About
Author: Zee Edgell (Belize)
Genre: Socio-Political
Setting
Place: Belize
Time: 1970s-1980s
My Rating (see what this means)
My Subjective Rating: 3
My ‘Objective’ Rating: 2.58
Introduction
Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell follows the life and times of a young girl Beka and her friend Toycie – 2 Belizean girls as they deal with personal life, colonial constraints and the winds of change in Belize at the cusp of independence.
Steeped deeply into the then Belizean history, the books forms an engaging, if somewhat wanting, picture of Belizean society, its politics as well as the personal life of the protagonist. It offers an instructive portrayal of womanhood, racism, and colonialism among other social/political themes
Review
Beka Lamb doesn’t really start well – it reads a bit clunky and awkward – with the narrative structure and the writing requiring getting some used to. But it ends quite well!
Despite the gaps in the writing, what the book does very well is paint a comprehensive picture of Belize in mid-20th century – with the colonial overhang and the life fighting it, ethnic relations, economic disparities as well as family life and relations. The story itself is a simple and sweet tale – highlighting both the opportunities that are opening up for women (ones that didn’t exist befo’ time) – and how an accidently pregnancy can put a spanner in all that.
The characters – even beyond the protagonists are well drawn out – and we learn enough about them to be able to empathize with their choices.
The ending is also a feel-good one – not because the characters are able to avoid sometimes avoidable, sometimes unavoidable sorrows, but because, given time, they manage to move on from them.
Picture Credits:
- Cover Picture: https://www.bookey.app/book/beka-lamb