Christal ariana Clashing O'Reilly

There was a time in the Caribbean when children were entertained by the exploits of the mysterious and devious spider, Anansi. In this digital era, Anansi has all but faded from memory, until now. This story by Christal Clashing is an awakening of a deep Afro-Caribbean
cultural icon that not only takes the reader to the African roots of Anansi, but also the horror known as the “Middle Passage” and beginnings of island culture. It is told in a way that only someone with the unique and challenging trans-Atlantic experiences and aquatic skills of the author could. This short and highly creative Anansi story is a refreshing and timely revival of our Caribbean literary heritage.

- Dr Reg Murphy MBE, archaeologist, Antigua and Barbuda

Yemoja’s Anansi is an imaginative, mystical but thoughtful exploration of the complex legacy of the Atlantic Slave Trade and its direct connection to a deep-rooted fear of the ocean experienced by so many of us in the African Diaspora. As an Antiguan who learnt to swim at the age of eighteen this story has very personal relevance. Yemoja’s Anansi engages in an ambitious but clever dance between painful reflection and romantic reminiscence. Christal free-dives into the world of these fascinating characters Yemoja and Anansi who share a spiritual bond but exist in very different realities and presents a compelling story of innocence, loss and hope. It is beautifully illustrated, tactfully executed and a joy to read.

- Howard Allen, filmmaker HaMafilms, Antigua

People from the African continent, both those free and those in chains, appear to have carried the spirit of Anansi wherever we went. Hundreds maybe thousands of years after the first stories were told we find that new and amazing Anansi inspired stories like this one can still fuel the imagination of the young and young at heart.

- Barbara Arrindell, author of Turtle Beach, bookstore owner in Antigua & Barbuda