Abigail Weekes-Lowe's Blog
May 12, 2018
Corvids Lament
Driving to school past the La Basse in Port of Spain each day, I was transfixed by the horrendous beauty of the Corbeau as it fed on the stinking rotting flesh of dead animals, while the putrid smell permeated my nostrils. Trinbagonians really seemed to believe that the sight of a Corbeau was the foreboding of evil. In my book Corvid is the personification of evil, one of his guises being a Corbeau.
As a child I was both terrified and fascinated by the island forklore. At the time I lived in Trinidad, I invariably heard talk of strange and malevolent creatures, living ostensibly ordinary lives, amongst the community . Could a miscarriage really be the work of a churile, an evil spirit, who lamented in eternal grief for her lost child. I wondered whether the unusual beauty of a woman, could be down to sorcery and whether she could be a Soucanyant or La Diablesse. Could demon women really change their old skin into new skin and hide their cloven feet, under the long and flowing gowns they wore.
My father taught A level Economics at St Mary`s College (College of the Immaculate Conception) in Port of Spain. In late 1985 he collapsed at the College. This was the onset of an undiagnosed illness and he died a slow and agonising death in April 1986. Trinbagonians say his untimely and unexpected death at the age of 48 was the work of Obeah.
My book intertwines, true life events, and Trinidadian folklore, with a universal story of a girl seeking a perfect life, in an effort ,to bring to life the island culture and beliefs. The result is, I hope, to create a unique story which everyone of us can relate to in some way. The reader is left wondering is it the “ perfect life” which is a myth or is the island folklore not a myth, but in fact a reality?
The book explores a raft of life events which many of us have to overcome, but the moral of the tale is that in life we only get a few perfect days in a lifetime of imperfection, so we must savour those perfect days.
My book was reviewed by the Law Society of England and Wales. Here is the link to that review
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/reviews/...
Below is an extract from an online bookclub review of my book Corvid`s Lament , which explores the theme of folklore in more detail.
“The witch doctor sighed a deep, wheezy sigh. ‘There are different types of afflictions you can request- pain, suffering, physical sickness, mental sickness, hardship, difficult life, and even death. Which of these do you want?’
In Corvid’s Lament by Abigail Weekes-Lowe, readers are given a glimpse of Trinidadian culture, traditions, folklore and religious beliefs. This story is one unlike any other as it takes readers on a breath-taking journey with its protagonist, Connie Costello. As Connie navigates through a difficult life, readers will also experience her pain and sorrow. The mysteries surrounding her family make the story even more absorbing and add a mixture of suspense and fear. This work is mingled with subtle events that foreshadow the future. Readers may want to reread the story to pick up on clues that might have been missed the first time. One cannot help but wonder what is going to happen next to Connie and her family, and readers will not want to close the book.
On the Caribbean island of Trinidad, the Costello family begins to face inexplicable loss and suffering. As vultures show up in her life like bad omens before all the most tragic moments, Connie begins to suspect that her family may be cursed. Trinidadian folklore tells of Churiles, or pregnant women who committed suicide and in eternal grief over their own lost baby, steal women’s babies in the form of miscarriages. Can Connie’s losses be contributed to an envious Churile? Legend also speaks of “La Diablesse,” or demon women, who hide their cloven feet under long dresses and draw men in with their disguise of beauty. Could Connie’s own brother have been seduced by one of these creatures? Soucouyants, or old hags who can slip in and out of beautiful skin and are comparable to vampires, are also spoken of, and Connie suspects that her own boss, Anna, may be a grotesque old woman wearing a young woman’s skin. Most commonly, folklore speaks of Obeah men, or witchdoctors, who can perform evil spells at the request of others. The curse can only be broken if the person who the curse is intended for crosses the sea before it begins to take effect.
For readers to be able to share in the emotions with the protagonist is a great feat by the author, and the twists in this book are genius. Even the conversations that the characters have are authentic, and it will be easy for readers to envision the characters interacting. This book is suitable for young adults and above. Individuals who enjoy mystery, suspense, and drama would probably enjoy this story, and it would even be good for fans of the horror genre or psychological thrillers. It offers something for everyone.
