In case anyone needs to know, Jamaicans are sensible enough not to change their clocks twice a year. I only discovered that fact after logging in an hour early on a Sunday morning to speak with Opal Palmer Adisa, author of Pretty Like Jamaica, a children’s book published by Caribbean Reads and available now for pre-order. We finally did have a free-wheeling conversation about Barrel Children, a term that refers to children who receive seasonal barrels of gifts from their mothers, who are absent, earning money in North America. We talked about how the role of provider has changed in Jamaica, gender violence, Jamaican National language and English in the schools, choosing to live in Jamaica, and her plans for at least ten more children’s books…
