Beka Lamb is a novel written by Belizean author Zee Edgell. The novel tells the story of Beka, a young girl living in Belize during the 1950s and 60s.
Beka is an intelligent and ambitious young girl who attends St. Cecilia's Academy, a Catholic school for girls. Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, Beka excels academically and becomes one of the top students in her class.
One of the main themes of Beka Lamb is the struggles of growing up in a colonial society. Beka and her friends face discrimination and prejudice from both the British colonial authorities and the wealthy Creole elite, who hold a disproportionate amount of power and influence in Belizean society.
Another important theme in the novel is the importance of education. Beka's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lamb, place a high value on education and encourage Beka to work hard in school. Beka's academic success serves as a source of pride and accomplishment for her and her family.
Despite the challenges she faces, Beka remains determined and optimistic. She remains true to her values and beliefs, and ultimately finds the strength to overcome the obstacles in her path.
Beka Lamb is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that explores important themes such as colonialism, prejudice, and the importance of education. It is a powerful and inspiring story that will resonate with readers of all ages.
Beka Lamb Themes
Perhaps it was because of this book's local setting or maybe it was because the book only captures 3 months in the life of Beka Lamb, a teenage girl, but it turned out to be a lovely complement to my tri After booking a trip to Belize, the search for Belizean authors was on. My Toy wandered away in the confusion of preparation and mango tree fall to break her skull. However, her parents don't believe her, and the three engage in constant arguments on the topic. Even in Beka Lamb's story, the importance of speaking Spanish alongside English was implied. It won the Fawcett Society Book Prize in 1982 and was one of the first novels from Belize to gain international recognition. She sat on the step of the back porch that April Friday, seven months earlier, eating cray-fish foot left over from tea and contemplating her latest, worst lie. Her best friend is Toycie, who is a few years older and they attend the same Catholic school together.
She tells Beka that her bougainvillea stump has sprouted and demands to know what Beka intends to do about it. The sun was going down and a cool breeze from the Caribbean, severL streets away, blew now and then reminding her that it was 'Caye Time' once again. Her family, living in post WWII Belize and struggling with the nature of British rule vs. This book has become a staple on the bookshelves of readers throughout the Caribbean. Set in Belize during the post World War II years as the Central American British colony was making decisive steps towards independence, Beka Lamb centers on the title character, a teenage Creole girl who is struggling to get a good education and build a future where options were few for young women with a mixed race heritage residing on a lower tiered, rac Beka Lamb is one of the most popular works of Caribbean fiction and the kind of book you find on the shelf of a well read West Indies family. . They are very mad at her for this, and realize that she takes what she is getting for granted.
Beka, angry, steals money from her father, and he finds out. Beka Lamb is a 14 year old girl struggling with life as many teenagers do. With the opening sentence: On a warm November day Beka Lamb won an essay contest at St. GradeSaver, 11 September 2021 Web. Edgell is a "Caribbean" author, and when I read Beka Lamb she was the most prominent writer in the history of Belize. The descriptions were, at times, interesting, and could have formed a four or five page article. How can this be done when they are no longer entirely 'the old"? If those two words had been written down to mark that juncture they would have been the best two words in the whole bloody book.
Beka Lamb : Edgell, Zee : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
The scene at the bridge where she is found half dead was very troubling and marks a sharp decline in a once promising life. I feel it's important to read books from as many different countries as is possible but this one was not a good start for my inaugural reading of the wee Central American nation. It isn't like that's the only thing wrong either—it's 1950-something in Belize, and political change is keeping everyone around her paranoid. But the book was published in 1982 and Belize became an independent nation in 1981, so I understand. We learn about the different types of people who live in the town, and Beka moves closer to the window to get a better look. The writer notes:" … a dozen hard-boiled eggs per pot bobbing up and down like dumplings.
Beka's family The narrator brings out the supportive nature of Beka's family through the use of a simile. It won the Fawcett Society Book Prize in 1982 and was one of the first novels from Belize to gain international recognition. In another flashback, Beka remembers a conversation she had with her grandmother, who told Beka that nothing ever lasts in this town. Not wanting to get in trouble, they would stay in areas where they were allowed to go, and when they returned home, they longed to one day live in a seafront house. Things were getting almost beyond her control.
The book also grants the reader insight into Belize in its colonial times and dives into its culture and conflicts. Poorly executed really terrible grammar throughout , structured naively, no storyline to speak of- I only read through to the bitter end hoping for some improvement and it turns out the improvement was the end. Diverse peoples live in Belize and I was surprised to read in Wikipedia that many of the English-speaking creoles are immigrating to the US. Beka is mourning a death, the death of a best friend who shared secrets with her. Set in Belize during the post World War II years as the Central American British colony was making decisive steps towards independence, Beka Lamb centers on the title character, a teenage Creole girl who is struggling to get a good education and build a future where options were few for young women with a mixed race heritage residing on a lower tiered, race based social status. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. I enjoyed all the descriptive stuff, found the story engaging, and learn at least slightly more about Belize than I knew before.
The passages about politics could have been carved out of a school kid's essay about the problems of bringing democracy into a world of rice and beans and outdoor toilets. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Toycie, attending the same school as Beka, also has financial struggles. I had to read it again in college, and I tried to go in with an open mind, and I thought it was terrible. I've waivered between a 3 and a 4 star rating.
An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. If you are interested in books that showcase colonial rule, this debut novel is an excellent resource to read. But when her friend dies, that's simply not an option for her. GradeSaver, 30 September 2018 Web. Years ago I met Zee Edgell. That's exactly the point, because Beka is disenfranchised, and the reader feels disenfranchised too, because the book conveniently ignores the most compelling arguments against her parents.
She was a very clever lady. The friendship between Beka and Toycie is the really heart of this story. She has to mourn, but that makes her disinterested in school. Her grandmother told her about a time when she was a young girl and a circus came to town. Beka Lamb is one of those rare books that really does appeal to all ages. Country No 102 on my World Reading Journey. I wonder if that has changed? These political issues are all part of the story, but they are not explained so a little research is necessary if the reader is unfamiliar with Belize's history.
