Caribbean Folk Tales: Stories from the Islands and the Windrush Generation

In Caribbean Folk Tales, Wendy Shearer has brought stories to life from the Caribbean Islands, as well as telling the stories of those in the Windrush generation who migrated to Britain. The book is broken up into five sections dealing with spirits and shapeshifters, music and song, trickster tales, love and loss, and tales of caution and justice. Each section is preceded by personal stories of those who migrated to England from different islands. There are quite a few tales featuring the famous trickster Anansi, some featuring animals, in addition to gods and demons. Each tale has either a moral or explains how something came to be, but all are entertaining.

If you enjoy folk tales and fables, this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing folk tales from the Caribbean, seeing some similarities to those from other cultures, but also some noteworthy differences. I had never heard of the Windrush generation, so I also enjoyed learning about that. I laughed out loud to many of the trickster tales and mourned along with the king in “The Singing Bones.” I highly recommend you add this to your list.