Beka Lamb in Around the World in 80 Books

Aug 30, 2023 Tony rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-loanable, novels, project-fit, setting-central-america

Published some forty years ago, and set in the mid-1950s, this is indisputably the most well-known work of fiction from Belize. That can often be a burden for a book when readers come to it later, but this remains a shimmering and melancholy account of Beka, a 14-year-old girl in Belize City, coming to terms with growing up. At the time, Belize was still a British colony, and the political turmoil of the time -- independence vs. federation with the West Indian colonies vs. potential annexation b Published some forty years ago, and set in the mid-1950s, this is indisputably the most well-known work of fiction from Belize. That can often be a burden for a book when readers come to it later, but this remains a shimmering and melancholy account of Beka, a 14-year-old girl in Belize City, coming to terms with growing up. At the time, Belize was still a British colony, and the political turmoil of the time -- independence vs. federation with the West Indian colonies vs. potential annexation by Guatemala vs. loyalty to the Queen -- is threaded throughout the background of Beka's life, most notably in the clashes between her conservative father and pro-independence Granny Ivy. (There is certainly a reading of the book wherein Beka represents the nation, struggling to break free of oppressive foreign structures -- in her case, the Catholic convent school run by an American diocese).

However, as political as the book is in one sense, it's also got a lot to say about gender, class, and race. The main storyline is Beka's close friendship with her 17-year-old cousin Toycie, who we learn at the outset of the book has died. The bulk of the book recounts the past year of their friendship, while also painting an incredibly detailed and vivid picture of daily life in a striving Belizean household. Throughout the story, people's jobs are carefully noted, as are the wide range of races and ethnicities, which include all manner of blending of Black, Carib, Mayan, Mexican, Creole, and British. Where people are from is important, as are absences -- Beka's cousin's mother emigrated to Brooklyn and hasn't been heard from in years, and promising young Belizean professionals are in constant jeopardy of going "home" to England.

As interesting as all the cultural details are, it all might fade away as an interesting historical document save for Beka's forceful presence as a protagonist. She is a complicated and conflicted adolescent, struggling towards adulthood in ways that resonate regardless of era. As she moves through her family and culture, the reader moves with her, all the way to the inevitable ending. ...more

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Jan 16, 2023 Anna Ruth FL rated it liked it

Shelves: belize-grc

Belize on the verge of Independence. Beka navigates school, friendship, and family responsibilities. Her grandmother is pro independence, and her father is loyal to British rule. Beka's friendship v with Toycie is a central part of the book as is the catholic girls' school they attend together. ...more

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