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Paradise Once
A historical novel that brings to life the resiliency of the indigenous Taíno people in the Caribbean whose culture was virtually destroyed within two generations of their “discovery” by Christopher Columbus in 1492
PARADISE ONCE TRACES THE AFTERMATH of the massacre by Spanish forces of the fictional Maima village in Cuba in 1513. Some believe the destruction of Maima is the result of angering the cemíes—Taíno spiritual entities—when foreign practices, contrary to the sacred laws of the Taíno, began to infiltrate the village.
Four young people who survive the massacre are unwittingly chosen by the cemíes to save a Sacred Bundle and return it to a cave in the Cauta mountain, the mythological place the Taíno are believed to have come Sekou, an enslaved African born in Spain who has aligned himself with the Taíno resistance; Night Orchid, a young girl and the reluctant bearer of the Sacred Bundle; the young Taíno noble Heart of Palm; and finally Flint, whose mother is part of the “Old Ones,” a remnant group of people on the islands displaced by the Taíno.
The four survivors start off on separate paths and only learn of their roles in the sacred mission when they unite at the holy site and encounter the Maima shaman Candlewood. Under the direction of the cemíes, Candlewood guides them into the cave, where the “dark” shaman Shark Tooth—who has sold his soul to the underworld powers—awaits. As they progress on their journey, Candlewood informs them of the leadership roles they are destined to play in the preservation of the Taíno culture. In time, they will together defend the heartland as resistance fighters who will become known in history as Cimarrones or Maroons. But first they must defeat Shark Tooth in a life-or-death battle for the possession of the Bundle in the sacred ball court at Cauta, the fate of the entire Taíno people in their hands.
Senior’s exquisitely crafted historical fiction authentically evokes the spiritual heart of the Taíno people in this love song to the Caribbean.
PARADISE ONCE TRACES THE AFTERMATH of the massacre by Spanish forces of the fictional Maima village in Cuba in 1513. Some believe the destruction of Maima is the result of angering the cemíes—Taíno spiritual entities—when foreign practices, contrary to the sacred laws of the Taíno, began to infiltrate the village.
Four young people who survive the massacre are unwittingly chosen by the cemíes to save a Sacred Bundle and return it to a cave in the Cauta mountain, the mythological place the Taíno are believed to have come Sekou, an enslaved African born in Spain who has aligned himself with the Taíno resistance; Night Orchid, a young girl and the reluctant bearer of the Sacred Bundle; the young Taíno noble Heart of Palm; and finally Flint, whose mother is part of the “Old Ones,” a remnant group of people on the islands displaced by the Taíno.
The four survivors start off on separate paths and only learn of their roles in the sacred mission when they unite at the holy site and encounter the Maima shaman Candlewood. Under the direction of the cemíes, Candlewood guides them into the cave, where the “dark” shaman Shark Tooth—who has sold his soul to the underworld powers—awaits. As they progress on their journey, Candlewood informs them of the leadership roles they are destined to play in the preservation of the Taíno culture. In time, they will together defend the heartland as resistance fighters who will become known in history as Cimarrones or Maroons. But first they must defeat Shark Tooth in a life-or-death battle for the possession of the Bundle in the sacred ball court at Cauta, the fate of the entire Taíno people in their hands.
Senior’s exquisitely crafted historical fiction authentically evokes the spiritual heart of the Taíno people in this love song to the Caribbean.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
352 pages, Hardcover
Published June 3, 2025
38 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Olive Senior
43 books108 followersOlive Senior was born and brought up in Jamaica in 1941 and educated in Jamaica and Canada. She is a graduate of Montego Bay High School and Carleton University, Ottawa.
She is one of Canada's most internationally recognized and acclaimed writers having left Jamaica in 1989, spending some years in Europe and since 1993 being based in Toronto.
Among her many awards and honours she has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and F.G. Bressani Literary Prize, was nominated for a Governor-General’s Literary Award, and was runner up for the Casa de Las Americas Prize and the Pat Lowther Award. In 2003, she received the Norman Washington Manley Foundation Award for Excellence (preservation of cultural heritage – Jamaica). Her body of published work includes four books of poetry, three collections of short stories and several award-winning non-fiction works on Caribbean culture.
She is one of Canada's most internationally recognized and acclaimed writers having left Jamaica in 1989, spending some years in Europe and since 1993 being based in Toronto.
Among her many awards and honours she has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and F.G. Bressani Literary Prize, was nominated for a Governor-General’s Literary Award, and was runner up for the Casa de Las Americas Prize and the Pat Lowther Award. In 2003, she received the Norman Washington Manley Foundation Award for Excellence (preservation of cultural heritage – Jamaica). Her body of published work includes four books of poetry, three collections of short stories and several award-winning non-fiction works on Caribbean culture.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 16, 2025
What a journey... I did not want it to end!
