AUTHOR ROSALIENE BACCHUS


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The Twisted Circle: A Novel
by Rosaliene Bacchus



Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are
like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all
uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous
unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

~ Matthew 23: 27-28, King James Bible Version (KJV)



WOMEN'S FICTION / GENERAL CHRISTIAN FICTION / MAGICAL REALISM



GUYANA 1979-1980. Fleeing the capital from the groping hands of her parish priest, Guyanese Sister Barbara Lovell seeks refuge at their convent in Santa Cruz. Cocooned among the indigenous peoples within the remote northwest rainforest region of Guyana, Barbara discovers that the Forest Spirits guard many dark secrets.


Barbara, an art and geography teacher, joins the staff at the public high school in the township where American Sister Frances Adler teaches biology. The white nun from Ohio is obsessed with Father Geoffrey Goodman, the Santa Cruz British parish priest and her spiritual director. She considers Barbara, the beautiful captivating dark skin nun, as a threat to her special relationship with Geoffrey.


While Frances grapples with Geoffrey's broodiness and the demons of the Vietnam War, Barbara struggles with sexual harassment at school from District Education Officer Douglas Simmons.


Nothing misses the uncanny perception of the devious thirteen-year-old student Raven Mendonza, son of an indigenous Carib shaman. For his end-of-term art test, he paints a twisted circle. Glaring at Barbara from a turbulent sky is a large red eye. What does Raven see that remains hidden from view under the protective eye of a whitewashed Church?


Cover Art and Design by Rosaliene Bacchus: Learn about the inspiration for Rosaliene's cover art on her blog, Three Worlds One Vision.


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PRAISE FOR THE TWISTED CIRCLE: A NOVEL



AMAZON REVIEW 5.0 out of 5 Stars - An excellent and important novel


"The Twisted Circle" by Rosaliene Bacchus is an exceptional and significant novel that left a lasting impression on me. Reading it was a delightful journey through an inspiring and thought-provoking narrative, characterized by fascinating characters, a meticulously researched plot, and a crucial story that demands attention.


The novel explores the heartbreaking plight of Sister Barbara, a young black nun ensnared in a vicious trap orchestrated by men in positions of authority. The narrative unveils the disturbing dynamics of power abuse and the insidious effects of gossip, skillfully portrayed through the malicious accusations of Sister Frances, an older white woman fueled by jealousy. The repercussions of gossip in a community are vividly depicted, along with the harsh reality that predators rarely transform into angels.


Set against the backdrop of the Catholic Church in the 1970s, the novel exposes an institution that shields its own, with devastating consequences for the innocent victims. Within this framework, misogyny, patriarchy, and racism are allowed to fester within the Church, where the priorities of man often overshadow the desires of God. The added complexities of political unrest and decades of colonialism contribute to the novel's richness.


While initially challenged by the multitude of characters, their relationships, and backgrounds, perseverance is rewarded as clarity emerges. Unlike many novels, the strength and fluency of the writing improve with each turn of the page, creating a compelling narrative that captivated me.


The novel raises thought-provoking questions about the triumph of good over evil and the delicate balance between patient perseverance, saintly forgiveness, and the courage to confront and expose abuse and toxic harassment. The author skillfully weaves these questions together.


In conclusion, I immensely enjoyed "The Twisted Circle" and wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking a powerful and immersive read. Rosaliene Bacchus has created a novel that not only entertains but also prompts reflection on the complexities of human nature and societal and religious institutions.


~ AMAZON REVIEW BY BRITISH-BELGIAN READER DENZIL WALTON POSTED ON JANUARY 12, 2024.



BOOK REVIEW BY AMERICAN AUTHOR JO ANNE MACCO


Spiritual Courage in the Face of Toxic Harassment


The Twisted Circle tells the story of Sister Barbara, a nun who has just transferred to a convent in the northern jungle region of Guyana to teach school. Like the other nuns, she cares very much about the students. Her sudden promotion to the position of headmistress of the school infuriates the antagonist, Sister Francis, a white woman from the US, who believes she has more experience. Sister Francis has an inappropriately close relationship with the priest, Father Goodman. She thinks of him as more than a friend and is very possessive of him. I find the choice of names (Francis and Goodman) interesting, perhaps supporting the realization that people are not always as pious as they appear.


