Facing North – Tales from Bathsheba

“If you keep facing north, you’ll never see the sun rise.” These are the words of the character, Three Schools, in the story Facing North. It is the story that gives the collection its name, Facing North – Tales from Bathsheba. It is Three Schools’ way of saying that you won’t find the right answer, if you are not looking in the right place. This applies to many of the characters in the book of short stories by Barbadian author Edison T. Williams. The ten intriguing stories span almost a century of Barbadian life starting in the 1930s. The stories are told with humour and the insight of someone who understands the nuances of this small Caribbean society. These stories are about the drama of life in a small community. They also deal with the way in which villagers’ lives can from time to time be impacted by its transient residents. But the Bathsheba in these stories is more than a small seaside village; it is a microcosm of Barbados.

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