One People

Book excerpt: First published in 1997, it would be hard to find a publisher today for a white, male expatriate writing about the realities of life in a Jamaican hamlet. To make matters worse, Guy Kennaway wrote One People in the local patois. But this comic novel - sparkling with irreverent wit - is cherished in Jamaica where it is recognized for its "humor and humanity" and as a mirror which reflects the essence of the island, where "culture is something that comes from the ground up and good times do not require a whole heap o' money." Guy Kennaway's novel about Jamaican life and culture is set in the fictional village of Angel Beach. It is an affectionate and hilarious description of a small community where everyone knows everyone's business, poverty is a way of life, and dreams of escape trickle through fingers.