New York: Grove Press, (2001) dj. SIGNED hardcover first edition - The author's third book and first collection of short stories, which blend Caribbean folk stories with American pop culture, since they were set in a boarding house for American soldiers near the seaside town of Corpus Cristi during World War II. "Even though the stories are rooted in the history of the Caribbean island where they are set, and they are interwoven with the story of a family's fortunes as well as traditional island tales, the result is so outrageous as to quickly erase any standard notion of a sweet-faced, mild-mannered grandmother as their teller. In her tales she debunks con men, defies generals, and all the while raises children who go off to medical school in Canada. Her bawdy, scatological, and exaggerated style of storytelling and her startlingly descriptive language all but surpass the tales themselves." (Booklist) Includes the award-winning story "How Crab-O Lost His Head." SIGNED on the title page. Review copy with publisher's material laid in. 201 pp. ISBN: 0-802116876.