Strolling in the Ruins: The Caribbean’s Non-sovereign Modern in the Early Twentieth Century

In Strolling in the Ruins, Faith Smith explores a period in the history of the Anglophone Caribbean often overlooked as nondescript, quiet, and pro-imperial, challenging the inevitability of nationhood and anticipating the Caribbean's relationship to global power. She analyzes a diverse set of texts to examine theoretical and literary-historiographic questions concerning time and temporality, empire and diaspora, immigration and indigeneity, gender and the politics of desire, Africa's place within Caribbeanist discourse, and the idea of the Caribbean itself.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 07 April 2023
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her captivating book, "Strolling in the Ruins," Faith Smith delves into a period of the Anglophone Caribbean's history that is often overlooked as nondescript, quiet, and embarrassingly pro-imperial within the broader narrative of Jamaican and Trinidadian nationalism. Spanning from the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion to World War I, British imperialism was taken for granted among both elites and ordinary people, while nationalist discourses would not begin to shape the political imagination of the West Indies for decades. Smith argues that this period, far from being uneventful, disrupts the inevitability of nationhood in the mid-twentieth century and anticipates the Caribbean's present-day relationship to global power.

To explore these complex and multifaceted questions, Smith assembles and analyzes a diverse range of texts, including Carnival songs, poems, novels, newspapers, photographs, and gardens. These cultural expressions of apparent quiescence are closely examined, revealing the quiet violence of colonial rule and the unwavering insistence of colonial subjects on carving out meaningful lives. Through her meticulous analysis, Smith uncovers the ways in which colonialism shaped the region's cultural and social landscapes, leaving a lasting impact that continues to be felt today.

"Strolling in the Ruins" is a groundbreaking work that challenges prevailing narratives and offers a fresh perspective on the history of the Anglophone Caribbean. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of colonialism, nationalism, and the ongoing struggle for identity and liberation in the region.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 159 x 238 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478017042