From Humble Beginnings - Jean Bovell

For a young woman raised in a disadvantaged community where everyone lived in basic straw huts and the majority earned a meagre existence by labouring on the land, Albertha Sylvester was convinced that her life had taken a turn for the better when she received the “prestigious” position of live-in housekeeper at the home of a relatively wealthy English man who held a Senior position at a large and reputable retail Company on the Caribbean island of Grenada.

But the envisaged bright future would be short-lived and destined to evaporate into disappointment and bewilderment. Albertha was abandoned whilst carrying the child of her English Employer and could do nothing but return to the disadvantaged and hard-working life-style she believed had been left behind for good.

Much emphasis is initially placed on how the impoverished young mother singlehandedly raised her child. And the sacrifices made for enhancing his future opportunities.   

From Humble Beginnings begins with the celebration of the milestone 90^th birthday of Albertha’s son, C.K. Sylvester, before reflecting on his interesting and eventful life experiences.

The story progresses as C.K. develops from childhood into a young man. It incorporates a detailed account of his friendships, personal relationships, marriages, family life, losses, failures and triumphs, and how he was unexpectedly swept along an unplanned and successful path.