Two Times Removed: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Fiction

by Tiara Jade Chutkhan (Author and Editor)

The Indo-Caribbean community carries a distinct history and culture that took its shape when our ancestors came from India to the Caribbean as indentured labourers more than 150 years ago. From the beginning, our community has had many talented storytellers who have passed down history, folktales, and the experiences of our people, paving the way for each generation that followed. Two Times Removed brings together a curated collection of sixteen short stories written by the new generation of Indo-Caribbean storytellers. For many of us who have been raised outside of our home countries, our identity is a delicate balance of Indian roots, Caribbean heritage and North American upbringing. Together, these writers explore adolescence, relationships, trauma, family, identity and more, bringing to life the experiences of the modern day Indo-Caribbean. Each character, as we do, navigates their world with the influences of all these elements, making them uniquely Two Times Removed.

Featuring work by: Ashley Anthony, Saira Batasar, Kamala Chan Anna Chowthi, Tiara Jade Chutkhan, Alexandra Daignault, Tiffany Manbodh, Alyssa Mongroo, Savita Prasad, Natasha Persaud, Karimah Rahman, Suhana Rampersad, Krystal Ramroop, Jihan Ramroop, Dev Ramsawakh, and Alya Somar

Cover design by: Chelsi Bhagan

Genres: Short Stories

191 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2021

About the author

Tiara Jade Chutkhan is a writer and book blogger working in the Canadian publishing industry. Through her platform, Tiara strives to promote diverse and culturally specific literature. Her blogging has led her to opportunities to review books for HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster and Dundurn Press. Tiara’s Indo-Caribbean heritage is the focus of most of her written work and she strives to create representation for her community through her projects.

Following the release of her first book, Two Times Removed: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Fiction, in May 2021, Tiara had the opportunity to speak on several CBC radio stations, including All in a Weekend and In Town and Out. In October 2021, she was featured on the debut episode of CBC’s “Rediscovering Culture” series. In June 2022, she released the sequel, Two Times Removed Volume II: An Anthology of Contemporary Indo-Caribbean Stories. The third and final volume in the series, Two Times Removed Volume III: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Futures, was released in May 2024.

Tiara’s work has been published in the Caribbean Camera, Brown Gyal Diary, The Radar, Write Magazine, Caribbean Collective Magazine, and Brown Girl Magazine.

Tiara is currently the Marketing Coordinator at Diaspora Dialogues, Brand Marketing Intern at HarperCollins Canada and Editor-in-Chief at Brown Gyal Diary.

Reviews

[Nievana Judisthir · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great leap for Indo-Caribbean writers!

It was such a pleasure sitting down and indulging in fiction written by authors of my own heritage. Being a part of West Indian literature, even if it’s just as a reader, is such an honor. Every story in this anthology had a sense of reality, passion, and a deep-rooted and explored love for our people, our culture, and our history. A lot of the questions and anxieties many of us as first generation North Americans (with families from the West Indies) have were addressed in these stories. It was refreshing to find themes and characters that resemble people in our community, myself included. Each story had its own way of marking and addressing every day struggles we face, and bringing light to how we can grow and move forward as the new generation from the pain, the trauma, and the old traditions of our parents’ generation and the generations before them, as well as the new world battles we’ve been fighting against our whole lives.

Overall, excellent work on these stories. Thank you to all the authors for being brave and transparent with their stories. Even in fiction, there is truth.

Cheers to Indo-Caribbean excellence!

[Katlen (therosepetals__) · Rating 3 out of 5]

#readcaribbean book recommendation #2: Two Times Removed: An Anthology of Indo-Caribbean Fiction, edited by our very own

This collection of short stories is delightful and bursts with Indo-Caribbean joy, culture, and resilience. Family and inter-generational bonds and longing is a strong theme. The title, Two Times Removed, references the first movement of Indians who came to the Caribbean as indentured laborers following the emancipation of slavery and the plight of Indo-Caribbean immigrants in North America.

While the stories of these young people showcase joy, they address issues facing their communities: colourism, alcoholism, xenophobia, islamophobia in India and North America, domestic violence, patriarchal masculinity, rejection of Indo-Caribbean people by Indian communities, and adapting to new cultures and societies.