Olive Senior's latest release brings to life the Taino culture and history and I am here for all of it. Set during the of the massacre by Spanish forces of the fictional Maima village in Cuba in 1513. We are taken to the village and the book is told from the perspective of four persons and how they are dealing with the aftermath.
I loved everything about this book especially how Senior wrote the language and culture during that time. An brilliant read.
Olive Senior's latest release brings to life the Taino culture and history and I am here for all of it. Set during the of the massacre by Spanish forces of the fictional Maima village in Cuba in 1513. We are taken to the village and the book is told from the perspective of four persons and how they are dealing with the aftermath.
I loved everything about this book especially how Senior wrote the language and culture during that time. An brilliant read.
July 8, 2025
This was a pleasure to read. I just love these types of stories where the native peoples live in nature and we learn the old ways of how they had lived. It's both an adventure story with action and danger but it's also about a time of much turmoil. Things are changing. It's very similar to the "People of" series by the Gears or the books by Sue Harrison except this is set in Cuba.
In this well written novel the village of Maima faces destruction from the Spanish. I have never read a book set in Cuba about their natives (or not that I remember). There are many unique words from the Taino language in here and I did a great job of remembering what these words meant as I was reading. The book does have a glossary at the back with all the words. I only had to look up each word once as for whatever reason they just stuck in my head.
I was surprised by some of the events in here, like how a simple European common bird caused so much turmoil in the village near the beginning of the book... The book points out how beliefs can affect people in a major way. In a way that bird was a harbinger instead of the gift it was meant to be, but they already had problems brewing in their society. It does an excellent job of pointing out how different beliefs can clash, sometimes in the most innocent of ways. That is, the individual who had brought the bird over had never meant any harm at all... I think that is a big problem today: people don't understand each other.
The story and the various characters just captured my imagination. What was going to happen to Flint, Night Orchard, Heart of Palms and the others? Is Candlewood correct when he talks about the bird? And I absolutely hated that Shark Tooth!! And there are plenty of nail biting scenes in here with danger. A few of them even surprised me. And these scenes are not limited to the Spanish attacking at all. Often these are environment related or from other natives. It's a fast moving, action packed tale.
The entire story is from the viewpoint of the natives so I am left just as confused as they are as to why the Spanish did what they did. I certainly can guess as to the reasons (because we live in modern days and we know why similar things were done to the native American tribes) but the book doesn't really say - the characters don't understand it. But they are strong. Very strong.
Another part of the plot shows society decaying. It's very sad.
I liked the magic in here. And all of the wonderful descriptions of the environment around them, as it's the environment that brings the story to life. It definitely brought something special to the book.
I added this one to my Favorites list.
In this well written novel the village of Maima faces destruction from the Spanish. I have never read a book set in Cuba about their natives (or not that I remember). There are many unique words from the Taino language in here and I did a great job of remembering what these words meant as I was reading. The book does have a glossary at the back with all the words. I only had to look up each word once as for whatever reason they just stuck in my head.
I was surprised by some of the events in here, like how a simple European common bird caused so much turmoil in the village near the beginning of the book... The book points out how beliefs can affect people in a major way. In a way that bird was a harbinger instead of the gift it was meant to be, but they already had problems brewing in their society. It does an excellent job of pointing out how different beliefs can clash, sometimes in the most innocent of ways. That is, the individual who had brought the bird over had never meant any harm at all... I think that is a big problem today: people don't understand each other.
The story and the various characters just captured my imagination. What was going to happen to Flint, Night Orchard, Heart of Palms and the others? Is Candlewood correct when he talks about the bird? And I absolutely hated that Shark Tooth!! And there are plenty of nail biting scenes in here with danger. A few of them even surprised me. And these scenes are not limited to the Spanish attacking at all. Often these are environment related or from other natives. It's a fast moving, action packed tale.
The entire story is from the viewpoint of the natives so I am left just as confused as they are as to why the Spanish did what they did. I certainly can guess as to the reasons (because we live in modern days and we know why similar things were done to the native American tribes) but the book doesn't really say - the characters don't understand it. But they are strong. Very strong.
Another part of the plot shows society decaying. It's very sad.
I liked the magic in here. And all of the wonderful descriptions of the environment around them, as it's the environment that brings the story to life. It definitely brought something special to the book.
I added this one to my Favorites list.
November 23, 2025
Paradise Once is the first historical fiction book I've read that covers the Taino people. It showcases four mainpoints of view from characters of different race and social backgrounds. It highlights the massacre by Spanish forces of the Maima village in Cuba in 1513.
