Images of Barbados

Having visited Barbados before and been drawn in by the culture of the island, I'm always a little wary about picking up picture books or tour guides, for fear they'll be nothing but tourist traps. But LaBrucherie's work is magnificent, full of images that depict the island's great variety of life--showing everything from men liming at a rumshop, to workers in the cane field, to a family standing in the door of their chattel house. Each picture contains details that tell a thousand stories, though some written documentation accompanies many of the images to help expand the viewer's understanding. LaBrucherie addresses many issues that confront Bajans, including tourism, literacy, and poverty. This goes far deeper than a tourist's journey: it shows a true love for the island, its people, and their culture.