Seer (Advanced Review)

SEER, set in the Caribbean, traces the mystical adventures of Becka, shaman/healer, as she travels into the spirit-world on a mission to resolve the life and death issues faced by her neighbor's son. Becka endeavors to heal the spirit and thereby heal the body. During these dream-travels she encounters entities and intriguing characters that explode her understanding of "time" and reconfigure her sense of the "real." The plot builds in such a way as to reveal startling developments and revelations about connectedness and the essential unity of people through time. The element of suspense is strong because the shaman's journey is hazardous and the outcome uncertain. The prose is interspersed with poetry and song which serve to heighten its lyricism. Rich in fantasy, myth and magic-realism, the narrative captures the color and cadence of village life and the strong mystical and animistic roots of Caribbean folk culture. Barbara Paul-Emile, Professor of English and Maurice E. Goldman Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences, holds a Ph.D. in English. Her work centers on 19th century English Literature, Myth and Caribbean literature. A member of the faculty at Bentley College, Waltham, MA, she was named Massachusetts Professor of the Year for 1995 by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She has published numerous articles on scholarly topics, but has remained true to her first love, creative writing. She is presently completing Mosaic, a Collection of Caribbean Short Stories and a manuscript on the Mystical Path of the Warrior Woman.