By: Staff Writer
May 21, 2021
A Jamaican author of the new book “Friendship Estate” tells us how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected her equilibrium and creating the new book brought her consolation and inspiration to complete it, which now has Hollywood calling for the script.
Lynda R Edwards, a Jamaican born author of the novel, Friendship Estate, told Caribbean Magazine Plus about what inspired her to write this new book and how it relates to her first book. She said: “In 2019, I published my first book, Redemptions Songs. That book took two years to write because it was kind of my side hustle. It was more of a cathartic experience, a way to deal with the loss of people close to me who died in quick succession. Then COVID-19 hit, and I lost my bearings.
“Before COVID-19 my husband and I were working 12 hours a day, six days a week. With the pandemic, we were left staring at each other, asking, now what? All of a sudden, we were struck by fear of the unknown, suspicion of not being guided by competent leaders, shut-in, but shut out of being able to have a say in what our future would be. I needed to find my equilibrium again, and I found consolation in writing Friendship Estate.”
While she may not have the stereotypical appearance of a “Jamaican” or a Caribbean individual, Ms Edwards was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, in 1967 where she said, “It was a difficult time; we had just gained independence from Britain, and we were trying to find our identity as a nation while Capitalism and Communism battled for supremacy around the globe. For some reason, the Caribbean and Jamaica were caught in the middle of that hurricane.
“Eight generations of my family are buried on the island of Jamaica. I only know how to be a Jamaican. To this day, I still take drives all over the island in my head. That is one of the reasons my books are so descriptive. I worked hard to make the island of Jamaica a character in both Redemption Songs and Friendship Estate, and that is the compliment from readers that tickles me most. ‘I remember that drive.’ ‘I know exactly where that is from your description.’ ‘Boy, you bringing back serious memories.’ Those are my favourite comments from readers. Jamaicans and West Indians, especially in the Diaspora, are looking for that connection to home, and I hope my love for my island home shines through in my writing.”
Caribbean Magazine Plus staff have not had a chance to review Friendship Estate, but Ms Edwards assured us that we are missing out of an experience of a lifetime. The book will be featured at the June 4-6 CARICON/Caribbean Literature Conference being held virtually and all persons from the Diaspora are invited. Ms Edwards asked us “how much time do we have,” in order for her to explain to us the most interesting parts of the book. She also said: “I think the thing that struck me most was that society in Jamaica during slavery, abolition, and emancipation was far more complex than history wants us to remember. In researching Friendship Estate, an alternative historical fiction novel, I realized that the book’s premise could have been a reality if there had been a will. I clearly saw the way in my research, but the will was lacking, which was heart-breaking. I really wanted to the point that out in the book: ‘Right now, the British Empire is at a crossroads in history. One road will lead them down an already well-travelled path of domination and enslavement of people they feel they have conquered. History shows that this road will eventually lead to ruin. But the road less travelled, the other fork in the road, where we live with inclusion and acceptance, will ensure the longevity of life and liberty for all who chose to live in harmony with this world.’
Friendship Estate is not suited for classrooms because there is there is romance and other adult theme not suited for persons under 18 years of age plus it is a fictional novel. Ms Edwards added: The resource material I used should be taught in all classrooms. Bernard Martin Senior’s book, Jamaica, As It Was, As it Is And As It May Be, written in 1835 and scholars selected as one of the most culturally significant records of this period in Jamaica’s history, should be part of the curriculum. As should The Sugar Barons by Matthew Parker. These two books discuss and highlight the economics of why Jamaica and the Caribbean still suffers under the economic yoke of an institution that ended nearly three hundred years ago.”
Ms Edwards also said: “The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands is another book that should be taught in schools. Mary Jane Grant-Seacole was born in Kingston in 1805. Her father was a Scottish soldier, her mother a Jamaican. Mary learned her nursing skills from her mother. In 1854, Mary travelled to England and approached the War Office, asking that she be sent as an army nurse to Crimea. Being of mixed race, she was denied. Undaunted, she travelled on her own to Crimea, where she established the British Hotel near Balaclava, providing food and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers. She visited the battlefield, sometimes under fire, to nurse the wounded and became known as ‘Mother Seacole.’ Her reputation rivalled that of Florence Nightingale.
“Then there are the lives of Robert Hugh Munro, who died in 1798, and his nephew, Dr. Caleb Dickenson, who died in 1821. Both men of colour found Munro College in Saint Elizabeth via a Trust that sustains the school to this day. Two men of colour, one a learned Doctor of Medicine, funded a school reputed to have produced more Rhode Scholars than any other secondary school in the Caribbean—accomplished BEFORE emancipation in 1834. What a lesson we have to teach the world!
Finding source material for the book was the most difficult part of this production as Ms Edwards said, “After my father died in 2012, my brother inherited the Finlason family bible with pages dedicated to names, births, marriages, and deaths. We knew about the Coke side, the Delevante side, and the Henriques side, but the Finlason side was a bit of a mystery. He hired someone to research our Saint Elizabeth history, and this research provided enough information from the Registrar General to go further. My brother combed through the National archives and visited churches and gravesites. He found some pretty interesting stuff, including elements of the Will the book opens with. My imagination did the rest.
“My brother introduced me to Bernard Senior’s book and Matthew Park’s book. I will be honest; I read The Sugar Barons after I finished Friendship Estate and was pretty surprised that I had arrived at the same conclusions. As difficult as Bernard’s book was to read, I could see the lessons our ancestors failed to learn when reading it with twenty-first-century eyes.
“While finding a voice as a Caribbean writer is not hard, finding an audience is. I tried to find a literary agent in the United States, Canada, UK, Jamaica, and Trinidad. No one wants Jamaican fiction writers, which is the very definition of irony. Over ten million Caribbean people live outside the Caribbean, not to mention the ten million that live on the Caribbean islands. Then add in all the people that feel an affinity to the islands, and we are looking at a substantial market with colossal buying power.
Ms Edwards also said that she decided to self-publish and that: “Honestly, I figured I would just be writing for family and friends, but then Hollywood called, asking about Friendship Estate and that threw me for a loop. I was honest with one of the producers and told her that I wanted it to be filmed in Jamaica with Jamaican actors, Jamaican production teams, everything Jamaican. While she understood where I was coming from, I could tell she was not impressed with my demands. But I cannot see the majesty of the island of Jamaica being relegated to a sound stage in Atlanta. I hope one day it will be picked up. Let’s face it, with the advent of all these streaming services around the world, content is needed, right. But I need to honour the integrity of the story.
“Self-publishing also led me to other great Jamaican writers, like George Graham, Dale Mahfood, Andre Simpson, and a whole community of storytellers keeping our culture, history, and experiences alive and well. My hope and prayer is that we can all find a home one day soon, where we can share the wealth and tradition the Caribbean has in the stories we tell. A place where one and all can visit, sit under a figurative lime tree and listen with interest and respect in the grand tradition of our ancestors.”
Friendship Estate can be found on Amazon for hard copy and downloadable to your Kindle.
Great interview. I would love to see that idea come to fruition. Our culture and creativity is craved worldwide. Why not help our creatives to share their creativity with the world to soothe their craving with Jamaican authenticity