It’s helpful that we get to read the thoughts of both Sister Barbara and Sister Francis. The additional perspective allowed me to see Sister Francis as more than jealous and spiteful. Her journal entries reveal that the antagonist is overcome by paranoid delusions. This of course does not excuse her behavior as she attempts to destroy Barbara’s reputation. Reading as a white woman from the US, it was humbling and enlightening to experience Francis through the eyes of Barbara who is of East Indian and African heritage and often referred to, by herself and others, as Black.


Barbara struggles with self-doubt but shows admirable courage as she strives to do the work God has given her to do in a toxic environment of conflict, betrayal, and sexual harassment from men in religious and political authority. We feel how sad and frustrating it is that her colleague, Francis, craves the attention of a man at the expense of integrity. If Barbara and Frances could have been friends, they would have been able to support each other, but Francis’ twisted delusions prevented this. Meanwhile, the nuns in charge of the convent do not want to challenge the patriarchy or reveal its secrets.


Despite the lack of support from the church, Barbara remains faithful to God and finds comfort in the beauty of nature. When she stops to admire a velvet rose, she thinks, “God had to be a woman to create such beauty.” She also finds comfort in the forest spirits believed to live in the surrounding jungle. She shows spiritual maturity in her devotion to God while being open to the message she receives from the forest spirit to “walk in the light of the moon goddess, … feel the wind caress (her) weary body” … and “refresh (her) wounded spirit in the bosom of Mother Earth.”


While Sister Barbara, being a well-developed character, is not perfect, I greatly admire her strength and perseverance and enjoyed cheering her on as I read the book. I also admire the author Rosaline Bacchus, a former nun and a native of Guyana, for bringing us this story with compassion and courage. It is an enlightening story that nudges spiritual growth.


~ JO ANNE MACCO, A RETIRED SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR, IS THE AUTHOR OF TRUST THE TIMING: A MEMOIR OF FINDING LOVE AGAIN. SHE LIVES IN NORTH CAROLINA, USA. THE REVIEW WAS POSTED ON HER BLOG FEBRUARY 17, 2022.




BOOK REVIEW BY GUYANESE-CANADIAN AUTHOR KEN PUDDICOMBE


Guyanese born, American domiciled author Rosaliene Bacchus follows up her first book—Under The Tamarind Tree with another set in the only English speaking country of Guyana in South America. While the first is centered on events occurring mainly in the capital Georgetown, The Twisted Circle is set in the North West district, a region of the country bordering Venezuela on the west and sparsely inhabited mainly by the native Amerindian tribes. Both books, however, dwell on the post-independence period of the country, a period of turmoil, racial conflict, and endemic corruption.


From the author’s Bio: The Twisted Circle is inspired by real events that took place during my final year in a Catholic convent in Guyana…to embark on a journey to a time and place that caused me grief. It’s easy to visualize the context in which the story is narrated and for the reader to relate to the circumstances in which the author was placed as a nun. Indeed, one can easily pick up on the not too subtle nuances of inner conflict in the book that could well have been written in the first person, and can’t help but wonder: Would it have been more influential and relevant?


The Twisted Circle revolves between the story of two nuns, Sister Frances Adler of Ohio USA, and Sister Barbara, of mixed-race, as told by their points of view.


Ten years after independence from Britain, the country is still trying to shake off its colonial past while attempting to negotiate its way through a world dominated by the cold war and superpower politics of America and Russia. Indeed, Sister Barbara’s antagonist is her fellow nun American Sister Frances, trying to impose her will on the young nun. In the events leading up to her relocation to Mabaruma, Sister Barbara is soon caught between a Catholic Church still dwelling in its paternalistic approach to religion and Christianity and ongoing cases of sexual abuse and predatory practices of its clergy that dominate the story.


