This Body

Robin Chamberlain is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.

This Body tells the interlocking stories of Victoria, a middle-aged
woman, and Derek, her newly orphaned nephew. Victoria, who brings the
tastes and smells of Guyana into her London apartment, is torn between
her memories of Kola (the man who taught her the intricacies and
pleasures of love, food, and politics), and Lenny, her current friend
and lover, who is unfailingly generous and kind. Meanwhile, she assumes
a maternal role when she adopts Derek, a sweet but troubled
seven-year-old. Initially awkward around each other, Victoria and Derek
must confront and negotiate together the violence that crashes
unexpectedly into their lives. In doing so, they come to redefine what
it means to be a family in an uncertain world.

This novel’s postcolonial nature is reflected in both the geographic
diversity of its setting (London, Toronto, and Guyana) and the ethnic
diversity of its characters. The novel’s form is equally inclusive in
that it incorporates a collage of texts, ranging from recipes, to
websites, to letters, to job advertisements. This Body combines an
innovative and sensitive treatment of post-colonialism with a
tremendously moving and gripping story.