St. Lucia - Helen of the Antilles - Column 1
We have been told that St. Lucia as depicted in A Dream Across Time is essentially a character in the book. So, let’s begin by acquainting our readers with this wonderful place.
Just in case you didn’t know, St. Lucia is a real island country in the Windward Islands (eastern Caribbean). It is known as Helen of the Antilles because of its extraordinary beauty. Soaring volcanic peaks, lush vegetation, rain forest, turquoise and emerald waters.
It is an island rich in natural beauty and in the multiple hues of its people who come from South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It has an equally colorful history having changed hands 14 times between the British and the French. St. Lucians use English predominantly but there is also a widely spoken French based patois which is spoken with a west African cadence.
We tried to be historically accurate. There WAS a guillotine erected in the square in Soufriere during the French revolution. And there WERE brigands who were slaves fighting for their freedom. To be fair, while there were atrocities committed by both sides, the brigands were essentially freedom fighters trying to escape bondage.
In recent history St. Lucia was a colony of Great Britain. They gained their independence in 1979, just one year before our heroine, Jamie, came to the island. At the time the island was poor and primarily dependent on its banana industry. Tourism was in its infancy. As our hero, Andre, saw so clearly, tourism was to become the primary industry and St. Lucia has undertaken to protect their beautiful island including their precious rain forest and parrots which are endangered and number little more than 20. Parrots were chosen by us as a symbol of the struggle for responsible development and of heritage.
The story of St. Lucia since independence is remarkable. The people of this country have worked hard to protect and develop their agricultural industry and develop tourism. It has not always been easy but the transformation indicates success.
When we first came to St. Lucia in 1987 the roads were terrible and the infrastructure strained almost beyond belief. The effects of colonialism were apparent. We displayed one of them in the incident where Jamie and Barbara encountered a sullen shop girl who "accidentally" broke the mirror Jamie wished to purchase. This type of behavior is technically called passive-aggression and is one of the few ways that people who live under colonialism and slavery can fight back against those who are in power. It is a tribute to the St. Lucian people that this type of behavior has all but disappeared. Now when we go into a store we are greeted almost immediately by someone who asks, "May I help".
In recent years we have seen a burgeoning middle class, a greater distribution of economic benefits and a much improved infrastructure. Also, very importantly, St. Lucia now has a transparent government. In short, in a brief period of time this society has made great strides. What they have achieved by their own efforts is a model for developing countries everywhere. You can see that the St. Lucians have inspired us and the dedication of A Dream Across Time to the people of St. Lucia was the only logical choice.
It was his country and his people that Andre wished to assist and that Jamie fell in love with. Not at all surprising.
Look for A Dream Across Time by Annie Rogers
For Much More Come See Us at www.annierogers.com
We have been told that St. Lucia as depicted in A Dream Across Time is essentially a character in the book. So, let’s begin by acquainting our readers with this wonderful place.
Just in case you didn’t know, St. Lucia is a real island country in the Windward Islands (eastern Caribbean). It is known as Helen of the Antilles because of its extraordinary beauty. Soaring volcanic peaks, lush vegetation, rain forest, turquoise and emerald waters.
It is an island rich in natural beauty and in the multiple hues of its people who come from South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It has an equally colorful history having changed hands 14 times between the British and the French. St. Lucians use English predominantly but there is also a widely spoken French based patois which is spoken with a west African cadence.
We tried to be historically accurate. There WAS a guillotine erected in the square in Soufriere during the French revolution. And there WERE brigands who were slaves fighting for their freedom. To be fair, while there were atrocities committed by both sides, the brigands were essentially freedom fighters trying to escape bondage.
In recent history St. Lucia was a colony of Great Britain. They gained their independence in 1979, just one year before our heroine, Jamie, came to the island. At the time the island was poor and primarily dependent on its banana industry. Tourism was in its infancy. As our hero, Andre, saw so clearly, tourism was to become the primary industry and St. Lucia has undertaken to protect their beautiful island including their precious rain forest and parrots which are endangered and number little more than 20. Parrots were chosen by us as a symbol of the struggle for responsible development and of heritage.
The story of St. Lucia since independence is remarkable. The people of this country have worked hard to protect and develop their agricultural industry and develop tourism. It has not always been easy but the transformation indicates success.
When we first came to St. Lucia in 1987 the roads were terrible and the infrastructure strained almost beyond belief. The effects of colonialism were apparent. We displayed one of them in the incident where Jamie and Barbara encountered a sullen shop girl who "accidentally" broke the mirror Jamie wished to purchase. This type of behavior is technically called passive-aggression and is one of the few ways that people who live under colonialism and slavery can fight back against those who are in power. It is a tribute to the St. Lucian people that this type of behavior has all but disappeared. Now when we go into a store we are greeted almost immediately by someone who asks, "May I help".
In recent years we have seen a burgeoning middle class, a greater distribution of economic benefits and a much improved infrastructure. Also, very importantly, St. Lucia now has a transparent government. In short, in a brief period of time this society has made great strides. What they have achieved by their own efforts is a model for developing countries everywhere. You can see that the St. Lucians have inspired us and the dedication of A Dream Across Time to the people of St. Lucia was the only logical choice.
It was his country and his people that Andre wished to assist and that Jamie fell in love with. Not at all surprising.
Look for A Dream Across Time by Annie Rogers
For Much More Come See Us at www.annierogers.com
posted by Roger | 3:56 PM
<< Home