The book is filled with local vernacular and travelogue type descriptions of the sparsely populated region that few Guyanese visit or are familiar with, the bulk of the population being located on the coastland facing the Atlantic Ocean.


Early in the book, the author sets the stage for the ride that readers are taken on with her poetic prose of the tropical rainforest: majestic, mysterious, menacing and the upcoming conflict between the two nuns. This, along with Sister Barbara’s unfolding crisis of conscience, in a country swiftly heading into dictatorship is well described: The bitter legacy of slavery and indentureship still infested their minds and flowed through their veins. Hope for change dangled like a kite caught on an electric wire and her role as an educator seemed more like a trapeze artist on a tight rope suspended over a river infested with flesh-eating piranha (a South American fish with razor-sharp teeth).


A growing conflict between Guyanese Sister Barbara of mixed heritage (Dougla in local terms) and American nun Sister Frances can be viewed as a metaphor for a young country’s desire to establish itself as it strives to maintain its independence amid growing American hegemony in the region. Along with that, Sister Barbara has her own inner conflict with which to cope.


The book alternates between the points of view of Sister Barbara and American Sister Frances who is trying to escape from her own demons. The American nun is a manipulator extraordinaire and never stops trying to extend her circle of influence over those with whom she comes in contact. One can easily see how and why she has chosen this almost isolated region to practice her subterfuge.


The book is filled with tropical and mysterious vibrations: The half-eaten moon cast an eerie glow on the trees outside. Boisterous, nocturnal creatures exchanged secrets. The whistling sound flowed by below her window, heading towards the creek. These are all fodder for locals who dwell in an environment deep in the hinterland, far removed from the capital city of Georgetown, and where the church plays a major role in education and upbringing. The book gives us an interesting background into the various Amerindian tribes inhabiting the region.


Echoes of the Jonestown debacle (November 19, 1978) also features in the book, Jonestown and Kaituma being located not too far from Mabaruma where the book is set.


The diocese is not without its petty rivalry and everyday trifling jealousies among the clergy and soon enough, open enmity between Sister Barbara and Sister Frances who resents the fact that her junior, Sister Barbara is appointed acting Head Mistress of the school when the principal is transferred without much notice, rise to the surface. Resentment turns into open hostility as the other nuns and staff are polarized to take sides. As a reader, I am left agape at the extent of the petty rivalries practiced in a religious setting.


Thinly disguised allusions to the politics and politicians and events highlight the book. An opposition party leader Camara is Walter Rodney who was assassinated in 1980 in the capital. The Comrade Leader is no other than the leader of the ruling party, someone who declared himself President for life. And the country is remorselessly heading into a dictatorship. Corruption is rampant. The administration flirts openly with Cuba, and people, even members of the clergy, address one another as “comrade.”


The Twisted Circle makes for a terrific follow-up to the author’s first book and sheds badly needed light on an era and place in Guyana’s history that has barely been touched on in the country’s literature.


~ KEN PUDDICOMBE IS THE AUTHOR OF TWO NOVELS, A SHORT STORY COLLECTION, AND A POETRY COLLECTION. HE LIVES IN ONTARIO, CANADA. THE REVIEW WAS POSTED ON HIS BLOG JANUARY 23, 2022.




AMAZON REVIEW 5.0 out of 5 Stars - A Tangled Web


This captivating novel throws the reader into the backroom dealings of a place of true believers: a convent in Guyana of four decades past. We soon discover that religious faith is not a guarantee of noble character.

Rosaliene Bacchus, a Guyanese native and herself a former nun, knows the tropical and impoverished locale from the inside. Here are souls no different and no more psychologically settled than those of us not privy to what it is like to live within a community of women devoted to God. Sexism, racial prejudice, the Sisters' unfulfilled dreams, and political unrest further complicate their earnest attempt to serve others and fulfill the tenants of their faith. Nor does the author fence the reader off from the challenges of celibacy.