One of the dominant themes is identity. Many Caribbean people experience an identity crisis, myself included. The experience of feeling “neither here nor there,” choosing “other” on North American applications, or not being defined by one box or label is a part of being Caribbean. Many of us have been removed from our ancestral roots and influenced by the “creolization” or encountering of of many ethnicities and religions in the Caribbean context. Nonetheless, the stories and characters feel rooted and proud, as they connect with their ancestors through archives, research, oral history, and take pride in being Caribbean.

Some notable stories were:
Daignault’s Jumbie Queen: a haunting story of surviving abuse with a unique and descriptive writing style that stand out from the rest.

Prasad’s Neither Here Nor There: a powerful testimony on identity and the resilience of the ancestors.

Kamala’s Chatterbox: a journey of surviving a culture that silences women and learning the strength of one’s voice in community with other Indo-Caribbean women.

Tiara’s Dig a Little Deeper: a young woman’s quest to learn more about her family history and roots

[Maëlla K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology gives us a glimpse of what being Indocaribbean is in 2021. Identity, self-love, self-confidence, traditions, family... from the perspective of young women. Their voices are often left in the shadows and here they claim their space while revealing their vulnerability, resilience and determination to live unapologetically.

Some Trigger warnings, though. A few stories deal with physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse.

[Aïsha Atherly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this anthology. Unfortunately, it is clear that many of the writers have not really taken the time to develop their craft. Some stories were well written however, at times I thought I was reading a ten year old's diary. There were also many similar themes and it would appear to a non Indo-Caribbean person that all Indo-Caribbean men do is drink rum and beat their wives. In addition, as a mixed person with Indo-Caribbean ancestry, I would have loved to hear from writers whose families were not only of Guyanese or Trinidadian origin. We are scattered throughout the Caribbean. There were no male writers either and that's quite disappointing.

Despite my disappointment, I loved Jihan Ramroop's 'The Girl Drinks'. She's definitely a writer. Five stars for her :)

[Mahrukh | diaspora.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Indo-Caribbean community carries a distinct history and culture that took its shape when our ancestors came from India to the Caribbean as indentured labourers more than 150 years ago. From the beginning, our community has had many talented storytellers who have passed down history, folktales, and the experiences of our people, paving the way for each generation that followed."

This collection of short stories is delightful and bursts with Indo-Caribbean joy, culture, and resilience. However one of the dominant themes is identity. Their voices are often left in the shadows and with this beautiful anthology they claim their space!

I would definitely recommend this beautiful piece of art!

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two Times Removed - once from India to countries in the Caribbean like Trinidad or Guyana (as indentured labourers by the British after African slavery was abolished), and then again to countries like Canada or the USA - these are stories by mostly young writers struggling to better understand their heritage and their identities. For example, surveys that asked you to identify your ethnic heritage only recognized Afro-Caribbeans as Caribbeans and South Asians as Indians. Many Indo-Caribbean people would check the "other" box. These stories are an important contribution to Indo-Caribbean fiction.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story captures the nuance of our lived experiences. It’s one of the first books I’ve read that made me feel truly seen, so familiar it felt like it was written by me.

Thank you to Tiara for curating a collection of stories that gives our history, background, and culture the space they deserve. And thank you for all the authors for creating stories that reflect our truth and resilience.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volume 2 is WAY better than Volume 1.

I am half Indo-Guyanese. I was excited to read the stories and experiences of people like me. Unfortunately, only 1 or 2 stories were worth reading. The quality of writing was very poor. The subject matter shallow.

The only redeeming stories were by Karimah Rahman (her story/research paper was beautiful written and very insightful, showing a families search for the emigration papers of their ancestors) and Alya Somat (a potent story covering the impact of a mother and daughters relationship, empathy, perspective, boundaries, etc.)

Skip this one and go straight to Volume 2. THAT collection is WONDERFUL.

[Saira Batasar-Johnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed reading all of these stories. This being the first book, Tiara provided all of us with an opportunity and platform for us to share our creative minds.

Definitely a must read !