Novella Overview:
- Download Author’s Introductory Note Send to a Friend
- Download Complimentary First Chapter Send to a Friend
- Download Dust Jacket Send to a Friend
- Download Press Kit Send to a Friend
Manikato is a novella in verse written from a Caribbean West Indian perspective. It is based on the Song of Songs in the Hebrew Bible –Tanakh or Old Testament. Some scholars believe the book was written by King Solomon somewhere around 930 - 1080 B.C.E. Peters captures the deep longing, discovery, pleasure, mystery and ultimate fulfillment of love between two souls.
The original text captures Solomon traveling into the northern village near Shulem and is captivated by the beauty of a Shulamite woman. While some contend the book is an allegorical story associated with agape love or divine love between god and humankind or god and church, some read the work literally, thus embracing the beauty of both emotional and physical love between a man and a woman -or two lovers- from courting to consummation.
The inspiration:
The Omeros model inspired the author to take on the project. Omeros is Derek Walcott’s masterpiece re-conception of Homer’s Odyssey written from a Caribbean – West India perspective. It is accepted that the book played a clincing role in Walcott’s 1992 Nobel Prize. Read an overview of Omeros here
View Original Song of Solomon Text:
The Word Manikato:
In the Caribbean Neo-Taino(Arawak) tradition it is believed that friends with accompany the bride and groom to the marriage chamber. Moments after the the marriage is consummated they will rush out and shout “Manikato” – the cry of victory.
Anthropologists Margaret Mead contend this not to be so. Manikato was also the name of a Champion Australian racehorse between 1975 and 1984. It is also the name of a service owned by a British company. Scientists believe that the native arawaks are connected to Asia through Mitochondrial DNA – thus Peters’ title symbolically connects Asia and the world to the story.
