Annotated Bibliography
By
Charlene Williams
The Following is an Annotated Bibliography of Zee Edgell’s works, as well as related works:
Original
Work
Edgell, Zee. Beka Lamb. New Hampshire: Heinemann Educational Books, Inc., 1982.
“Beka
Lamb" is the story of Beka and her family.
Set in Belize, the story
depicts
the life of a typical Belizean family and the political tension surrounding
them. After
Beka wins an essay contest, she begins reminiscing about her victory
over lying, her friend Toycie, and the events
surrounding Toycie's death. Edgell
`
portrays her interest in political events as
well as Belizean culture through the
eyes of Beka in this compelling story.
Edgell, Zee. “Belize: A Literary Perspective.” ENCUENTROS: September 1994: No. 8
A
lecture presented by Zee Edgell at the Inter-American Development Bank on
September 30, 1994, as part of the IDB Cultural
Center’s Lecture Series. Edgell
speaks of her life as a writer, and a woman
from Belize. She gives background
information on Belize and its history, as well
as her reasons for writing her
novels.
Edgell, Zee. The Festival San Joaquin. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1997.
This novel is focused on Luz Marina, a Mestiza woman who killed her husband in self-defense. After being cleared of a murder charge and being released on three-year probation, she returns to San Joaquin determined to gain custody of her children and start her life over. Along the way, she is faced with people that can’t let go of her past, poverty, and vengeance by her deceased husband’s family, the Casals.
Edgell, Zee. In Times Like These. New Hampshire: Heinemann Educational Books,
Inc., 1991.
This
novel is about a woman by the name of Pavana Leslie who returns to
Belize, her homeland, after many years studying
abroad. This mother of twins
finds herself Working in a controversial position in the local
government. To
further Complicate the matters this is also the work place of her
children’s
father.
Critical Reviews
“The Festival of San Joaquin.” (Caribbean Writers Series). 23 Apr 00
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obios/ASIN/0435989480/qid+956538828/sr=1-
2/102-8395181-282224>.
Editorial
review of Zee Edgell’s The Festival of San Joaquin taken from the
December 1997 edition of “The New Internationalist”, as well as a
review of The
Festival of San Joaquin written by Zee
Edgell’s daughter H. Edgell. The
review
done by H. Edgell, presents a clear summary and review of the story.
Gard, Claire. “The Festival of San Joaquin.” Journal of Gender Studies. 6.2 (July 1997): 212.
Zee Edgell is the first Belizean novelist to
reach an international audience. Her
previous novels
intertwined social, political, and cultural issues faced by nations in turmoil,
and they examined women struggling to achieve greater independence.
“The Festival of San Joaquin, however, marks a new phase in Edgell’s writing.” This novel gives insight on the issues surrounding the condition of Mestiza women and deals with domestic violence in a sensitive manner. It places Zee Edgell in the forefront of novelists who explore oppression, prejudices, and superstitions facing Metiza women. She brings these women to a position of prominence by giving the protagonist Luz Marina a voice to express her struggles.
McClaurin, Irma and Gary Harwood. “A Writer’s Life A Country’s Transition.”
Americas Jul/Aug 94: 46.4: 38-41: 20 Apr 00 <http://mdusa.hb.umd.edu/
WebZ/FETCH?sessiomd-01-3-343-13933/3921?recho../fulltext.htm>.
In this
article Zee Edgell explains her motives behind the themes of her novels
She focuses on the cultural and political issues in her work because she
feels
Belize needs to be recognized as the diverse
country it is. Zee Edgell also
expresses her desire to see every culture of
Belize represented in at least one
novel of its own.
She worries that if this is not done soon certain cultures will
be lost due to Belize’s ever changing
population.
Newson, Adele S. “World Literature in Review: Africa and the West Indies.” World
Literature Today. 72.1 (Winter 1998): 184.
The Festival
of San Joaquin is different from Edgell’s previous works.
This novel has a forceful, imaginative quality that makes the story both
simple and complex. According to Newson, Edgell has an interesting method of
using and merging religious thoughts that the reader should take note of.
Similar to her other works, The Festival of San Joaquin considers
the political realities of the time and captures the reader’s interest and
imagination.
Patteson, Richard F. Caribbean Passages: A Critical Perspective on New Fiction From the West
Indies. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 1998.
"The Belize Chronicles"
is chapter three of "Caribbean Passages".
This
chapter is devoted to Zee Edgell and the
history of Belize. First, an
explanation is given as to why the political
activities of the period are so
important.
Second, a thorough analysis is given of each character and what they
symbolize.
Shea, Renee H. “Gilligan’s ‘Crisis of Connections’: Contemporary Caribbean
Women Writers.” English Journal 81.4 (April 1992) : 36-41
In
this article Carol Gilligan's theory of moral development is used to
compare men to women; and the characters Toycie
and Beka of the novel "Beka
Lamb".
Using this theory, women are viewed as developing through networking
themselves into support groups.
By contrast, men develop individually.
In
the novel, Beka is connected to her family and Toycie is disconnected.
Interviews
Edgell, Zee. "Zee Edgell’s Home Within." by Dr. Renee H. Shea. Callaloo
20.3 (1997): 574-583.
This
interview by Dr. Renee Shea interprets the novel Festival of San
Joaquin. Edgell
discusses why she chose to write in the first person; the
combinations of science and superstition in the
novel; and why the novel has
a negative ending.
The interview ends with Edgell's statement, "...I would
want others to know the way I saw Belize during
my life. That's part of
what I am trying to do...leave a record."