This is an intoxicating tale of love and wonder, mothers and daughters, spiritual values and the grim legacy of slavery on the French Antillean island of Guadeloupe. Here long-suffering Telumee tells her life story and tells us about the proud line of Lougandor women she continues to draw strength from. Time flows unevenly during the long hot blue days as the madness of the island swirls around the villages, and Telumee, raised in the shelter of wide skirts, must learn how to navigate the adversities of a peasant community, the ecstasies of love, and domestic realities while arriving at her own precious happiness. In the words of Toussine, the wise, tender grandmother who raises her, “Behind one pain there is another. Sorrow is a wave without end. But the horse mustn’t ride you, you must ride it.” A masterpiece of Caribbean literature, The Bridge of Beyond relates the triumph of a generous and hopeful spirit, while offering a gorgeously lush, imaginative depiction of the flora, landscape, and customs of Gua­deloupe. Simone Schwarz-Bart’s incantatory prose, interwoven with Creole proverbs and lore, appears here in a remarkable translation by Barbara Bray.

Great-granddaughter of Minerve, first woman of the Guadeloupean branch of the Lougandor family to be freed from slavery in 1848, the elderly Telumée tells the story of her own difficult life and that of her ancestors. It is a poor black woman's tale of heroic survival, set in the early 20th century, harsh agrarian environment of a Caribbean island. Through the richly imaged narration of a constantly evolving, cultural significant and always entertaining saga, the author leads the reaer into her native West Indian realm of legends, magic, folkloric wisdom and traditional reverence for the elderly and the past. Her protagonist, Telumée, embodies the innate strength and nobility of women in general and of black Caribbean women in particular. Published in 1972, this book received Elle magazine's literary prize. This edition reflects the editor's personal acquaintance with the author, and her country. It provides a synthesis of the latest critical studies, and a thorough interpretation of Creole terms, symbolic imagery and a unique cultural background.

Folk legends, oral tradition, stories, songs, and poems help recount the experiences of African women warriors from prehistory to the nineteenth century.

In this translation of Hommage a la femme noire (1988), the authors pay tribute in essays and color images to a group victimized by "scholarly neglect and racist assumptions." Featured African women include 19th-20th century activists, authors, one of the first black fashion models, and others going beyond tradition. Published as part of a UNESCO project for the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture/New York Public Library. 9.25x12 ". The correct ISBN is given on the dust jacket but not on the copyright page. V. 4 is expected in spring 2004. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

A monstrous beast has blocked out the sunlight and thrown the island of Guadeloupe into darkness. The beast is white domination, and Ti Jean must destroy this evil. In order to do so, he must explore not only contemporary Guadeloupe, but also the Africa of his ancestors.

Celebrates the lives, cultures, and accomplishments of 14 women, born between 1850 and 1950, who have influenced African politics, literature, religion, and fashion.

In a tale of West Indian legend, magic, folk-loric wisdom and reverence for the elderly or deceased, great-grandmother of Minerve, the elderly Telumee, tells the story of her difficult life after recounting the equally difficult experiences of her female ancestors.

Roman-poème. Ti-Jean, héros traditionnel des contes créoles, effectue un "pèlerinage immatériel et concret" vers l'Afrique, son pays d'origine. Sur sa lancée il franchit l'espace-temps et va "jusqu'au Séjour des Morts". A l'origine de son élan, de son exploration dans l'ultérieur et l'antérieur, comme le souligne Guillemin, il y a Egée la "négresse sans fard ni pose". Ecriture rusée et savante, savoureuse par moments comme un fruit de la Guadeloupe.