Where appropriate, some characters within the book are unaltered from real life.
Clive Sorhaindo, for instance, was very much a real person, being both store owner and head teacher at the Vielle Case Government School throughout the early and mid twentieth century.
In his capacity as head teacher, he was undoubtedly severe by contemporary standards, liberally dispensing corporal punishment via a leather belt called 'Discipline', his chosen instrument of punishment1.
He was, however, was sufficiently inspirational to some of his pupils that the most famous of them, a young Edward Oliver LeBlanc, Dominica's first prime minister, wrote a poem in honour of him entitled Tribute to My Teacher.
Affection from pupils towards their teachers seemed to have been a common occurence in Vielle Case. My parents named their first son, my late brother Linton, after another of my father's teachers, such was the high regard in which members of the teaching profession were often held in Dominica in those days.
Below, you can see the letter of reference written by Clive Sorhaindo in April 1956.
It reads:
Vielle Case Govt. School
Dominica BWITo Whom it may concern.
This is to certify that I have known Max LeBlanc from the time he attended school at the age of five years.
During his school career, he had always proved to be diligent, obedient and respectful, and I never had any cause to punish him for breach of discipline. From the time he left school, I have never heard anything against his character and am pleased to recommend him for any job which can improve his status in life.
Clive Sorhaindo
Head Teacher
16/4/56
1Taken from Edward Oliver LeBlanc and the Struggle to Transform Dominica by Dr, Irving André
ISBN 0-9699857-9-7