they were different. Anita was the woman who left the security of her village to look for her place in the sun in far away places. Her experiences will blow you away. You won’t be able to not love this woman for her strength and immense pride. She was a go-getter who gave her all and her heart but got very little.
The novel also delved into the life of a man, Alex, who mainly contributed to the tribulations of Anita. Alex had demons of his own but played on the fact that he was handsome and knew his way with women.
I recommend Generational Curse to both men and women. It is definitely a must read for all Guyanese.
Yours faithfully,
F Skinner
