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The Cumberland Tales
by Frank WaynePublish: Oct 24, 2019Historical Fiction Literary Fiction PoetryBook Overview
The tales within this book, germinated from a few scattered images, grew to include aspects of magic realism and reality. Thus it is a work of historical fiction. I remember the old Chinatown, the characters and the feel of the Cumberland that was, and, I suppose, like all adults, we have a nostalgia for the old days. It was my intention to give the town, as a whole, a voice, and for the reader to come out with a feel for the old days of Cumberland, which, I realize, is not that old because her history goes back much farther than these pages portray. There are many more stories untold, but these few were, and are, felt by this writer.This collection of short stories are linked by characters and events. It is a reflection, a nostalgic look at the past, seen through the eyes of different characters. Sam Yik, Ducky, Jay and the rest all appear in one or more tales. At times the narrative turns to the sea, yet it is because of choices the characters made.
As a child and adolescent, we all have memories that are imprinted in our minds. I remember my mother running out to buy vegetables from Sam Yik, the Chinese farmer who pushed his cart around town selling his vegetables, exploring the ghost town of the old Chinatown, the grand gambling halls, and opium dens now falling apart. The old town had Japanese and Black communities, that were apart from the proper township.
Today, Cumberland is full of artists and young people, but the period of these tales portrays a much different town from the Cumberland of today.
Readers, please feel free to get in touch with me: frankwaynemottl@shaw.ca. I would love to hear you opinions or reviews of my book.
