Dog-Heart [Paperback]

Told in two voices, educated Jamaican English and the nation-language of the people, this dramatic novel tells the story of a well-meaning, middle-class woman and a young boy from the ghetto whom she desperately wants to help. Alternating between the perspectives of the woman and the boy, the story engages with issues of race and class, examines the complexities of relationships between people of very different backgrounds, and explores the difficulties faced by individuals seeking to bring about social change through their own actions. The dramatic climax and tragic choices made grow from the gulf of incomprehension between middle-class and poor Jamaicans and provide penetrating insights into the roots of violence in impoverished communities.

“An uncompromising story imaginatively told . . . the mirror McCaulay relentlessly holds up doesn’t let anyone off the hook, least of all those who read this book without flinching.”  —Annie Paul, associate editor,Small Axe

“This is a haunting and moving story of the divide between those who have and those who do not and the difficulties of reaching across that divide. The writer gives us a sensitive portrayal of the complexities of race and class in Jamaica . . . as she explores one woman’s attempt to make a difference in the life of a young man from a disadvantaged community.”  —Judges’ report, JCDC Creative Writing Competition