Angel – Merle Collins

Softback

320 pages

Peepal Tree Press

ISBN: 9781845231859

When the Leader of the 1951 revolt becomes corrupt and authoritarian, both Doodsie and Angel welcome his overthrow by the radical Horizon movement. But mother and daughter take different positions when the popular Chief and the ideological vanguardists of the movement start to fall out. Doodsie knows instinctively where she stands, but Angel is altogether more conflicted about the rights and wrongs of the situation.

Angel richly inhabits the language and life of Grenadian working people, and moves seamlessly between the warmth and tensions of family life and the conflicts that tear a movement apart, provoke fratricide and allow an outrageous breach of sovereignty. As Doodsie says to her fowls, ‘If youall would stay togedder, the chicken-hawk won come down an do nutting! Stupes!’