Dele's Child [a novel]

Guyana-born poet-novelist Dathorne’s powerful work, set against the background of a revolution, both political and spiritual, is a compelling account of the search for ancestry and legacy. The reader learns about the past, present, and future of the chief protagonists—Dele, the saintly whore; Pietro, the impotent medical practitioner; Ianty, the corrupt politician; and Stephan, who "grows" into Grandman, the dictator, who holds center place. In their search to understand Dele and to claim the bequeathal of her child, they all reveal their tortured souls, and the possibilities for transcending the limitations of mortality.

Dathorne’s novel makes use of humor, flashback, poetry, drama, Creole, biblical language, and a personal knowledge of Yoruba santería to describe the predicament of his characters.