Review: Author Zavane’s Latest Book
[Written by Dale Butler]
This is the first time I have written a book review since entering the book business in 1976 with my own publications and after helping dozens of local writers get into print. My early works concentrated on filling in the gaps—often left by prominent writers like Bill Zuill, Sr. and Terry Tucker. Biographical series entitled Triumph of the Spirit, the first book on Dr. E.F. Gordon: Hero of Bermuda’s Working Class, and then branching out into best sellers for children like It Takes A Smiling Raindrop, which received a standing ovation, while I was doing a summer course at Columbia University to another best seller called The Legend of Codfish and Potatoes, critiqued as a “fakelore” and not folklore book by one of my critics, just grazed the surface of my works.
Later, as a Bermuda Government Minister of Culture, I made it compulsory that the Ministry publish three books annually to build on the foundation that Ruth Thomas, Bermuda’s first cultural affairs officer, had established when she produced the highly undervalued Bermuda Recollections. I have never ventured into novels but I am pleased to see all genres being published on a regular basis. This would also please my mentor, the late Nellie E. Musson, author of Mind the Onion Seed.
The writing arena has many players with a variety of genres. While I was developing the upcoming Crystal Butterfly Literary Awards and The Daniel Literary Awards, I came across a book entitled Addicted To Hash, The Man, Not the Drug by Zavane, only to bump into her the next day and she excitedly handed me a copy of Why I Killed My Brother.
The provocative title instantly gripped my attention along with a photo of her loving brothers, Jake Spencer kissing his young brother Umoja Nia Augustus Spencer. The book is well laid-out in a supremely readable print using Accent Opaque cream-colored cardstock paper that I’ve always desired to use but could never afford. So, I was excited when I purchased my copy from her.
The dedication page made me focus on three things:
- This was Bermuda’s Caine [Jake] and Abel [Umoja Nia] [See: Genesis 4:1-25];
- Umoja Nia [December 3, 1972 – February 5, 1995] brought back memories of a family I had a connection with;
- The tragic murder of my own brother who was related to the author.
As a young man I had always admired the family based on the business acumen of her grandfather, the Bermuda Provident Bank founder, the astuteness of her grandmother, the huge house, and the fact that her mother was extremely helpful to us when we produced the first book about the late musical giant, Charles “Curtis” Michael Clarke and, last but not least, her uncle was married to my mother.
In one evening, I read 15 of the 18 chapters and was immediately captivated when this perfect house started to crumble with so much going on. My pages were filled with comments and my handkerchief was soaking wet because I had never ever known that this woman, who exuded confidence, had endured so much. I was overwhelmed and put the book aside for two weeks, recalling this true story that led to a tragic conclusion filled with numerous twists and a set of original quotations that began each chapter.
After I had completed the book, it was interesting to read the five star comments made on Amazon because I had written the same words: “honest, raw, intriguing, empathy, emotions” and that “you know it is a good book when you can’t put it down.”
The author is the firstborn of three who loved her two brothers and was like a mother to them. It is hard to believe that Nia, the youngest, loved his brother so much that he made every effort to follow him to school every day. But within the family things fell apart once the parents divorced when the boys were 7 and 12 years of age, respectively.
With a busy mom who was difficult to bond with and a father frequently traveling, the author assumed responsibility for the boys—only to find herself wanting to go abroad to [St. Kitts, Massachusetts and Connecticut] to complete her education and also abandon her environment which was becoming increasingly toxic.
As her mother stated, “Once you start running my child, don’t stop until you reach the finish line.” When she asked her mom what to do if there was no finish line, her mother responded, “Then just keep running until you can’t anymore.”
After numerous tragic events and hurtful behavior, the author, who tried to be strong like her mother, realized that she needed counselling and this book and a sequel became part of her growth. It would appear that many families will be able to identify with this tragic environment. There are so many unexpected twists. I will not give them away. But like an Amazon reader, I too felt that this was a movie plot.
The reality of Bermuda is, from my shielded environment, I had no idea that this was going on and is a major problem, now coming to light in a tragic way, with gun violence in our community. When you learn how Jake recovered his weapon, confiscated at the entrance door, and the real story behind the drug conviction of his father and her relying on her Buddhist mantra, “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo”, and its meaning, you will agree that much work needs to be done.
Moreover, you’ll wonder how such a close-knit community could conceal so much, and more, on our shores. The funeral with Jake present along with several plainclothes detectives, the trial for manslaughter, the prison time and release are vivid and would prove more impactful if the newspaper print was legible. ‘Tis a painful story, indeed.
By divulging so much, I do not wish to detract anything from the goodness I observed in the family and their contributions to Bermuda. Very often people are so keen and so busy building empires, fulfilling dreams or making things better for the island that they lose sight of their own family.
Zavane’s reflections of a difficult and agonizing period in her life should bring hope to those similarly affected and a lesson to all that there are glass houses. The answer to “why I killed my brother” is subtly indicated in the book by her absences as she clearly accepted that she was mom to these boys and had she been omnipresent, this tragedy would never have happened. That is really a burden she does not deserve.
In spite of the numerous challenges and tragedies which she experienced she has attained a position of hope. With admiration I salute her for this excellent true story.
- Dale Butler is the Executive Director of Atlantic Publishing House [A.P.H.] and recently published: “Reflections of St. David’s Island,” “St. David’s Island Passport” and “St. David’s Visa.”
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