Carnival Queen

On Trinidad, the island of the steel pan, calypso, and carnivals, Annabelle Castello grows up in the impoverished Bristol Village before circumstances transport her to the affluent city of Port-of-Spain. At an early age, Annabelle achieves more than she could have ever imagined in her wildest dreams— wealth, power, and fame—due to her youth and bewitching beauty. As she grows older and her looks begin to fade, however, Annabelle yearns to embrace the simple values and happiness she once knew.

Forty-five years after leaving for the city, Annabelle impulsively abandons everything and heads back to Bristol Village in search of her past, the only man she has ever loved, and the baby girl she left behind. But as she arrives in the village with the hope of reuniting with her love Ricardo, Annabelle is distraught when she learns he has died. Just as she finds solace in the fact that she still has her daughter, Annabelle receives devastating news that will change her life forever.

In this poignant tale, a woman embarks on a heartfelt journey back to her past where she soon discovers that nothing is ever as it once was.

“Joseph has obvious empathy for his characters and the remarkable ability to slip into and out of the persona of each character and maintain voice and tone.”
—Foreword/Clarion Review