"I see trouble. Plenty trouble."

The village obeahman Manko foresees trouble when an English-man Garry Johnson comes to stay in the cacao estate of his friend Roger Franklin in Trinidad. Before long his prophecy is fulfilled when the visitor falls in love with the lovely Indian Sarojini. What had been a carefree atmosphere quickly evaporates, replaced with a tension-filled air of jealousies, rivalries and intrigues as three races interact in post-independence Trinidad.

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Sam Selvon was born in Trinidad, where he completed his first novel, A Brighter Sun, which brought him instant recognition. Later he moved to the UK, where he spent more than twenty years and wrote most of his major works. The Lonely Londoners, his tale of the West Indian immigrant experience, is considered a modern classic. He is widely recognized as one of the major Caribbean writers to have emerged in the postwar era and has been awarded the Guggenheim fellowship.

"Selvon writes with great charm." --The New York Times

"A ... lyrical, moving writer." --New Statesman

"His evocative descriptions . . . his humourous affectionate portrayal of character and his subtle use of folklore . . . are evidence of a master yarn-spinner." --The Globe and Mail