Looking forward to more of Dr. Richard Byron-Cox

14.SEP.07

Editor: On Dr. Richard Byron-Cox’s “Were Mama’s Tears in Vain?”

I was engrossed by this story from start to finish. The style of writing is easy to read, and will appeal to readers of different ages. The story opens with the funeral of Boysie’s mother, which is a life-altering event for the young boy and the beginning of his coming of age journey.{{more}}

It traces that journey and Boysie’s struggle to realise his mother’s dreams for him, while confronted with the reality that those represented the opposite of society’s expectations for a young black boy living on a plantation.

Through well-drawn characters and skilful story telling, Dr. Byron-Cox paints a vivid picture of life and society in the West Indies in colonial times, transporting the reader from the abject poverty of the tin shack to the luxury of plantation house to highlight the difference in the worlds inhabited by the main characters. He subtly delves into the prevailing divisions in society on the basis of race and class, as displayed through the behaviour of the estate workers, the estate owner Mr. Carson, Sam Browne, Blue and Teacher Woods.

The importance of Education as a gateway to escape life on the estate from cradle to the grave will resonate with readers, many of whose forefathers have shared this common experience.

Part of the story’s appeal is that it could be set in any village, in any part of the world, with a history rooted in the plantation culture. I enjoyed the story immensely, and look forward to reading more of Dr. Byron-Cox’s offerings.

Claudia Clarke-Oderson
Attorney at Law
Oxnards St. James,
Barbados