This book is thought provoking and I felt a connection with Moa, because at 14 he is a boy of a similar age to me. Moa was interesting as he hovered between childhood and adulthood whilst striving to be an adult and take on adult responsibilities. Yet, he was still offered the protection of childhood for instance when he didn’t have to “commit suicide” with his friend Keveton.

For survival situations - metal cane is the way to go. Besides being a self-defense tool, it will also function as an improvised crowbar. I'd rather have you strike one power shot at your opponent than sit there beating him down. The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children...This is a book all high school students should read, especially when learning about slavery as it allows forces us to consider slavery from the perspective of enslaved people, even if we could never fully understand their experiences. I highly recommend it. Based on a revolutionary real-life 1760 Jamaican slave rebellion, a visceral sense of the atrocities Moa and his fellow field slaves are subjected to is evoked from the start. Their bodies are lashed and “roasted by a brutal sun”, Moa hasn’t seen his house-slave mama for three years, his papa lost an arm in mill machinery, and his friend Hamaya fears the day predatory white men will “come for me.” A: I wanted to capture the essence of the Cane Warriors and so I couldn’t compromise the way they spoke. Language is very important for a conquered people because when you have lost everything, the only thing you may have left is the remains of your mother’s tongue. For me, that is very important for the characters in Cane Warriors and still important today. I believe it adds to the identity of the enslaved peoples of the Caribbean. Recent events (e.g. the murder of George Floyd, public demonstrations, racial profiling by police in the UK, public statues questioned) can be empowering - especially for young people. We need balance, we need joy too. Alex Wheatle's prose is what truly drew me into this story, it is beautifully written, and hard to put down. This is a story that needs to be told. This is history that must not be forgotten. The fight against injustice must continue!

One night one of the men who works with Moa comes to him and explains that the slaves have had enough and on Easter Monday when there are not so many people around they are going to kill the white owners and leave this inhospitable life behind. Moa has been given the task of killing Misser Donaldson, but is he capable of such an act, and what will happen to him and his family when the owners are dead? How will they survive, will others come after them? His mother, a cook in the main house, lives in terror of abuse from the lady of the house, for the tiniest of errors. His father suffered a life-changing work accident, but still has to labour in the same place, where his blood still stains the machinery that he uses every day. Cane Warriors’ narrator is 14-year-old Moa, who is on the cusp of becoming a man. He’s informed by another plantation worker that there is going to be a rebellion on Easter Sunday, when the slave owners and the overseers will all be together.

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The events here are harrowing, disturbing, moving, tragic, but such a powerful subject matter is handled adeptly and sensitively. I believed in their fight, I stood with them, I wanted to fight alongside these brave Freedom Fighters. I felt their pain, their fear. I felt angry with them, and for them! This is not an easy read because slavery is not a nice topic but it is very powerful and the characters are very inspiring, fighting against the odds, determined to fight against their oppression, which is not always how enslaved people are shown when reading or learning about slavery.

Officially, self-defense canes are considered medical devices for seniors - not weapons. They are perfectly legal and you don't need to register them with the authorities. I read it in one sitting. I simply could not put it down. Cane Warriors is such a powerful narrative of trauma and triumph.' Carolyn Cooper, PhD - The GleanerIt's written in Pigeon English, which I don't have any problem with, just at some points it made it a little hard to understand. But, to be honest, it really contributed to the effect. As the book starts, in Chapter 1 it is more focused on the tensions and the relationship strained by fear between the overseers and Moa and his companions on the plantations. I also like how anger is shown in the form of guilt and mourning for the elderly woman they were all close to and how their frustration has a slow but fast transition into anger and then violence. Their freedom is incontrovertible. There are a couple of criticisms I have about this book. Firstly, I found the amount of characters almost overwhelming. I wish either other characters were more dwelled upon or it was more focused on Moa. I found this book a little slow and repetitive but this did allow more time for character development and to delve into the emotions of the characters. He now visits schools, colleges, universities, libraries and prisons facilitating creative writing classes and performing inspiring speeches. He has also narrated an audio guide to the streets of Brixton for soundmap.

This led to a short film about the young Alex being filmed in November 2019. This is due to be aired this year. Having said that, a wooden cane will be fine for most people. Because they're lightweight, wooden canes are the perfect self-defense canes for seniors. I have a feeling that this is only the 2nd historical fiction I have ever read...which I am quite ashamed of. BUT, to be honest, I am quite glad that this was my second. Why, I hear you ask? I shall explain.The cane itself is built out of sturdy aluminum that is extremely hard to break under normal-life circumstances, and can support up to 250 pounds of bodyweight. You can adjust the length of the cane from 34” to 40”. So you will easily find your sweet spot for length no matter how short or tall you are. Teenage rebels": Cane Warriors author Alex Wheatle on writing about young people living through incredible events A: For young readers, or indeed, any reader, I really hope Cane Warriors gives them a greater understanding of the impact of slavery and its inhumane brutality in Jamaica. And throughout this evil of colonial repression, great heroes emerged that shouldn’t be forgotten. My favorite character is Moa, because of his strong belief in the uprising. However, I like all of the characters that took part in the uprising, because they worked together strongly, and they never gave up, even when continuing to fight would have been their death.