Publisher's Synopsis
This collection, unique to contemporary Trinidad and Tobago, shows Baptiste equally adept at the short story as with the novel.Stories range from the love song of Samo and his dulahins, to a ghetto youth in Simon and The Babylon, to the acid vision of arranged marriages reflected in Her Bitter Life.Reviews: "Baptiste has produced an amazing array of stories that cuts into the beliefs and social fabric of Trinidadian society."- Michael Cozier, author of Bend Foot Bailey and Forward Ever! Backward Never!"Witty and comical, yet bearing profound messages... that's BoyDays!"- Dexter Emrit, author of Awakening the Spirit... You Can!"Boy Days is quite interesting. The dialogue is rapid fire and humorous. Lyndon Baptiste is a delightful storyteller."- Keith Anderson, Trinidad Guardian"These stories make us laugh, but also beg us to look at how we see Trinidad life and values as they relate to our day-to-day beliefs."- Nellon Hunte, WINTV News Anchor"These are excellent stories. They all genuinely represent our lives, our rich subcultures, with elements of hope and reality mixed together. Relief is a steady story with a consistent message of hope, and it's seen in the form of reward for faith within adversity."- Michelle Byam, Total Development Company Ltd."This collection of short stories is a potent indication of the fertile mind that drives the writing output of Lyndon Baptiste. These stories whilst potent pieces of writing in themselves evoke in the mind of the reader the need for the story lines to be expanded to full novel size as the complexities and motivations of their central characters surpass the size limits of a short story."- Daurius Figueira, Social Researcher and Author"A very lively bunch of stories with variations in structure, style and language to satisfy readers in both reflective and upbeat moods."- Polly Pattullo, Papillote Press"Baptiste's style is natural and entertaining. His stories are grounded in everyday life with moral messages that are unmistakable."- Yvette Francis, Teacher"The West Indian short story is an eclectic mixture of vernacular rhythm, colour, tone and style - an art form that should be preserved. And there is no better exponent than Lyndon Baptiste. His pace is unrelenting, gripping the reader to every word, fusing levity with the gravity of life's experiences. Obeah thrills, eliciting hearty laughs tempered only by the provocative reality of a practice still etched in the cultural DNA of a people. His wrenching commentary on the stench of wasted youth to ill gotten gains and violenceis overwhelmingly haunting in Simon and The Babylon."- Dr. Glenville Ashby, author of The Believers: Spiritual Codes
