October 2015: Coconut Latitudes: Secrets, Storms and Survival in the Caribbean (Gardner)

Post date: Oct 20, 2015 3:26:18 AM

For our October 13 book club meeting a dozen or so alumna welcomed author Rita Gardner to discuss her memoir Coconut Latitudes. We had so many questions about her childhood circumstances, her writing process, and particularly her subsequent research which has uncovered more family secrets. We were quite curious to know her mother’s background prior to her marriage and to try to understand what would motivate her father to move the family to the Dominican Republic (DR) in the 1940s. We also wondered how she could recall such vivid memories from her childhood. A number of stories were told of other family disappearances and mysteries, some of which were solved. Clearly it’s harder to hide some family secrets in the age of Ancesty.com and social media!

We wondered if Rita might have another book in her, after her latest discoveries. She shared a photo book of her family home in the DR, with the aluminum house and possessions untouched. Even her childhood toys are still preserved. It was also fascinating to hear that the native population held fond memories of her father and the working conditions at the coconut plantation, even providing health insurance to his workers.

Rita has a website (www.ritamgardner.com) which includes blogs about finding her DR house untouched, and navigating her way to writing through gratitude and surrender. Rita also mentioned that she would appreciate any reviews on Amazon.com, as any publicity assists her marketing efforts. She's also got a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ritamgardner.

(hosting and write-up provided by Mary--thanks!)