Children of the Ocean God

by Kiran H. Dellimore, Kiran H.J. Dellimore

The year is 1795. The ideals of the French Revolution are sweeping their way across the Caribbean until they reach the shores of St. Vincent, an island inhabited by a tribe of mixed Amerindian and African ancestry called the Black Caribs. A dysfunctional peace treaty with Britain leads to simmering tensions with colonists motivated by greed. At a crucial moment, with British hegemony waning in the region, the Black Caribs foment an all-out war. Supported by French revolutionaries, they attempt to establish their status as “citizens of a free nation.” Based on actual events, Children of the Ocean God, transports readers to a fascinating period in history, capturing the nuances of colonization and slavery in the Caribbean, the revolutionary fervor of the times, and the dauntless, noble fighting spirit of the Black Caribs desperately trying to preserve their birthright.

Synposis:
The year is 1795, the ideals of the French Revolution are sweeping their way across the Caribbean until they reach the shores of the island of Hiroona. There, Warramou, a young, romantic Garifuna warrior, finds himself caught in the struggle of his life as he tries to save his homeland from destruction in an all-out war against British colonists.

Warramou wakes up one day with a bizarre premonition about a war in Hiroona. He soon learns that French revolutionaries from the neighboring island of Camerhogne, have brought news of an insurrection there against the British. This follows on the heels of a violent rebellion in another nearby island, which threatens British hegemony in the Caribbean. Warramou’s tribe, the Garifuna, are presented with an irresistible opportunity to launch a war against the British and drive them out of Hiroona once and for all. Warramou soon finds himself roped into making war plans, after being sent to Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyé to inform him of these developments and seek his guidance in convening a war council with the main Garifuna chiefs on sacred Mount Qualibou. While waiting to meet with Chief Chatoyé, he goes to see Ranée, Chatoyé’s eldest daughter, hoping to receive an answer to his marriage proposal. At the war council, the chiefs swear a blood oath to wage war against the British, with the aid of their French revolutionary allies. Warramou joins intensive war preparations and is appointed as a lieutenant to a key commander in the Garifuna army. Yet due to his inexperience as a warrior he is worried about his ability to fulfil such an important role for his people.

As the start of the war looms Warramou’s grows increasingly anxious. This spurs him to seek guidance from his deceased grandfather, Pa Louen, with whom he has a special spiritual bond. He participates in the opening offensive, in which the Garifuna army savagely attacks a sugar plantation, massacring its inhabitants. During the battle Warramou engages in intense, close combat with a female slave, named Nanette, whom he narrowly defeats and recruits to join the Garifuna cause. Within a day the Garifuna Army controls over half of Hiroona and is poised to make a final assault on the British bastion of Fort Charlotte. While waiting for the final offensive to begin, Warramou has a dream in which Pa Louen urges him to embrace his fate as a warrior and become a leader of the Garifuna people in this righteous war against the British. He exhorts him with the Garifuna battle cry “Only we are people! There are no cowards here, nobody gives up, this land is ours!” However, the Garifuna army hesitates in launching their assault due to Chief Chatoyé’s superstitions. This allows the British to stage a daring midnight raid, which catches the Garifuna and their French allies woefully off guard. The Battle of Dorsetshire Hill ensues, in which Warramou fights valiantly, narrowly evading being killed. After suffering heavy losses, including the tragic death of Chief Chatoyé, the Garifuna Army, is forced to retreat.

In the aftermath of the debacle on Dorsetshire Hill, Warramou is bitterly disappointed in himself for not doing more to prevent the Garifuna losses in the battle. After the British withdraw from the battlefield, he leads a mission to recover the bodies of fallen Garifuna warriors, including Chief Chatoyé. He discovers sadly that Nanette has also been killed in the fateful battle. Amid preparations for Chief Chatoyé’s dugu funeral ceremony, Warramou, who is hungry for revenge against the British, leads a retaliatory raid, in which several plantations are burned to the ground. At the emotionally-charged dugu ceremony, two of Chief Chatoyé’s wives are buried alive with him, including Ranee’s mother. Ranée is distraught after losing both her parents. The story ends with Warramou seeking to comfort Ranée in her loss, yet realizing he is unable to do so. For the first time, he realizes that he is ready to step up as the warrior his people need and he vows defiantly to continue the war.