Rosaliene Bacchus set herself a considerable task. She offers us three principal dramatic settings: the convent, a public school where her protagonist teaches, and the outer world of Catholic Priests, indigenous peoples, and government officials. Once the reader becomes familiar with the many characters, the novel's action moves swiftly.

I am grateful to the author for an enlightening and enjoyable experience. May she go from strength to strength.

~ AMAZON REVIEW BY AMERICAN READER TOD VERKLÄRUNG POSTED ON DECEMBER 11, 2021.



BOOK REVIEW BY R.H. (RUSTY) FOERGER


The Twisted Circle, 2021, Rosaliene Bacchus. I was delighted to read this novel by a blogger I follow, and who introduces me to such a wide variety of Central and South American poets and authors. This is a painful novel of religious betrayal – priests and nuns whom she says “did not live up to their religious vows.” There is no betrayal quite like religious betrayal, and there is no circadian cycle quite like this twisted circle. What makes the story more poignant is knowing the author draws from some of her own experience having been in a religious Catholic community for seven years. The novel is written in a fast pace that carries the reader along places, encounters, and historical events around the 70’s and 80’s in Guyana where the author was born. If you are interested in Bacchus’ book, you may be interested in her blog.

~ R.H. (RUSTY) FOERGER IS A CANADIAN AWARD-WINNING RETIRED FIRE OFFICER AND FORMER LAY PASTOR, TEACHER, MISSIONARY, AND MENTOR FOR OVER 35 YEARS. HE BLOGS AT “MORE ENIGMA THAN DOGMA.”




AMAZON REVIEW 5.0 out of 5 Stars

A young nun's journey through the minefields of politics, poverty, and the Roman Catholic Church


The Twisted Circle is rich and vivid with the descriptions of people, places, geography, and unfortunately the politics of Rosaliene Bacchus’ native Guyana during the tumultuous Seventies and Eighties. Told from the vantage point of a young nun and schoolteacher, Sister Barbara, serving in a rural, poverty-stricken area, this novel also renders the very fabric of the Roman Catholic Church and exposes behind the scenes interpersonal relationships which at times are as dirty and vicious as the period of political turmoil. Rosaliene’s characters are as well-fleshed out as her descriptions. I highly recommend this novel.

~ AMAZON REVIEW, NOVEMBER 10, 2021, BY DON MILLER, AN AMERICAN INDIE AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS AND BLOGGER AT "RAVINGS OF A MAD SOUTHERNER." HE LIVES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, USA.



BOOK REVIEW BY REBECCA CUNINGHAM


Read Rosaliene Bacchus’ second novel The Twisted Circle when you have a completely free weekend, because you may not be able to put it down. Set in a tropical Guyana, South America, the story based on the country’s history follows a Catholic nun about to take her vows who teaches in a rural school. The students are Amerindian, Black, and East Indian as well as combinations of all three. Beyond the growing pain problems of the students, much deeper troubling currents lie in the inappropriate actions of the Catholic priests.

The location of the convent and school in the jungle are well described. Rivers have central importance in Guyana. They not only give water for daily life, they are also the transportation highways for students [in the region] to reach school.

The hero and the antihero nuns alternate telling the story, which effectively shows the characters and their motives. Bacchus shows us the spiteful diary entries of the villain and we see how she misunderstands the protagonist’s actions through the lens of her own jealousy and selfish motives. Yet, we are also led to compassion for her suffering the loss of her dear mother and brother.

The controlling government and church that dictate people’s lives are parallels to life in the convent. The book’s topics reinforce each other in a very pleasing and fulfilling way. The well-developed themes of obedience, abuse of power, service to others, Catholic Church, government, nation building, and education leave us knowing more about this small country. The subject of Georgetown is also covered, from the local perspective on the tragedy there. Throughout Bacchus’ novel, we feel connected to people’s daily lives in Guyana 40 years ago because of the skill and personal experience of the author.

