Capricious Paradise

About the Book

            The name Lis Twa is a patois corruption of the French l’histoire or, literally, “the history.”  In the villages across the Caribbean one will find him in the rum shops, telling stories for the education and edification of both children and adults.  He is equally revered for his knowledge of the human condition and his sense of humor.

            In St. Lucia a large number of the older country people do not read, as they speak only patois, which is not a written language.  The story teller serves as a daily newspaper for those people, interpreting both local and international events to suit the local culture. 

About the Author

Gilliam Clarke lived in the Caribbean—Trinidad, Grenada, and St. Lucia—for some fifteen years.  She is married to a retired United Nations official.   She was in Grenada during the invasion of Reagan’s forces, and two of the stories are based on her experience during that time.

            During her stay in St. Lucia she wrote a newspaper column on agriculture and history under the byline O. MacDonald.

            All the stories are based on real events, with the exception of Nature Lovers, which tells of a Lucian myth, Le Gran Lezard.

            A native of Washington, North Carolina, she worked in medicine, banking, and money management.  She and her husband presently live in Southern Pines, North Carolina.