Genres: Historical Fiction

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Joe Krakovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

CHILDREN OF THE OCEAN GOD was a brilliant work by a Goodreads author.

My favorite genre is military history; World War II to be precise. The reason for mentioning this is while military history is past history, the events of WWII are in general well known to those of us who like to read about it. On the other hand, there is so much other military history out there that a clever author can put together a story that one can read and not be sure of the outcome. This holds true for works of fiction as well as nonfiction. CHILDREN OF THE OCEAN GOD was such a story for me.

While I knew that the French and British were often enemies up to the twentieth century, most of the events outside of western Europe and North America were vague to me. I remember a trick question in my grade school history class that asked, "Who won the French and Indian War?" The answer, of course, was the British. I got that one right! Why is this relevant? It is because this story is about the events in one of those French/British wars. Those two empires fought each other around the world in their quest for colonies. One theater of war was in the Caribbean, specifically on the island of St. Vincent.

What made this story unique was the fact that while the two major antagonists had fought over this island and it changed hands over the years, there was still a large native population referred to in the story as 'wild negroes.' These people, known as the Garifuna, had actually made a peace treaty with the British, the then current 'owners' of the island colony. As the war clouds came to the Caribbean once again, the Garifuna were drawn into the fight as an ally of the French. This is their story.

A lot of research went into this work, and I have to respect that. It is one thing to create a fantasy world in one's head and another to actually do the research. The customs, beliefs, choice of food, weapons of war, names, dress, and other things I can't think of at the moment were used to give the story a real sense of world building. Slavery was still in existence there at the time, so one gets an idea of the horrors. What I found surprising was the mention of the 'wild negroes' returning runaway slaves for a bounty.

Sometimes when authors use a lot of words that I have to look up, I get a little frustrated, like the author is trying to impress me with how smart they are. I didn't get that feeling here. His choice of words were worth the time and effort for me to decipher as they really magnified the picture being planted in my mind.

There were only two things which were the cause of any disappointment for me here, and one was my fault. Not knowing anything about the events of this island, I shouldn't have read the chronology first. The other thing was I wish the story had been longer. That being the case I am giving it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This review was based on the copy sent to me by the author.

[Colin Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will take the unusual course of writing more about the author than the book.
Kiran H. Dellimore appeared on Goodreads with a fresh and interesting profile. An aspiring author born on a tiny Caribbean Island, proud of his Afro-Caribbean heritage, who now lives in Europe.
Goodreads is not solely a platform for his works. He also demonstrates a genuine passion for reading. This can only help to improve any emerging author’s skill.
Dellimore’s own backstory gets you in.
His knowledge of the history of the Caribbean, something I knew little about, is evident in his informative footnotes and bibliography.
The author could have easily written ‘Children of the Ocean God’ as a non-fiction account of the British and French occupations and rivalries in the Caribbean but, instead, offers us a decent storyline, embedded in factual accounts of the time. He complements all this with engaging descriptions of indigenous characters and their customs, again based on known people and events. For me, this is the novel’s strength.
I look forward to following this author’s trajectory.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate;
va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli,
ove olezzano tepide e molli
l'aure dolci del suolo natal!
Va, pensiero -Giuseppe Verdi- first stanza

Alluring Paradise

Children of the Ocean God immerses us in the vibrant Caribbean 18th century, a mosaic of cultures where humanity's surviving capacity and integration take shape at its best. Glimpses of alluring St. Vincent Island's way of life emerge as we unfold the novel, whisking us away to a bygone paradise where the Garifuna people flourished —the descendants of the fusion of Indigenous Amerindians and Black Africans, creating an engaging read that smoothly blends fact with fiction.
Piecing together a shattered mirror, how can we interpret the remnants of St. Vincent to glance at the world as the indigenous people lived it?

A tantalising clue emerges from the author's notes: a 16th-century Spanish report hinting at a significant African population residing with the Caribs. This unexpected detail ignites questions about pre-colonial encounters, begging for further exploration.

Echoes of Rebellion

Children of the Ocean God dives into the pivotal Second Carib War-1795, a period when the world echoed with ideals of "liberté égalité fraternité" intertwining stark contrasts and conflicts among St Vincent’s inhabitants.
Evocative prose transcends victors' glory, revealing complex characters, and flawed heroes locked in a desperate struggle. Garifuna people of Saint Vincent, united with runaway slaves and incited by ideals and artillery from their erstwhile adversaries, the French -with whom a newfound rapport had blossomed-, rose against the invading British settlers, fuelled by a desperate need to protect their Heimat -the remained Garifuna segment of the island.