Kind regards
Abigail Weekes-Lowe LLB(Hons) Dip LG
Solicitor
Author of Corvid`s Lament( available worldwide from Amazon)
As a child I was both terrified and fascinated by the island forklore. At the time I lived in Trinidad, I invariably heard talk of strange and malevolent creatures, living ostensibly ordinary lives, amongst the community . Could a miscarriage really be the work of a churile, an evil spirit, who lamented in eternal grief for her lost child. I wondered whether the unusual beauty of a woman, could be down to sorcery and whether she could be a Soucanyant or La Diablesse. Could demon women really change their old skin into new skin and hide their cloven feet, under the long and flowing gowns they wore.
My father taught A level Economics at St Mary`s College (College of the Immaculate Conception) in Port of Spain. In late 1985 he collapsed at the College. This was the onset of an undiagnosed illness and he died a slow and agonising death in April 1986. Trinbagonians say his untimely and unexpected death at the age of 48 was the work of Obeah.
My book intertwines, true life events, and Trinidadian folklore, with a universal story of a girl seeking a perfect life, in an effort ,to bring to life the island culture and beliefs. The result is, I hope, to create a unique story which everyone of us can relate to in some way. The reader is left wondering is it the “ perfect life” which is a myth or is the island folklore not a myth, but in fact a reality?
The book explores a raft of life events which many of us have to overcome, but the moral of the tale is that in life we only get a few perfect days in a lifetime of imperfection, so we must savour those perfect days.
My book was reviewed by the Law Society of England and Wales. Here is the link to that review
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/reviews/...
Below is an extract from an online bookclub review of my book Corvid`s Lament , which explores the theme of folklore in more detail.
“The witch doctor sighed a deep, wheezy sigh. ‘There are different types of afflictions you can request- pain, suffering, physical sickness, mental sickness, hardship, difficult life, and even death. Which of these do you want?’
In Corvid’s Lament by Abigail Weekes-Lowe, readers are given a glimpse of Trinidadian culture, traditions, folklore and religious beliefs. This story is one unlike any other as it takes readers on a breath-taking journey with its protagonist, Connie Costello. As Connie navigates through a difficult life, readers will also experience her pain and sorrow. The mysteries surrounding her family make the story even more absorbing and add a mixture of suspense and fear. This work is mingled with subtle events that foreshadow the future. Readers may want to reread the story to pick up on clues that might have been missed the first time. One cannot help but wonder what is going to happen next to Connie and her family, and readers will not want to close the book.
On the Caribbean island of Trinidad, the Costello family begins to face inexplicable loss and suffering. As vultures show up in her life like bad omens before all the most tragic moments, Connie begins to suspect that her family may be cursed. Trinidadian folklore tells of Churiles, or pregnant women who committed suicide and in eternal grief over their own lost baby, steal women’s babies in the form of miscarriages. Can Connie’s losses be contributed to an envious Churile? Legend also speaks of “La Diablesse,” or demon women, who hide their cloven feet under long dresses and draw men in with their disguise of beauty. Could Connie’s own brother have been seduced by one of these creatures? Soucouyants, or old hags who can slip in and out of beautiful skin and are comparable to vampires, are also spoken of, and Connie suspects that her own boss, Anna, may be a grotesque old woman wearing a young woman’s skin. Most commonly, folklore speaks of Obeah men, or witchdoctors, who can perform evil spells at the request of others. The curse can only be broken if the person who the curse is intended for crosses the sea before it begins to take effect.
For readers to be able to share in the emotions with the protagonist is a great feat by the author, and the twists in this book are genius. Even the conversations that the characters have are authentic, and it will be easy for readers to envision the characters interacting. This book is suitable for young adults and above. Individuals who enjoy mystery, suspense, and drama would probably enjoy this story, and it would even be good for fans of the horror genre or psychological thrillers. It offers something for everyone.
Kind regards
Abigail Weekes-Lowe LLB(Hons) Dip LG
Solicitor
Author of Corvid`s Lament( available worldwide from Amazon)
