an historical, political, and socioeconomic perspective of St. Lucia

Dr. Anderson Reynolds long awaited book, The Struggle For Survival: an historical, political, and socioeconomic perspective of St. Lucia, eloquently retells the story of the tragic 1993 banana strike that culminated in the shooting death of two farmers. However, by going beyond the tragedy and delving into the island's history, farmers' struggles against droughts, hurricanes, falling prices, corrupt institutions, and multinational corporations is seen as a microcosm of the struggles of a people against slavery, colonialism, imperialism, and natural calamities. One comes away from a reading of The Struggle For Survival with the feeling that the plight of farmers was nothing less than an allegory of the history of the island, and the deaths an omen of the future of the banana industry in St. Lucia.
The Struggle For Survival is history that reads like a novel. It is a multilayered and dynamic narrative of the history, politics, culture and economics of St. Lucia. It provides a compelling narrative on what it means to be a St. Lucian, what forces have come together to define and shape St. Lucian society, and the path the country needs to take to move forward as a nation.