Told in two voices, educated Jamaican English and the nation-language of the people, this dramatic novel tells the story of a well-meaning, middle-class woman and a young boy from the ghetto whom she desperately wants to help. Alternating between the perspectives of the woman and the boy, the story engages with issues of race and class, examines the complexities of relationships between people of very different backgrounds, and explores the difficulties faced by individuals seeking to bring about social change through their own actions. The dramatic climax and tragic choices made grow from the gulf of incomprehension between middle-class and poor Jamaicans and provide penetrating insights into the roots of violence in impoverished communities.
Review
The expendability of life in the ghetto and the perpetual injustice meted out to to its inhabitatnts by the state and so called vivil society lie at the heart of this tale of postcolonial darkness… McCaulay showcases her formidable writing skills in this ambitious, heart breaking work… Annie Paul, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston
Dog-Heart, a first novel of great narrative verve, looks at the insidious shadism that continues to haunt island life…a well-written and compelling work of fiction with a strong moral purpose. Ian Thompson, Times Literary Supplement
Masterfully told, when you read Dog-Heart you will feel Jamaica’s heart beating … and breaking. Esther Figueroa.
