Kipling Plass (Peepal Tree Press) by Berkley Wendell Semple teems with the dramatic, humorous, and salacious encounters that typify life in politically charged 1970s Guyana. Set in the rural village of Mahaicony, told from the perspective of an observant and precocious 14-year-old boy, the novel explores issues of race relations, fractured familial structures, economic instability, power dynamics, and the struggle of what it means to come of age in an intense and often bewildering locale. The vivid cast of supporting characters is populated by unforgettable personages, from charlatans to Obeah women.