More Nights on Maui

What starts out as being drawn to spending more time on an enchanting Pacific island soon becomes an intense personal journey for forty-something Ros. That's because Maui's energetic and cultural mystique surprises her, quickly catalyzing her growth in unexpected directions. So, whereas this story does take place on Maui, it travels both to other places and inside a variety of complex social issues.

One major thread of this actual-events-based novel is the experience of being a multi-racial person across three cultures - Jamaican, Canadian, American. The generational effects on family of colonial legacy, local violence, and cultural displacement are spotlighted. As a result, although generously doused with humour, light, and hope, this unflinching story does not shy away from harshness inherent in the human condition.

Ros's process is one of sifting through remnants of the past that surface in her ongoing relationships, concurrently reflecting on the dynamic social territory she physically traverses. From either within or outside communities and with the objectivity afforded someone of indistinct allegiance, she discloses honest, true-to-character perceptions and evaluations about everything she encounters. All with an undercurrent of ethereal examination that is her penchant. The result is a setting as colourful as the multi-faceted weaving that is this fascinating story.