Belvedere

Set in the Caribbean during the tumultuous 1790s, Belvedere is the story of Pierre Alexis, a young romantic and idealist from Toulouse, who dreams of migrating to the French Antilles. Instead Pierre finds himself in Grenada, where the rivalry between the French and the British over who controls the island has reached a boiling point. Amidst this already tense atmosphere, an uprising led by French-speaking 'Free Coloureds' suddenly breaks out. Inspired by the French Revolution ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the former slaves take up arms against the French and English ruling classes. But rather than helping to put the rebels down, Pierre finds himself sympathetic to their cause. Sharing in their revolutionary ethos, he takes a fateful step and joins them in their rebellion against the English. Although Pierre Alexis is a fictional character, Belvedere is loosely based on a real historical figure; a young Frenchman who took part in the Fedon Revolution in Grenada in 1795, joining the non-whites in their armed struggles against the British ruling class. David Franklyn was born and raised in Grenada where he grew up hearing stories about plantation slavery and the Fedon Revolution of 1795. Currently he resides in Nairobi, Kenya where he works as a legal officer with UN-Habitat. When not working or writing, the author enjoys reading, football (soccer), travel and listening to music. He is also the author of Mission Betrayed, a book about the U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1983. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/DavidFranklyn