By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 3, 2021 — After my novel WOES OF LIFE was published in August of 2017, Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling, the then Governor General of The Bahamas, graciously agreed to my request to present her with a copy during my promotional tour of The Bahamas in October of 2017.
As native of Andros, which is also the birthplace of Dame Marguerite, I have always been extremely proud of the accomplishments of this “Daughter of Andros,” who was one of the major contributors to the struggle for majority rule as the wife of the political leader of the struggle, Sir Lynden Pindling, leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), and in her own right she was one of the leading women activists in the PLP.
So, it was indeed a proud moment for me when I presented Her Excellency with a copy of WOES OF LIFE at Government House on Wednesday, October 18, 2017.
Sales of WOES OF LIFE have been very disappointing, so much so that I have abandoned plans finish a sequel, which I started shortly after WOES OF LIFE was released, using the working title: WOES OF LIFE: THE ROAD TO IDEPENDENCE.
WOES OF LIFE is still available on Amazon, but I have not received a “royalty payment” in more than two years, although I periodically get messages in the inbox on my Facebook page from persons who claim that they “recently” purchased WOES OF LIFE and really enjoyed reading it.
As the promotional pitch on Amazon notes: “WOES OF LIFE is the story of an emerging island nation in the 1940s and 1950s. It is a story of the struggle against colonialism and racism, the rise to power of Byron Boyd, a young black man from humble beginnings, intertwined with the tragic relationship between a rich and spoiled young white woman and a black playboy club owner. As the story unfolds, oppression, the Black Power movement, political intrigue, a suicide and a murder plot are all woven together, with the drama of the struggle for majority rule and equality.”
Because I am now experiencing extreme financial difficulties, I have been trying to communicate with Amazon to re-establish a means to get periodic “royalties” from the sales of WOES OF LIFE, but I ran into a “dead end.” Anyone who can assist me in this regard, please contact me at email: oswaldb317@gmail.com.
