A Story by Vanessa
When I tell my old friends that I work in a library they are not at all surprised. Nor are old classmates impressed that I write, because reading and writing were my favourite things from the get-go. If you invited me to your house to play as a kid and you had a book shelf, chances are good I read your books instead of playing with you. Not sorry.
There were no Chapters or Barnes and Noble stores you could walk into to get the hottest new author. Many relied on friends with similar tastes to buy books whilst off island and share on their return. There were (and probably still are!) a few book trading spots on Bequia, but nothing for children.
I remember a few times my dad would have to go to Town, and would ask what I wanted. It was always books. The little store that sold books and stationary was close enough to the wharf that he could pop in and get me a book. My mother was the gift giver in the house, so it was always special when daddy got us something. I still associate Swallows and Amazons with him.
When we started traveling to Canada on our own, Rachel and I would take all the money we had saved from our allowance and the selling of baked goods/Bequia Plums to buy books and CDs. My sister was in charge of getting the music, while I would choose the books.
The books made the rounds of our school. Various teachers got first read (after myself, of course) and then were spread amongst the student body. They would return to me many months later in various states of disrepair. I was the book dealer, and I loved it!
I needed shelves for all my books, so cement blocks and pieces of lumber were put together. It was rough but I loved those shelves. Once I got a sizeable collection I organized and reorganized by genre, author and series.
I can’t say the books were classics, or even well written; most were fantasy or historical fiction. But I like to think I got some of my peers to read books they wouldn’t have had access to, and to read something other than Mills and Boon. We were reading for pleasure, even discussing the books, and it didn’t feel like school!