Caribbean (1989) is an
historical novel written by
James A. Michener, which describes and explores the history of the
Caribbean region from the pre-Columbian period of the native
Arawak tribes until about 1990.[1]
The author mixes fact and fiction, as he notes in the foreword. For example, the story about the island of All Saints is purely fictional, though the book's map shows it as an island in the location of Saint Lucia.[2][3]
In researching the book, Michener traveled the Caribbean for three years and consulted over 400 books.[4]
Chapter Summary
A Hedge of Croton: the invasion of the
Caribs in the
Arawak homelands.
Letters of Introduction: a fictional account of "All Saints Island"[2] and a Caribbean perspective of the pre-World War II relationship between United Kingdom and Germany.
The Rasta Man: a fictional story of a young
Rastafarian whose travels to All Saint's Island revolve around the Caribbean obsession over the sport of
cricket.
Twins: a fictional story of a two Cuban refugees returning to
Cuba, which culminates in their meeting with
Fidel Castro.
The Golden Sea: a character meets descendants and other characters from previous chapters.
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abThe island of All Saints bears almost identical history to that of St Lucia and has many landmarks in common, with similar names. In other examples, Michener has taken well-known sites and placed them on the Atlantic side of "All Saints' instead of the Caribbean.