The Diary of a Fatherless Immigrant Child

Book excerpt: The book is a true narrative of a young Jamaican teenager who, broken and devastated by the tragic death of her father, found herself tossed out too early into the rough seas of life. The historic accident of Train and Truck of July, 1973, the tragic deaths and sad funerals stirred up so much emotion among the citizens of the town, including the representatives of the then Prime Minister, Mr. Michael Manly. The sad circumstances of the tragic events transformed and continue to define the lives of spouses who felt marooned and kids orphaned and abandoned. This novel is a captivating story, the lived experience of one of those kids who emerged from the ashes of that wreck that upturned the life and fortunes of so many in Manchester, Jamaica. Her wild initiation was celebrated on the treacherous streets of Kingston away from the loving grasp of her adorable and long suffering mother and grandma to whom she attributes her survival instincts, determination, and faith.