The Polished Hoe - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0887621104 ISBN 13: 9780887621109

Synopsis

Winner of the 2002 Scotiabank Giller Prize and of the 2003 Commonwealth Writers' Prize: Best Book (Canada and the Caribbean) When an elderly Bimshire village woman calls the police to confess to a murder, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the African diaspora in one epic sweep. Set on the post-colonial West Indian island of Bimshire in 1952, The Polished Hoe unravels over the course of 24 hours but spans the * of one woman and the collective experience of a society informed by slavery. As the novel opens, Mary Mathilda is giving confession to Sargeant, a police officer she has known all her life. The man she claims to have murdered is Mr. Belfeels, the village plantation owner for whom she has worked for more than thirty years. Mary has also been Mr. Belfeels' mistress for most of that time and is the mother of his only son, Wilbeforce, a successful doctor. What transpires through Mary's words and recollections is a deep meditation about the power of memory and the indomitable strength of the human spirit. Infused with Joycean overtones, this is a literary masterpiece that evokes the sensuality of the tropics and the tragic richness of Island culture.

About this title

Review:

'A magnificent, breathtaking plunge into the secret depths of human relations . . . a wonder-filled gem’ -- Ottawa Citizen

‘An unqualified masterpiece’ -- Toronto Star

From the Publisher:

‘The beauty of THE POLISHED HOE lies in the poetry of its telling and the marvellous voice of Mary-Mathilda. The value of the novel lies in its patient exploration of the sacrifices that are made for the sake of survival’
The Washington Post

‘There is a mesmerising stillness to Austin Clarke’s latest novel . . . Out of a single act of retribution [he] has spun an entire history, one in which freedom, love and even languor all have their place’
New York Times

About this edition

• ISBN 10: 0887621104
• ISBN 13: 9780887621109
• Binding: Hardcover