Maroon Medicine

Maroon Medicine (1905) is a short story collection by E. A. Dodd. Published by the All Jamaica Library under the pseudonym E. Snod, Maroon Medicine was the first collection of short stories written by a Caribbean author. Inspired by Anansi, a spider-trickster spirit from West African folklore, Maroon Medicine is a highly original work of fiction that paved the way for generations of fiction writers across the Caribbean. “‘An a what me got fe Chris’mas bar dis little maugre pig? Me cawfee no sell well, and me premento don bear, a what me got? Me we have to do sompin?’” Mr. Watson, a rather weak man with little talent for farming, is desperate to earn money before Christmas. When his neighbor stops by to chat, he hears how the man’s wife has been struggling to overcome a debilitating illness through a series of herbal medicines. Suggesting he knows more than he does about herbs and other native ingredients, Watson realizes there is money to be made in healing the sick—or at least in trying. Soon, he gets his business off the ground. The four stories of this collection—“Maroon Medicine,” “Paccy rum,” “Red cock,” and “Courting of the dudes”—capture the wit and determination of Mr. Watson, a character who does his best to get by with the little he has.

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