Ma Yenko - A Caribbean Life Story | part 1 - Anguilla and Saint Martin

Ma Yenko - A Caribbean Life Story tells the history of successive generations of women on Anguilla, Sint Maarten, Curaçao, and ultimately Holland. The book offers a different perspective on the history of slavery and colonization, seen through the eyes of women of color. They endure and bear their fate, but they are also powerful and find their way.

Ma Yenko is published in two parts. The first part takes place on Anguilla and Sint Maarten. We follow Vivian and her mother on Grandfather Joan's farm on Anguilla and in their service to a "well-to-do" family on Sint Maarten. The spirit of Vivian's great-grandmother Mallie is constantly present, often accompanied by the wise Mildred. Together, they sit on a branch and support Vivian with advice and assistance.

In part two, we move with Vivian to Curaçao and eventually end up in Holland. This part will be published in English in the course of 2025. 

"This little one feels truly different. Present when I sit. Then she ripples through my belly. She's quiet when I'm busy. What am I saying? She? Yes, I think that's what I'm saying. It's a girl, I feel it. So different from the boys, I think. You may come, sweetheart. I'll be there for you. Come on. Ouch! Not so fast. Are you in a hurry? Take it easy. Ouch! Where did this sudden rush come from?"

Vivian Tevreden debuts with Ma Yenko at Uitgeverij HENS.