Book Review: A Jamaican's Journey to Time and Patience

Provided as a complimentary copy to me by Booksneeze,  A Jamaican's Journey is one man's recounting of his multi-cultural roots and upbringing.  Derrick shares his struggles to belong, to feel accepted and loved, and to make something of his life.  Derrick describes his conversion to Christ in high school as being the turning point of his life.  However, this pivotal decision does not prevent him from experiencing further heartache and floundering throughout his adult life.

Derrick writes with raw, unvarnished honesty in an almost confessional manner.  He relates incidents including the minutest detail, perhaps as a testament to his memory.  The agonies of his family history cause the reader to sympathize with Derrick, but those sympathies begin to turn to frustration as Derrick seems to perpetuate the cycle of family dysfunction in his own families despite his conversion to Christ.  Forgiveness and reconciliation between Derrick, his parents, and his siblings is described, but real life change seems to be missing from Derrick's own life.  Derrick himself proclaims the book to be more for his children, and I truly hope they will be able to learn from their family history and mistakes that were made.  On a more applicable note for the general audience, the history of Jamaica interwoven with the history of Derrick's ancestors makes for a colorful and informative educational experience for anyone interested in Jamaican culture.