Senior examines Taino mythology and langauge in her work. It was fascinating. I've been reading Fray Ramon Pane's An account of the antiquities of the Indians which pairs well with this work. The ending culminates into the survivors of the massacre becoming maroons, which I really enjoyed. I love how Senior seeks to keep to the spirit and authenticity of the Taino people alive in the work. You can feel the care she had in crafting the story.
As a reader you can feel a bit lost at times, with all the foreign words being thrown at you. I wanted to keep flipping back and forth between the glossary and the main text. However I enjoy a book you have to wrestle with, every once in a while.
Senior examines Taino mythology and langauge in her work. It was fascinating. I've been reading Fray Ramon Pane's An account of the antiquities of the Indians which pairs well with this work. The ending culminates into the survivors of the massacre becoming maroons, which I really enjoyed. I love how Senior seeks to keep to the spirit and authenticity of the Taino people alive in the work. You can feel the care she had in crafting the story.
As a reader you can feel a bit lost at times, with all the foreign words being thrown at you. I wanted to keep flipping back and forth between the glossary and the main text. However I enjoy a book you have to wrestle with, every once in a while.
July 4, 2025
I’ve been curious about the Taino people since I started travelling to the Caribbean more frequently in the past few years and I was so excited to read this book when I saw it was published. This story brings the Taino people to life in a mystical way that kept me intrigued and made my heart hurt at the same time. Loved this story!
July 30, 2025
4/5 STARS! I am so blessed to have received an arc copy of this. This book is a tale of the indigenous people of Cuba before & after the Spanish conquest of their islands. It's beautifully & vivadly written, with characters that feel real & a setting you can feel. Very well researched, this felt like reading a chapter in history. It's riveting, with descriptive writing that entrances you & makes you a part of the culture & magic of the Taino. An absolute must read!
January 8, 2026
This was an interesting read! I’ve never read anything about the Taino people before, so it was really interesting getting a glimpse into their lives and culture! I especially enjoyed seeing their culture before colonialism. It was so heartbreaking seeing the effects of colonialism on the characters. Although, the story concentrated on colonialism, it still felt so hopeful. Especially at the end. The story was seamless and the characters were developed really well.
However, I feel like either the book should’ve been shorter or the plot should’ve included more to fill the book. There were never any pace changes. I found myself skimming through certain parts because I was waiting on something more to happen.
But, overall, I’d recommend this book to people who want to experience pre-colonial Caribbean culture and love character driven stories and don’t mind there being less plot!
CW: mentions of genocide, sexual assault, and incest
However, I feel like either the book should’ve been shorter or the plot should’ve included more to fill the book. There were never any pace changes. I found myself skimming through certain parts because I was waiting on something more to happen.
But, overall, I’d recommend this book to people who want to experience pre-colonial Caribbean culture and love character driven stories and don’t mind there being less plot!
CW: mentions of genocide, sexual assault, and incest
July 8, 2025
This novel was beautiful and inspiring! I am not well versed in Taíno history, so some parts of this book were a little hard to understand without background information. I also feel like I might have missed out on some references that were made, since I don't know the mythology of the cemíes.
I also don't know any Taíno words, so at the beginning, it was pretty hard to follow the plot since the Taíno language was used pretty frequently. I feel like a footnote translation would have fit better, since it became tedious flipping back to the translation index. The action of having to do that never fails to pull me out of a story, so I don't like having to do it.
The writing was excellent, especially when showcasing personality. The point of view changes were done very well, and I could clearly see each character's personality shining through the way they were written. That is NOT an easy task, so I'm very impressed with this author characterization!
I wasn't expecting so many "magical" elements, which was an interesting surprise. I enjoyed having the Taíno religion so prominent in the novel, but there were a lot of completely unrealistic occurrences. I would have like if there was some kind of mention of magical cemí interference, since it really threw me off and confused me when it was first mentioned.
I had a fun time reading this, and I definitely recommend picking this up, especially if you want to learn more about the Taíno people and their culture!
I also don't know any Taíno words, so at the beginning, it was pretty hard to follow the plot since the Taíno language was used pretty frequently. I feel like a footnote translation would have fit better, since it became tedious flipping back to the translation index. The action of having to do that never fails to pull me out of a story, so I don't like having to do it.
The writing was excellent, especially when showcasing personality. The point of view changes were done very well, and I could clearly see each character's personality shining through the way they were written. That is NOT an easy task, so I'm very impressed with this author characterization!
I wasn't expecting so many "magical" elements, which was an interesting surprise. I enjoyed having the Taíno religion so prominent in the novel, but there were a lot of completely unrealistic occurrences. I would have like if there was some kind of mention of magical cemí interference, since it really threw me off and confused me when it was first mentioned.
