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A review by sbbarnes
Secrets of Ishtabay by Mark David Campbell
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"Secrets of Ishtabay" is a novel following many different perspectives that unwinds a while host of secrets in a small village in Belize in the late 1990s from the visiting Canadian anthropologist's identity he's kept secret from himself to the question of who murdered the local priest in the 60s.
While I found the many switches in perspective and time period a little jarring at first, it wasn't long at all before I was drawn into the variety of characters and stories all happening in this tiny community suddenly becoming an active part of the globalized world thanks to the paved road now leading to it. Throughout, I found Campbell's narrative choices as to how he chose to unravel the village's mysteries very kind in that he allowed for understanding of characters who might be one-dimensional in a less nuanced story. The older generation of men who might be unsympathetic in the narration provided by David, the anthropologist, are given a lot of depth and understanding, as is Rosalind, who brings her own daughter to a brothel. Some of the stories in this village, such as the daughter in the brothel whose long-lost love doesn't give up on her, are a tad sensational and maybe even clichéd, but then, these stories did and do happen.
Especially satisfying about this book is in my opinion the role of culture and anthropology. David, the anthropology student come to study the effects of globalisation on the village, ends up learning more about himself than about the village - as is the tradition of anthropology. And he doesn't solve the murder of the priest, which remains unsolved by everyone except the culprit and one other person. Instead, what he learns about the village is very clearly what the villagers want him to learn. At the same time, many of the villagers are actively struggling with decisions about what to do with their own heritage, how to best preserve it but also how to use it to improve their own lives. It's a very human story, and I enjoyed it a lot.
While I found the many switches in perspective and time period a little jarring at first, it wasn't long at all before I was drawn into the variety of characters and stories all happening in this tiny community suddenly becoming an active part of the globalized world thanks to the paved road now leading to it. Throughout, I found Campbell's narrative choices as to how he chose to unravel the village's mysteries very kind in that he allowed for understanding of characters who might be one-dimensional in a less nuanced story. The older generation of men who might be unsympathetic in the narration provided by David, the anthropologist, are given a lot of depth and understanding, as is Rosalind, who brings her own daughter to a brothel. Some of the stories in this village, such as the daughter in the brothel whose long-lost love doesn't give up on her, are a tad sensational and maybe even clichéd, but then, these stories did and do happen.
Especially satisfying about this book is in my opinion the role of culture and anthropology. David, the anthropology student come to study the effects of globalisation on the village, ends up learning more about himself than about the village - as is the tradition of anthropology. And he doesn't solve the murder of the priest, which remains unsolved by everyone except the culprit and one other person. Instead, what he learns about the village is very clearly what the villagers want him to learn. At the same time, many of the villagers are actively struggling with decisions about what to do with their own heritage, how to best preserve it but also how to use it to improve their own lives. It's a very human story, and I enjoyed it a lot.