The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir

About this book

No one knew Staceyanns mother was pregnant until a dangerously small baby was born on the floor of her grandmothers house in Lottery Jamaica on Christmas Day. Staceyanns mother did not want her and her father was not present. No one except her grandmother thought Staceyann would survive. It was her grandmother who nurtured and protected and provided for Staceyann and her older brother in the early years. But when the three were separated Staceyann was thrust alone into an unfamiliar and dysfunctional home in Paradise Jamaica. There she faced far greater troubles than absent parents. So armed with a fierce determination and uncommon intelligence she discovered a way to break out of this harshly unforgiving world. Staceyann Chin acclaimed and iconic performance artist now brings her extraordinary talents to the page in a brave lyrical and fiercely candid memoir about growing up in Jamaica. She plumbs tender and unsettling memories as she writes about drifting from one home to the next coming out as a lesbian and finding the man she believes to be her father and ultimately her voice. Hers is an unforgettable story told with grace humor and courage.