Becka's Buckra Baby (1904) is a novel by Thomas MacDermot. Published
under his pseudonym Tom Redcam by the All Jamaica Library, Becka's
Buckra Baby is a tragic story of race and class set in Jamaica.
Understated and ironic, the novel critiques the social conditions of
Jamaica under British colonialism. Mixing English with patois, MacDermot
sheds light on the disparities between the island's black and white
communities, crafting a story now recognized as the beginning of modern
Caribbean literature. Noel Maud Bronvola is peculiar. Her peculiar name,
chosen by a peculiar father, has always set her apart. When her father
dies, Noel chooses to remember him by his commitment to the
people--despite widespread corruption, he chose to act honorably and
spent years waiting for a promotion within the government that would
never come. In his memory, Noel dedicates herself to helping others. She
gets an education, becomes a teacher, and develops personal
relationships with her young students from a poor black neighborhood in
Kingston. One day, struggling with her desire to get married, she
decides to present a gift to one of her students. Just before
Christmastime, Noel brings a doll to Becka's mother, who politely
accepts a toy her daughter will have no time to play with. Neither of
them could predict the tragedy to come. With a beautifully designed
cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Thomas
MacDermot's Becka's Buckra Baby is a classic of English literature
reimagined for modern readers.
