Barbara Lalla is Professor Emerita, Language and Literature, theUniversity of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Her many publications include the novels Grounds for Tenure, Uncle Brother, Cascade, and Arch of Fire, and the scholarly works Postcolonialisms: Caribbean Rereading of Medieval English Discourse, Defining Jamaican Fiction: Marronage and the Discourse of Survival, the companion volumes Language in Exile: Three Hundred Years of Jamaican Creole and Voices in Exile: Jamaican Texts of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (co-authored with Jean D'Costa), and Caribbean Literary Discourse (co-authored with Jean D'Costa and Velma Pollard).

An electrifying story." - Nicholas Laughlin, Programme Director, NGC Bocas Lit Fest

• The Characters xiShards 1PART 1: THE DON'T TRUST1. The Trust 52. Passing of Night 213. Scatterings and Bindings 324. Waifs and Strays 425. Mas 57PART 2: JUMBIE ISLANDS6. Burnout 617. Shifting Ground 748. Brukstone 949. The Road North 102PART 3: GROTTO10. Branching Tales 11911. Chantwell 12712. Hiding Places 13513. Unwrappings 14714. Of Folly and Fire 16315. Cells 17216. Monster Wake 174PART 4: WATERDREAD17. 18. The Great Wet 19718. 19. Off the Map 21519. 20. The Enclave 21620. 21. Syco Spawn 243PART 5: VISITATION21. Brain Child 25522. Syndicate 26223. Hellboat 27724. Stronghold 291Glimmer 297Acknowledgements 303

Barbara Lalla is Professor Emerita, Language and Literature, theUniversity of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Her many publications include the novels Grounds for Tenure, Uncle Brother, Cascade, and Arch of Fire, and the scholarly works Postcolonialisms: Caribbean Rereading of Medieval English Discourse, Defining Jamaican Fiction: Marronage and the Discourse of Survival, the companion volumes Language in Exile: Three Hundred Years of Jamaican Creole and Voices in Exile: Jamaican Texts of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (co-authored with Jean D'Costa), and Caribbean Literary Discourse (co-authored with Jean D'Costa and Velma Pollard).

An electrifying story." - Nicholas Laughlin, Programme Director, NGC Bocas Lit Fest

• The Characters xiShards 1PART 1: THE DON'T TRUST1. The Trust 52. Passing of Night 213. Scatterings and Bindings 324. Waifs and Strays 425. Mas 57PART 2: JUMBIE ISLANDS6. Burnout 617. Shifting Ground 748. Brukstone 949. The Road North 102PART 3: GROTTO10. Branching Tales 11911. Chantwell 12712. Hiding Places 13513. Unwrappings 14714. Of Folly and Fire 16315. Cells 17216. Monster Wake 174PART 4: WATERDREAD17. 18. The Great Wet 19718. 19. Off the Map 21519. 20. The Enclave 21620. 21. Syco Spawn 243PART 5: VISITATION21. Brain Child 25522. Syndicate 26223. Hellboat 27724. Stronghold 291Glimmer 297Acknowledgements 303

Barbara Lalla is Professor Emerita, Language and Literature, theUniversity of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Her many publications include the novels Grounds for Tenure, Uncle Brother, Cascade, and Arch of Fire, and the scholarly works Postcolonialisms: Caribbean Rereading of Medieval English Discourse, Defining Jamaican Fiction: Marronage and the Discourse of Survival, the companion volumes Language in Exile: Three Hundred Years of Jamaican Creole and Voices in Exile: Jamaican Texts of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (co-authored with Jean D'Costa), and Caribbean Literary Discourse (co-authored with Jean D'Costa and Velma Pollard).

An electrifying story." - Nicholas Laughlin, Programme Director, NGC Bocas Lit Fest

• The Characters xiShards 1PART 1: THE DON'T TRUST1. The Trust 52. Passing of Night 213. Scatterings and Bindings 324. Waifs and Strays 425. Mas 57PART 2: JUMBIE ISLANDS6. Burnout 617. Shifting Ground 748. Brukstone 949. The Road North 102PART 3: GROTTO10. Branching Tales 11911. Chantwell 12712. Hiding Places 13513. Unwrappings 14714. Of Folly and Fire 16315. Cells 17216. Monster Wake 174PART 4: WATERDREAD17. 18. The Great Wet 19718. 19. Off the Map 21519. 20. The Enclave 21620. 21. Syco Spawn 243PART 5: VISITATION21. Brain Child 25522. Syndicate 26223. Hellboat 27724. Stronghold 291Glimmer 297Acknowledgements 303