Meet Our Sheroes

Rose and Nicolas loved their favourite Caribbean sorrel drink so much, the siblings decided to create a sorrel stand with the assistance of their parents. Their Sweet Sorrel Stand was a success in the neighbourhood. The main ingredient of the drink is the Roselle plant (Sorrel), a species of hibiscus which is native to West Africa. The red flower buds are boiled, strained, sweetened with sugar, with a touch of ginger, cinnamon, orange peel and cloves. Once cooled for a couple of hours or overnight, it is served with ice. It is known to be very rich in antioxidants. Traditionally, this drink is served during Christmas holidays. On a hot summer day, it is a refreshing alternative to lemonade

‘Messages on Dried Leaves’ is a mild resurrection of the Author’s first poetry book, ‘Obayifo’. This book is a poetic collection of personal notes, texts, emails and voicemails sent to muses of the past.

This was Keman’s first experience of Toronto’s annual Caribbean Carnival. The excited 8 year old and his Mother enjoyed the rituals at the Caribbean celebration, such as picking a flag to wave, the Caribbean influenced foods, dancing, costumes and music.

Enter my dark room of flickering lights, Entertainment most suited for the eyesEyes so voiceless your lips express jealousyEnding conversations, competing quietlyNo noisesNo nuisancesNo Devils interruptingNo rowdy laughter of villainsCome into my havenCalm your mind of hidden murmuringClamour for serenity, wordlesslyConserve peace silentlyEscape flamboyancesEscape the imaginary world of free speechesEmphatic vocals keep their distanceEnter my world Y. Marshall

This is a story depicting the author’s early life growing up in third world country Guyana, South America. The author reflects on her family’s origin and her adolescent years spent in Bengal and Plantation Highbury. She writes about her travel, studying and working in various countries and how she was able to cope with the adversity, and diversity of life. Throughout the book the author writes about the different places she called home and how it impacted her life. Her stories cover four and a half decades living in western societies and how she was able to hold on to hope during the days of despair. It seems our life is just a shadow that does not linger forever and it’s just a story.

Navigators Travel to Guyana is the follow up to Navigators Travel to Barbados written by Howard Liverpool. This time our intrepid explorers travel to Guyana and learn about the history and geography of the country. They also sample some of the local cuisine and have a scary encounter with a ram sheep.

Presents a collection of more than 120 recipes for sweets from around the world, including shortbread, tarts, brownie bites, truffles, marzipan, toffees, and brittles.

Breakout by Sukree Boodram is a stunning memoir about an Indian woman who survives abuse and alcoholism and winds up triumphant. There have been many books about breaking free from an abuser or an alcoholic, but now, in Breakout, Sukree Boodram tells the story of how she, a woman from the West Indies, had to shatter the traditions she grew up to appreciate in order to free herself emotionally and physically. A naïve young wife, she was married for twenty-one years to an alcoholic husband who was verbally and emotionally abusive. Enveloped by her culture and her tradition not to reveal any personal problems or suffering to outsiders, choosing not to ask for help or to stand up to her husband, Boodram found herself in a bind without any real support. As her children grew into their teens, she finally made a crucial decision. Relying on her own optimistic nature, strength, and bravery, she reveals how she was able to break free from the painful structure of her marriage, to leave it behind and attempt to build a new life. Deeply honest, beautifully written, and brave, Breakout by Sukree Boodram shows readers how there is always hope, no matter how dire the circumstances. As Boodram charts her emotional growth, she shows step-by-step how she was able to protect her children and herself and exit her marriage safely. A revelatory story of a person’s courage, Breakout is also a gorgeous story of heartbreak, disappointment, and survival, showing that our own inner strength can always be counted on, and that one can always triumph over the odds.circumstances. Some Excerpts/Quotes Below: “Facing the Truth: Alcoholism” “Our problems are ours to fix, not someone else’s responsibility.” “Throughout the process, I have learned a lot about alcoholism. I learned that alcoholism is a mental illness and a disease. It can be caused by a family history of drinking, drinking being viewed as an acceptable social behavior in a culture or community, or keeping company and drinking with others who are already drinking heavily. Alcoholism is a progressive disease, becoming worse over time, and can eventually be fatal. Overuse of alcohol can cause both physical and psychological problems for the drinker. Physical signs can include withdrawal symptoms like ‘the shakes’ that can be observed visually when an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking. Other physical health problems can include liver disease, gastritis, anemia, and nervous disorders. There could also be psychological problems such as impairment in thinking, and changes in mood and behavior. These changes can sometimes lead to issues such as strained interpersonal relationships, marriage problems, child abuse, and domestic abuse. In many cases a person can begin to have issues with work or school, sometimes leading to costly legal and financial problems. I learned that denial is a key part of the disease and becomes a major obstacle to recovery. Denial can cause a person to believe they have control over drinking and how much they can drink, this impairment in thinking can cause a person to deny having a drinking problem. The denial may not be intentional; to those who are outside of the disease, it could appear that the alcoholic simply does not want to make a change.” ______________________________________________________________________ “As I continue to learn about the disease, I am also trying really hard to keep an open mind and not to blame the person or the disease. This can be very difficult at times, but I know my knowledge is in its infancy stages and it would be premature to blame either. However, I have resolved never to give power over my life to someone else.” “You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.”-Ghandi

For Joan Wong, growing up in a Chinese family in the political turmoil of 1960s Guyana, family history is never straightforward. There are the examples of her grandmothers – Clarice Chung, iron-willed matriarch who has ensured the family’s survival through unremitting toil, with her pride in maintaining racial and cultural identity, and Susan Leo, whose failures have shamed the family, who found comfort from harsh poverty in relationships with two Indian men and adopting an Indian life-style. Later, when Joan Wong makes her own pilgrimage to ancestral China at the turn of the twenty-first century, there are surprises in store.