Pepperpot is a collection of short stories written by authors of the Caribbean. There is a mixture of everything to make an afternoon of reading exciting and fun. A few of my favorites are
“REVERSAL OF FORTUNES” by Kevin Baldeosingh (Trinidad & Tobago): Sukiya is a corporate secretary and accountant for a successful business. One of her duties is to deposit checks into the business account, and bank her own payroll. Sukiya not paying attention, realizes at the bank her payroll is too much. She makes an appointment to see her boss and things are not what they seem.
“ALL THE SECRET THINGS NO-ONE EVER KNOWS” by Sharon Leach (Jamaica): A teenager tells the story of her dysfunctional family. Her father has a girlfriend; her mother is none the wiser; one of her two brothers commits suicide. She has an unnatural affection for her father. As she paints the picture of the family’s problems, she also comes to grip with her own circumstances.
“AMELIA” by Joanne C. Hillhouse (Antigua & Barbuda): Amelia is an eleven-year-old girl wondering how she made it to Devil’s Bridge. She is confused, panicky and naked. Amelia sees a truck full of men drive up and wants to ask for help, but she is afraid. They are there to fly kites from the roadside cliff. When she works up the nerve to scream, the men do not hear her because of their own noise. Will she ever be rescued?
“FATHER, FATHER” by Garfield Ellis (Jamaica): One of two young boys is regretful for engaging in a verbal disagreement with a group of poor boys. When the free-talker is abandoned by his friend, he’s left to fend for himself. He dearly wishes that his father would come and rescue him, from the mess he has gotten himself into. One must learn to be ever so humble when you have more than others.
Pepperpot is an eclectic mix of adventure, humor, the spirit world, family relationships, and other subject matters which gives you something to think about. Only two short stories were hard for me to decipher because of the dialect used. I recommend this collection of short stories to readers who enjoy a mixture of subject matter in a single sitting. (Publication date April 22, 2014)
I received this book free from Akashic Books through the Edelweiss Reviewer Program for an honest unbiased review.
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