“Jacqueline Bishop has presented us with a rare gift in this fine collection of life stories. This never-before-assembled chorus of voices with its wide-ranging repertoire is truly remarkable. From powerful personal tales of courage and survival to more complicated testaments of lives lived in rare privilege, or on the margins of society, these narratives speak eloquently to the wisdom, ingenuity, and resourcefulness of Jamaican women.”

-Lorna Goodison, Author of Controlling the Silver

“Experiencing Jacqueline Bishop's conversations with women evokes powerful life changing insights. As we struggle to empower ourselves and find our voices, this book is a loving and comforting security blanket. We can wrap it around ourselves as we journey.”

-Beverly Manley, Former First Lady of Jamaica and Co-host of the popular talk radio program, The Breakfast Club

“My Mother Who Is Me is no minor achievement--proving a safe space for these diverse Jamaican females to voice their loss, forced separation based mainly on economy, longing for a country and growing into womanhood despite the legacy of colonialism that still shadows their path. These life-stories are meaningful and sobering, allowing each contributor to rise off the page. A well-overdue collection.”

-Opal Palmer Adisa, Author of It Begins With Tears

“Jacqueline Bishop, the founder of Calabash: A Journal of Caribbean Arts & Letters, is a force in our Caribbean and American cultures. She now brings us the voices of Jamaican women, in all their wit, courage, resilience, diversity, and pride. These are voices to be heard.”

-Catharine R. Stimpson, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science and University Professor, New York University

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JACQUELINE BISHOP is the author of Fauna, a collection of poems and The River’s Song, a novel. Her award-winning short stories, poetry, and other writings have been widely published. She holds a Master’s degree in English and an MFA in fiction writing from New York University, where she presently teaches.

CATEGORY
Biographies, Women/THE CARIBBEAN