the battle has ended but the war wages on in secret
A Novel - Historical Fiction
Three years after the First Maroon War, Jamaica simmers with a fragile peace. But Willow, daughter of the legendary Nanny, can't forget the treaty's injustices. Her mother's defiance burns within her, and a daring act threatens to ignite a new rebellion.
Joined by her steadfast companion, Kai, and an unlikely alliance – including Aiyanna, descendant of a Taino priestess – They stumble upon an ancient relic. It reveals forgotten secrets of the island, offering a perilous path to defy the British. Yet whispers of their actions reach unwelcome ears.
Betrayal shadows every step, and one misstep could plunge them all back into war. As the stakes rise, the Alliance must confront an impossible choice: is defying oppression worth sacrificing those they love and the hard-won peace?
I have always been fascinated by Jamaica's rich history; such a small island with such a remarkable influence on the world. Today, it's renowned for its natural beauty and the island's enduring legacy in music and sports, but its impact reaches as far back as the 17th and 18th centuries.
Back then, sugar was one of the world’s greatest wealth-producing industries, with Jamaica being Britain's largest producer in the Caribbean. The need for efficiency in sugar production spurred technological advancements, positioning the island as one of the early catalysts of the Industrial Revolution. The resulting wealth fueled further innovation, modernizing British cities like Liverpool and Bristol. It also created new industries and diversifying others such as banking and insurance.
Yet, behind the stories of success lies a mostly forgotten tale—that of the island's original inhabitants, the Tainos, and the Africans who were transported there. This immense wealth generated by sugar, was tragically built on the backs of enslaved Africans and came at the price of decimating the island's indigenous Taino inhabitants; a process that began with the arrival of the Spanish and continued under the British.
As a child, growing up in Jamaica, I was taught that the Tainos had all died under the harsh conditions imposed by the Spanish. However, current history and modern evidence, such as DNA research , reveal the presence of indigenous Taino ancestry amongst the Accompong Town Maroons, suggesting some mixing and possible survival. Moore Town Maroons, also known as Nanny Town, in particular, preserve a strong claim to Taino heritage.
The notion that Tainos may have coexisted with the Windward Maroons in the rugged terrain of the Blue Mountains intrigues me. It opens up a realm of new questions and exciting possibilities: What was life like for those who survived? How did they navigate a peace treaty heavily favoring the British, and what were their experiences during that tumultuous period?
The Secret Pact, set in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica in 1743, three years after the end of the First Maroon War, imagines just that through the lives of characters like Willow and Kai, along with their band of unlikely conspirators.
The story unfolds amidst historical figures such as Nanny, one of Jamaica's enigmatic national heroes, Quao, Jeddo, and Lt. Thickenesse, whose memoirs provide invaluable insight into the era. His writings are one of the few—if not the only—sources that offer a description of Nanny, who is described in legends as a practitioner of Obeah.
This fictional tale transports readers into the past, blending historical events and places with imagined characters and narratives. It offers readers a glimpse into the past through the imagined lives intertwined with the setting and legacy of the Windward Maroons' resistance.