A Tapestry of Voices

Navigating historical research hampered by precarious sources, seamless narrative, and avoiding modern bias, the author's prose composed an approachable narrative, effortlessly braiding historical context with the judicious use of fiction, I gained valuable insights from his introduction and elucidating notes throughout the novel. The writer's pen seems to me, to strike a coherent balance.
Dellimore’s use of phonetics to represent the distinct dialects of the Garifuna characters -fluent in French, not English-, the army, and the slaves, further enhances the story's authenticity. This approach brings a refreshing realism to their spoken English, which I enjoyed greatly
I particularly appreciated the absence of easy victories and paladin heroes, along with the fact that the novel avoids bulky historical minutiae. The brutality of the battle unfolds with gentle language, conveying ferocity and lasting scars without graphic gore.

Cultural Dissonance: Indigenous Practices Through a Modern Lens

The author's generous descriptions of the Garifuna people's mores and traditions made me re-evaluate my own assumptions, which were based on historical teachings at school, a shallow bay narrated by historians with the narrative of the conquerors, draped in blissful oblivious.
On the one hand, I was curious to learn about their intricate customs as they unfolded throughout the narrative. From the preparation of their meals flavoured with exotic ingredients - cassava beer, grilled iguana, flying fish, ereba bread- to the vibrant music that filled their evenings and rituals. This exploration allowed me to feel as though I were walking alongside them, experiencing their world firsthand. However, I was surprised by some of their practices, such as Garifuna men having many wives, didn't strike a chord with me. This was similar to the way some of the European settlers’ men behaved in St. Vincent, who were known for their practices of debauchery and multiple partners. The Garifuna burial traditions were also surprising, further enriching my understanding of this diverse cultural tapestry.

A World Braided in Ashes of War

The lost paradise of the indigenous people of "Las Americas" often beckons in fiction. Yet, with meticulousness, the author set a bold ambition – a work of historical foundation and broad accessibility that amplifies the voices and underrepresented narratives of those who were unheard.
This review can only hint at the author's intent to depict a turbulent battle, a defining moment in the Garifuna people's forced displacement.

Children of the Ocean God is a touching echo of the human spirit, resilience, and the enduring legacy etched by those who dared to fight, not just for their homeland, but for the very essence of who they were: their values, traditions, and the very fabric of their existence. Its poignant finale reverberated with me long after the last page.

Fly, my thought, on wings of gold;
go settle upon the slopes and the hills,
where, soft and mild, the sweet airs
of my native land smell fragrant!
Va Pensiero

I would like to thank the author for kindly providing me with an advance copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest feedback.

[path · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much respect for the author, who demonstrates, in this book and in posts on GR, an ability to use language and culture as a focal point through which to tell tales of history. Children of the Ocean God is a compelling cultural-historical snapshot, about the events immediately leading up to and during the Second Carib war of 1795, on the island of St. Vincent. The compact timeline of this story helps propel the narrative and keeps it focused on the events of the war, but elements of cultural and political depth artfully come out through the words and reflections of the characters, particularly in the closing chapters.

This book is populated with realistic characters, particularly among the Black Caribs, who have clearly defined interests and desires that are grounded in their cultural traditions. In fact, I think that there is room for these characters to grow and live a bit more in the novel. The glimpses that we get of their lives are, I think, too brief. Nevertheless, the moments we do get add a texture of realism. I also appreciated that the novel spent a fair bit of time in Warramou's point of view -- that felt like the right choice because that POV allowed the events of the story to unfold from a perspective that appears to be underrepresented or muted in the accounts that I have seen. I reluctantly followed the numerous POV changes to other characters but felt most invested in Warramou's.

The book is certainly researched, as evidenced by the author-supplied footnotes. I did not follow all the paths that the author sign-posted, but those that I did (especially the culinary ones) were worth the effort. This blend of attention to historical and cultural detail and a sense for identifying and animating key historical moments seems to be a good mixture that will serve this author well. Also, I quite liked the focus on the Caribbean, an area that deserves more literary attention.

