Short Story
It was a very proud moment for Dr. Wendy Crawford-Daniel, sociologist, lecturer, and Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at St. George’s University as she launched her first novel, ‘Unveiling Island Passion’, on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at Bourne Lecture Hall, SGU.
‘Unveiling Island Passion’ is set in Grenada and tells the story of a Grenadian man and a foreign woman who struggle to find love amidst their sociological and cultural differences. The novel offers readers a deeper understanding of Grenadian Culture, core values, the significance of relationships, and why things are done the way they are in Grenada.
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Full Story
According to Dr. Crawford-Daniel, who is a Research Sociologist and who has conducted numerous investigations into the social and cultural life of Grenada, the novel was inspired by a desire to present some of her research findings in a literary format. She states, “I wanted to find a way to bring together this wealth of knowledge about the social life of Grenada and present it in a simple and understandable manner for our people.” Dr. Crawford-Daniel noted that, “The most important thing in just about every study done is the relationship people share with each other and, despite the modernization of our society, the core values and significance placed on these relationships still remains.” This, according to the author, is what she hopes to capture within her novel. She is quoted as saying, “I want to remind our people that it’s not all lost. We still have a very strong value system.” According to the author, this became very evident after conducting a social impact study following Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
The novel targets both nationals and non-nationals and attempts to shed light on aspects of the Grenadian culture that are often misunderstood. Dr. Crawford-Daniel states that at the core of the love story, cultural and social questions will be raised and answered by the main characters.
The author refers to the novel as a ‘docu-novel’ made unique through the real life stories within it. It is her hope that after reading the novel persons will say, “It was real, and has captured the true essence and spirit of our culture and social life.”
‘Unveiling Island Passion’ will be available in stores throughout Grenada and online at Amazon.com, Xlibirs.com and Barnes and Noble. Some of the proceeds from book sales at the launch were donated to Grenada Save the Children Fund (GRENSAVE).
Dr. Crawford-Daniel, a Grenadian by birth, obtained her Bachelor and Masters Degree from the University of the West Indies and PhD in Sociology from Temple University, Philadelphia. Throughout her career, she has conducted extensive research in Grenada, Jamaica and Philadelphia, having gained valuable research experience at the Institute of Social and Economic Research in Jamaica, the Multicultural Training and Research Institute, and an NIH Research Fellowship at the Polisher Research Institute in Philadelphia. She has been employed at St. George’s University since 2002, and is currently the Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and a Sociology professor. Dr. Crawford-Daniel urges readers to look out for her second novel which has already been drafted with a focus on men in Grenada.
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