Beverley-Ann Scott – medical student, former Catholic News writer, and now author.

In her recently launched book titled The Stolen Cascadura, Beverley takes an honest look at Trinidad society - at its best and worst. In an interview with the Catholic News, she explained, “The book mirrors Trinidadian society - it is real. It is not a spiritual book, it is not a ‘goody-two shoes’ book.”

Indeed it is not; it presents life, real and raw.

Beverley-Ann Scott with her novel

Her inspiration, she noted, came from her life experiences in Trinidad and the many injustices she has witnessed in society.

Beverley, who is currently pursuing studies abroad in medicine, said: “I see Trinidad becoming a wealthy society - people drive everywhere in their air-conditioned cars, go to their air-conditioned homes and ignore the problems of society. Only when it hits home do they care.”

“We seem to think,” she continued, "that the problems belong to those people, not us, but those problems are a reflection of all of us as a society."

Commenting on the state of Trinidad, she added, "I just don’t believe it! I cannot imagine that Trinidadians have become so individualistic, and this was part of my motivation. I think these problems should bother people; I want them to be bothered. These problems in society belong to all of us and I wanted to highlight this. My message to society is wake up! People need to be aware and be challenged. Don’t think that just because there was a good turnout at Jesus Explosion that we are reaching the youth. We need to teach them how to care, and only if we care can we accomplish this.”

The first-time author spoke about how she came up with the title for her book: "Everyone has something in life that they felt was stolen from them and there are many things in our society being stolen, like our ability to genuinely care for others - we have become a very selfish society. I chose the cascadura because it is special to Trinidadians, we all know the legend. In this book, the cascadura represents all that is held dear, all that is special.”

Beverly is quick to point out that she is not a writer in the typical sense of the word. "I am a medical student who writes in my spare time," she remarked.

She said she has been receiving very positive feedback about her book and hopes to one day publish another novel.

Beverley said the five years she spent working at the Catholic News helped her hone her writing skills." My experience at Catholic News really taught me how to write. I will forever be indebted for that experience. Also to my mother, who encouraged me every step of the way," she added.

New novel draws readers into characters' world

The Stolen Cascadura
Reviewed by Helena Allum

Half way through reading The Stolen Cascadura you feel as though you know Ms Janice, her daughter Jesse, all Jesse’s friends and family members of these friends; you know too Papa Netty, Harry and Sunita, Sr Monica and Mr Lee Wen. So fond have you grown of some of them, that you want to will the author what to allow and not allow to happen to them. 

There are many characters in this novel which centers around four young students and their families: Jesse, Eddie and Lisa live with their mothers – Jesse’s father is dead, Eddie never knew his father and Lisa’s father is in New York. Brian belongs to a wealthy business family and lives with both parents in an upscale area of Port of Spain.

Set in 2003 these families come face to face with seemingly overpowering events of life, from as simple a problem as ensuring the family car passes inspection and making ends meet for food and lessons money, to bargaining with kidnappers for the release of a family member; from depending on the money being wired via Western Union to dealing with an abusive man; from not allowing friends to know where you live to dealing with a family member who lives on the street and sells his body for his next fix; from pregnancy and loss of friendships to mental illness and the HIV virus.

Author Beverley-Ann Scott says in her foreword “The characters are meant to speak to everyone. Their lives are opportunities for reflection, and their responses to the challenges they face allow us to embrace their humanness, their weakness and their strength.” 

Ms Scott has created characters that allow readers to do just that. Papa Netty is the market drunk and an old rascal who never stops trying to charm the ladies.

He has a kind heart though, giving Ms Janice a gift of her favourite fish- Cascadoo and even a greater gift later on. Harry and his half-sister Lystra have never had a close relationship and there were tensions keeping them apart.

Yet he meets with her every two months, giving lessons money needed for the nephew he has never met and even some extra cash when she needs it most.

As the story begins we meet Lisa hurrying to school. As it ends, she has finished school; she has maintained her friendships and is about to move on to another chapter in her life.  At the start we also met Miss Janice selling her tomatoes in the market.

Having survived the hardships of bringing up her children single-handedly after her husband’s death she seems set to enjoy some good times.  And Eddie is still alive, still a free man, still faithful to his friends and ready to take on the responsibilities of a man.

Beverley autographs copies for guests at her book launch Nov 7. Photo courtesy Trinidad Express

Beverley (right) with Maraika and Trevor Gooding at the book launch

The Stolen Cascadura has no one person as its leading character and this might well be a weakness on the part of the author. She manages though to draw the reader into wanting life to be kind to these characters or at least to let them be able to work through the difficulties. And when this does not happen the reader feels a real sense of loss.

Ms Scott’s strength is in her use of dialogue. She captures so well the rhythm of the Trini dialect and does so in a way that paints the personality of the speaker.

The story is told through the perspective of an omniscient third person. Occasionally I wished that the narrator was a character in the story and that I was allowed to work out the thoughts and feelings of the characters rather than being told what they were.

The author seemed not to spend as much time on her craft of writing as she did on developing the storylines. There are sentences which she could have reworked and re-crafted. While her dialogue is beautiful, her prose, at times, feels awkard.

Woven into this novel, no doubt, are some of the experiences and information Ms Scott has acquired as a medical student, a writer commenting on social issues and interacting with teenagers and as a person sensitised to the sufferings of others, but also of their triumph over these circumstances. 

In the foreword she explains that as much as the cascadura “represents everything sweet, golden and unspoilt about the land we Trinbagonians call home …………we all have had something precious taken away from us at some point in our lives…..we all have had our cascadura stolen. ……Some of us have been able to re-assemble our lives and move on, while others will forever mourn the loss.”

Having read this novel a couple of times I am recommending it as a suitable Christmas gift not only for local friends and family but also for visitors, especially Trinis living abroad. You can also get a few copies for you Carnival visitors. It’s not too early.

Congratulations to Beverley-Ann on her first novel. God’s blessings in your last few years at medical school. Like your character Lisa you are strong enough to make it through.

The Stolen Cascadura will be available for purchase on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. com as well as book stores nationwide by November 30. You may also call 795-6027 for information on purchasing copies.