Publication chronicling Chinese experience in 1940s BG
MS. MARGERIE Kirkpatrick, proprietress of Kirkpatrick’s Catering Services of Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown, on Tuesday launched her second book, titled “The way we were: Memories of a British Guiana Childhood”. The launching ceremony was intended to coincide with Guyana’s 42nd anniversary as a Co-operative Republic. It was held at her exquisite catering facility, ‘The Gardens Room’, and was attended by a modest but distinguished gathering, amongst whom were Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai and two of the main pillars on which the publication of the book was founded – Mr. Vic Insanally of Guyenterprise, and Dr. Joyce Jonas of the University of Guyana.
Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, who was scheduled to deliver the feature address, was unavoidably absent.
Welcome and Opening remarks were delivered by the author’s daughter, Melanie Mc Turk, and a brief overview of the book was done by Amanda Richards, who had also written the foreword to the publication.

Accolades
In the many accolades to Ms. Kirkpatrick, her work was described as fantastic. “The  book is filled with  recollections, anecdotes and historic events which shaped the life of the author; as well as ‘juicy bits of gossip, stories of folklore come to life, and a unique look into life ‘back in the day,’” asserted Amanda Richards.
The Way We Were chronicles the Chinese experience in the then British Guiana in which Margerie Ting-a-Kee (now Mrs. Margerie Kirkpatrick) grew up as a Third Generation Chinese girl. In the words of her daughter, Melanie:“It recounts in vivid, heartwarming, and often hilarious detail her life as a third generation Chinese girl growing up in the relatively mixed society of the 1940s British Guiana.”

A section of the gathering at the launch of Margerie Kirkpatrick’s new book

The book aptly chronicles and describes the events of the early 1900s and growing up in Guyana.  Melanie alluded to her mother as “the story teller with the magic capacity to transport us through generations”, written with great passion and emotion.  Her reminiscence of the days of cent mauby and the donkey cart as a major mode of transportation, along with challenges along the way, seem phenomenal. And despite the challenges, the powerful underlying notion for her is that, “no matter how things may seem difficult, no problem is insurmountable.” Her message is one of overcoming, and her book is a veritable memory bank of an interesting life, growing up in British Guiana in her time, determined not to cower to the vicissitudes of life. Melanie also said her mother’s book was ‘a vivid tapestry of colourful characters and historic details, capturing a Guyanese history which, already dim in memory of those who lived it, is at genuine risk of fading completely into the mist of time…”
For Mc Turk, the book represents a great effort to preserve ‘this valuable piece’ of the real Guyana story. “Her (mom’s) story brings readers face to face with a Georgetown almost fairytale-like in its parameters, a child’s world where the colonial customs of 19th century Britain held equal footing with the centuries-old folk beliefs of Georgetown’s multi-ethnic inhabitants,” she concluded.
The appreciation was done by artist, poet and writer Terrence Roberts, who commended Mrs. Kirkpatrick’s work and the quality of her writing, noting that writing ‘puts us into a thought process that is important’.

Response
Responding to the accolades, Mrs. Kirkpatrick thanked her guests, who had so graciously set aside quality time to celebrate with her. She also thanked those who, in whatever way, had made her initiative a success. But more importantly, she expressed profound gratitude to M. Vic Insanally and Dr. Joyce Jonas, upon whose magnanimous support the success of her work (publishing the book) hinged.