Marooned in Nova Scotia
A story of the Jamaican Maroons in Canada
by Anouska Kock
Jamaican born author Horane Smith has written a novel on the experiences of the Jamaican Maroons who were deported to Canada in 1796. The book, entitled Marooned in Nova Scotia, chronicles how more than five-hundred Maroons from Trelawny Town were shipped to Nova Scotia in 1796 by the Governor of Jamaica, the Earl of Balcarres. The story tells of the surrender of the Maroons to the British militia in Jamaica, their subsequent deportation and ultimate settlement in the city of Halifax.
“Although this is a work of fiction, it tries to capture some of the images, feel, and circumstances that confronted this resilient group of people, known for their courage, tenacity and loyalty to remain free,” says Smith. “The Maroons were among the first black people to arrive in Canada, the loyalists of Virginia being the first, and this is an important part of Jamaica’s history that to my surprise some have never even heard of before. That makes this a work of significance to both Canada and Jamaica.”
Horane Smith, who lives in Toronto, has written seven other novels. He published Marooned in Nova Scotia through PublishAmerica.
Text on the back cover
Kwabena Bene, a gallant warrior, finds himself among hundreds of Maroons dumped unceremoniously by the Governor of Jamaica in Nova Scotia, British North America, in 1796. A hero of the just-ended conflict with the British Militia in Cudjoe Town, Jamaica, Kwabena refuses to call Halifax home. He must lead the battle to be sent back to the rolling hills of Jamaica, to rejoin his people and to continue their struggle against colonial oppression.
Kwabena begins a resistance on all fronts. The British on one hand, a rival Maroon leader on the other, and two women, who’re caught in the middle. It doesn’t take him long to realize this is no ordinary fight. It’s a fight for his reputation as a warrior, a leader; a fight for trust, a fight for honor. When betrayal rears its ugly head and his mission seems destined to fail, Kwabena must prove that not even iron bars can stop him from returning to Jamaica. As the mission comes under scrutiny, the daring warrior discovers he’s sinking deeper and deeper into a sea of despair that not even his enemies would want him to be.
Website: www.HoraneSmith.com
[van Abeng Central]
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