A respected Trinidadian novelist, in his first novel since 1982, tells the story of two men, each of whom in his own way tries to improve the lot of his countrymen. Alford is a schoolteacher who has unwittingly undermined the stability of Trinidad by encouraging children to emigrate. Bango is a simple, philosophical craftsman who tries in another, more productive way to unify and motivate the children of his community. Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1997.