Reviews of Esther Slade's Works
Ayla’s Paradise, by Esther Slade. Robert D. Reed. 145 p.p. $11.95.
by Bette Davis, St. Thomas Source
Mrs. Slade is a native Crucian and therein lies much of the charm of this slim work of fiction. Those of us who live here will more than likely feel a warm appreciation for this writer who gets the facts right. The characters are realistic, the places on St. Croix exist and are recognizable; this provides an ideal setting for the story, a West Indian romance.
Life is not all mangos and bananas for Ayla who is nine years old when her beloved mother dies. Her twin brothers, four years her junior, are her’s to mother with all that that entails. Their father is devoted to them but he works long hours to provide for them with little time to spare. Life is hard for Ayla, merely a child herself, but she manages to do it all, boggling our minds.
The family is a religious one ; the children attend their church school and are devoutly Christian. A sensitive picture is drawn of the love and caring given West Indian children , not only by their families but by neighbors and friends. The village in which they live, “Paradise”, is near Fredericksted (I guessed) and Slade’s description brings it to life in b right Caribbean colors.
This is a story of a girl who leaves her island home for the first time to attend college in Philadelphia. The ups and downs she experiences, the sources of courage and determination that sustain her and impel her forward are familiar to us . We find ourselves wishing her to succeed.
She comes home to teach school and meets her handsome prince at Cramer Park Beach, where the Cruzan Rum and reggae music enhance the high spirits at the Annual Teacher’s Picnic. Ayla’s saga is off and running.
Writers from Shakespeare to Sidney Sheldon remind us that life is like today’s stock market, exhilarating highs and crushing lows. So it is with Ayla Walker Johnson. I think V.I. readers , in particular, will enjoy taking the journey with her.