[Lee Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully written historical fiction centered on a time and place I would not have considered of any particular interest to me- someone more partial to historical romance novels. The book takes place in 1795, on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, as tensions are rising between British colonials and European landowners and the native Garifuna population; a conflict exacerbated by French revolutionaries professing to wanting to help the Black Carib liberate themselves from British occupation. The story is a fictionalized dramatization of the major events that took place during the first few weeks of the Second Carib War. The chapters alternate back and forth between the point of view of the Garifuna leaders and those of the British Governor James Seton and his lieutenants. When we are following Chief Warramou, Duvalle, or Chatoye, we are immersed in their day-to-day life and customs: what they ate, how they interacted, how they viewed diplomatic relations with the British. When we follow the governor through his workday speaking with landowners and military leaders, we also see snippets of his homelife with his estranged wife, his mistress (once his wife's maid), and his slave valet. The author does an exceptional job crafting a balanced and sympathetic narrative that felt relatable and engaging.
Impressively researched and thoughtfully written, there is a keen sense of how isolated and confined the geography feels with all this civil unrest taking place on an island. The governor needs to send a request by letter for manpower and supplies by ship -and then has to wait to see if they will arrive or not. The Garifuna could use support from French allies or black slaves -but can they trust that mutual enemies is enough of a bond to rely on them? The anxiety, the tension, the unavoidable interdependence that gets forged on an island is inescapable. You have landowners that are neighbors and friends, but they are also slave owners. Where does their greater loyalty lie? With friendship or self-interest?
I loved all the descriptions of Garifuna culture. Details of the food, drink, clothes, homelife, parenting habits, council meetings, the role of the boyez (shaman), the turns of phrase/songs/chants, the marriages, and funeral/mourning rituals. I'm not an avid fan of military strategies; but I enjoyed reading about the alternating wins and losses they each experienced as maneuver after maneuver turned the tide back and forth. Lastly, I am a huge fan of believable dialogue, and I found all the writing believable and satisfying.
I was definitely struck by how much I wanted the story to continue further. I got so invested in the characters I was curious to read what happened next. But I equally thought it was the perfect way to end it. The sad postscript hits a lot more sympathetically after reading the book -a testament to how well the story pulled me in emotionally. I would heartily recommend this book. It was a very enjoyable read.

[Nel Bretney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mention the word 'Caribbean' and an exotic scene of sun, sea and sand readily comes to mind. What cannot be envisaged is that that geographical area in the Americas has had a factious history of indigenous people, slaves and colonizers fighting for supremacy. "The Children of the Ocean God" centers on the struggle of the Garifuna (Black Caribs), the indigenous people of St. Vincent, a small island in the Eastern Caribbean, to reclaim their land, and preserve their freedom, culture and heritage.

The main protagonists of the story are Governor Seton, representing Great Britain on the one hand and successive leaders of the Garifuna, Chief Chatoye and Warramou on the other. Aided and abetted by the French, who had made successful inroads into other small islands, and were sworn enemies of the British, the Black Caribs plot their revolt against the colonial power. In addition, Black Rangers (slaves some of whom became turncoats) are coerced into joining the movement on the side of their masters.

The Children of the Ocean God" is not heavy reading but it cannot be regarded as an airport novel to be hurriedly rushed through. The story is captivating and tells the tale of a people who recognize their strong connection between the natural and spirit world, a connection that demands resistance to oppression. Dellimore writes in a style that is descriptive and poetic often with traces of humor, eg. "His trademark infectious barrel-chested laugh, which made his paunch shake like flummery pudding..." and again "He pulled out his member and began to void," are excellent examples. Moreover, in his storytelling of the Caribs he shows a neutrality, not condescension, in depicting practices which some contemporary readers may find 'primitive.' But it should be noted also that the historical novel is set in the late 18th century. Words, phrases, dialect and historical facts are used in the text to make vivid and authentic the picture that the author is portraying. The notes at the back of the book, arranged by chapter, are eye-openers necessary for the reader wanting to fully grasp the narrative.

You read the last page and realize that you have not seen the end of the story. It is left hanging. The denouement is not complete. There must be a sequel to such a compelling narrative. But on reflection, the author has not left his readers entirely bereft. The Chronology included in the preliminary pages of the book gives us the result that we feared. It would take more than a century and a half for St. Vincent to become an independent country.