I had a fun time reading this, and I definitely recommend picking this up, especially if you want to learn more about the Taíno people and their culture!
January 19, 2026
‘An epic adventure and pulled at my heart’
Four survivors of a massacre in the Taino village of Maima are led into the mountainous regions of their homeland in hopes of saving what is left of their way of life.
Based on historical events surrounding mass genocides of the indigenous Taino people when their lives were forever changed due to the arrival of the Spaniards.
The novel was enthralling from start to finish and it completely captivated me. Growing up in the West Indies, I’ve always felt that we’re linked to the First People in some ways and this book once again raised the question in my mind - How much of my ancestry can be traced to the Kwaib, Taino, and other indigenous tribes that once occupied Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean?
It is within that question I found myself loving the book even more.
The way Olive Senor paints a vivid portrait of the lives, habits and beliefs of the Taino was truly inspirational. Everything was so well-researched and detailed and it’s those things that made the characters and the novel come alive.
It’s another beautiful Caribbean Novel that I absolutely would recommend to any history or adventure lover!
Four survivors of a massacre in the Taino village of Maima are led into the mountainous regions of their homeland in hopes of saving what is left of their way of life.
Based on historical events surrounding mass genocides of the indigenous Taino people when their lives were forever changed due to the arrival of the Spaniards.
The novel was enthralling from start to finish and it completely captivated me. Growing up in the West Indies, I’ve always felt that we’re linked to the First People in some ways and this book once again raised the question in my mind - How much of my ancestry can be traced to the Kwaib, Taino, and other indigenous tribes that once occupied Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean?
It is within that question I found myself loving the book even more.
The way Olive Senor paints a vivid portrait of the lives, habits and beliefs of the Taino was truly inspirational. Everything was so well-researched and detailed and it’s those things that made the characters and the novel come alive.
It’s another beautiful Caribbean Novel that I absolutely would recommend to any history or adventure lover!
July 29, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel by Olive Senior. She brings you far back into Jamaican history to the time of the many tribes that populated the islands, and to the beginnings of the Spanish invasion. The Jamaica we know today is far different. Senior researches well, and the cultural aspect is fascinating.
Senior's writing is clear, clear, clear, and takes you into the setting completely. In this case, she uses the Taino language (providing a glossary, as well) without in-text explanation, which helps immerse the reader in the culture of the time. Also, the use of short pithy chapters helps us keep focused on each of the characters and their interactions. Her clarity of language and excellent pacing would make this work for Young Adult fiction, as well as adult.
Many thanks to Akashic Books and LibraryThing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Senior's writing is clear, clear, clear, and takes you into the setting completely. In this case, she uses the Taino language (providing a glossary, as well) without in-text explanation, which helps immerse the reader in the culture of the time. Also, the use of short pithy chapters helps us keep focused on each of the characters and their interactions. Her clarity of language and excellent pacing would make this work for Young Adult fiction, as well as adult.
Many thanks to Akashic Books and LibraryThing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2026
3.5ish. I’ll start by saying I enjoyed the story. I’m used to historical fiction where the main body is fiction with historical facts weaved into it. This was the opposite: historical facts/accounts with a fictional story weaved into it. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t for me. It felt like I read a history textbook cover to cover then a story just popped up, with no start or end, almost as if in mid-storytelling. The chapters felt like they ended in mid-existential thought, often leaving me confused before moving onto something else. I felt like how Flint felt talking to Candlewood lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2025
This novel is definitely a Keeper. Based on the true story of the complete destruction of a Taino village in the Caribbean in 1513, during the Spanish Conquest of the New World, and what happened to the few survivors of that atrocity. I especially liked the interweaving of Taino culture and civilization. Most of the research was most probably from the writings of the priest Bartolome de las Casas, sympathetic to the Indians of the Caribbean, and from what the author, born and bred in that area, imbibed from childhood on. More like 4.5 stars. Thank you, LibraryThing for an ARC.
April 29, 2025
The language, customs, and culture of the Taíno are infused throughout, giving readers a feel for a people long thought to be extinct. As a proud Puerto Rican and descendant of the Taíno, I say we are not extinct. The Taíno live on through us, their descendants. Read more on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
July 14, 2025
Paradise Once shines a light on one of the original peoples of the Caribbean, set in the time where the culture and lives of the Taino are under threat. Olive Senior brings us well-drawn characters in a story that held my interest to the end. I liked the use of words from the Taino language, which helped to bring authenticity.
Read
July 26, 2025DNF
October 18, 2025
An important read but my reliance on the Audiobook did it great injustice and disservice.
January 14, 2026
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews