Title: Montego May: The Story of a Young Girl in Jamaica Growing from a Small Girl in to Womanhood
Author: Lilly May
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1-5246-8018-3
Pages: 140
Genre: Memoir
Reviewed by: Susan Hart
Pacific Book Review
The title of this book, Montego May, pays homage to the sunny, island capital city of Jamaica, Montego Bay. It also introduces us to the author Lilly May, a resilient young woman who grew up in the carefree environment of this Caribbean country. This story, a memoir about her young life, is not however, a reminiscence filled with lighthearted island tales. It is the story of her struggle to prevail over the seemingly never-ending challenges of her childhood.
The quandary of her early years was coming to terms with this contrast of her homeland. Ms. May says, “To me Jamaica was a land of eternal summers where children’s laughter filled the air.” And then, “But to this land of delight, this paradise on earth there was an uglier and dark side.” And that dark side affected her safety and well-being throughout most of her youth.
It is a heart-wrenching narrative. Ms. May’s mother disappeared from her life traumatically; her father chose not to take care of her. She lived with a series of neighbors until her Uncle took her to Montego Bay where he lived. Through her child eyes, though, she saw the positive. She writes, “I was the lucky one, for I had lots of people to love and care for me. My poor brothers and sisters were left behind.”
This contrast of good and bad, positive and negative, hope and despair is a theme that permeates her memoir. At the worst moments — beatings from her beloved uncle, taunting from hateful schoolmates, betrayals by family members who took advantage of her by making her an indentured servant and severely abusing her, or workmates who berated her mercilessly — there is an optimistic bent to her story. Not once did any of the horrible things that happened to her prevent her from getting up each morning, facing the day and trying to do the best she could … in school, at home and at work.
Ms. May’s irrepressible spirit was part-and-parcel of who she was from birth, but it was elevated to a whole new level when she was gifted a Bible at about age 12, one that is still in her possession. Once she began reading and digesting The Word, her resolve to have faith in whatever terrible situation…and there were many…came her way was her lifeline. The words she uses to describe her young years, like beaten, starving, ignored, harassed, sexually assaulted and shunned, are countered by the joy that the Church added to her life. It helped her believe that in spite of those dark moments God’s light would shine on her and good would come her way.
That faith comes through in her writing, which makes it surprisingly bright and breezy given the subject matter. This is not a tale of woe, with Ms. May figuratively wringing her hands about her fate. It is a matter-of-fact retelling of her childhood in a way that a good friend might share. There’s even a happy ending, or beginning depending on perspective, which I won’t spoil.
Find your favorite reading spot, curl up with a hot beverage and spend an evening with Lilly May. She is someone worth knowing.
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