~ REBECCA CUNINGHAM, BLOGGER AT FAKE FLAMENCO, IS A WRITER AND POET. SUPERGRINGA: A SPAIN TRAVEL MEMOIR IS HER DEBUT BOOK-LENGTH WORK. SHE LIVES IN MADISON, WISCONSIN.



AMAZON REVIEW 5.0 out of 5 Stars


This book, The Twisted Circle, is an amazing heartfelt journey of a young devout sister, Barbara, in Guyana. She begins her chosen path pure in her faith and devotion. She is immediately sexually harassed by her first priest and in escaping him, she transfers to a remote school that devours her with its own demented jealousies and hidden abusive practices. Her struggle, like all of our struggles, is goodness trying to move forward despite serious roadblocks and the ill will of those who can only express pain and destruction. Her story shows what bravery can look like when faced by insurmountable odds. A misogynistic church run by men and women who have sold their souls to keep the old ways in place offers her no help or protection. This is a place where children are hurt.

Losing becomes swift and heartless. And it does not differentiate between the good and the evil. Barbara must face the reality of what her world has become. You will come away with a marvelous memory of characters that breathe off the page and true heroism that lives on after all is lost.

~ AMAZON REVIEW, AUGUST 29, 2021, BY DAN McNAY, AMERICAN AUTHOR OF FIVE NOVELS. DAN LIVES IN LOS ANGELES, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA.



BOOK REVIEW BY GUYANESE-AMERICAN AUTHOR STELLA BAGOT



In the year before she is to make her final/perpetual vows as a nun, Sister Barbara Lovell, a “black-skin dougla” Guyanese, chooses to move from the capital city of Georgetown to her religious community’s convent in the hinterland of Guyana, South America. She does so to escape the sexual advances of a priest, Father Andrew Peterson. Living in that convent is a finally-professed, white American nun, Sister Frances Adler. Some eight years older than Barbara, Frances becomes jealous of her Guyanese counterpart. Frances is obsessed with the British priest, Father Geoffrey Goodman, who serves the mainly Amerindian natives in the hinterland community of Santa Cruz-Mabaruma. She is determined to keep Barbara apart from Geoffrey.


Barbara faces a number of challenges, a particularly odious one being the sexual harassment of the District Education Officer, Douglas Simmons.


The Twisted Circle tells a complex story with several strands of conflict that give rise to many surprises in this drama-filled novel. As one character says: “Life fulla the unexpected.” Apart from the surprises, the strong theme of loss pervades the novel. There is the loss of friends and family who escape to greener pastures abroad from their troubled, newly- independent country ruled by an autocratic leader. There are a number of deaths also and missed opportunities. There are underlying themes of obedience and forgiveness, of the quest to free the self from mental slavery. There is the clash of cultures, the undertone of racism and sexual promiscuity. Characters distort the continuous circle of God’s love into the twisted circles of self-indulgence and sexual depravity. The sexual transgressions of the clergy is a major concern of the author.


It is an anomaly of the novel that while it is suggested that the religious characters are at Santa Cruz-Mabaruma primarily to “work among the Amerindian people,” except for one character, Raven, and, possibly the nun, Rosario, Amerindians are a mere backdrop in the novel, with the main action revolving around the other ethnic groups. Nonetheless, the beliefs, superstitions, and customs of the Amerindians are a not-insignificant part of the novel.



In The Twisted Circle, Bacchus skillfully and succinctly provides information on Guyana’s political, historical, geographical, and cultural background. Relevant information on political, economic, and historical events in America as well as interesting tidbits of a general nature, which are interwoven into the fabric of the novel, indicate that this is a well-researched presentation. Furthermore, the author successfully conveys the austerity, religious and sisterly practices, and the complexity of living in a religious community with a variety of personalities. She also captures the tensions that arise in a small (rural) community rife with gossip and overshadowed by a culture of fear of authoritarianism.


Her characters, both the religious and the laity, are realistically drawn and are consistent. Her main characters are rounded, exhibiting both positive and negative traits, with even the antagonist being sympathetically portrayed at times. One cannot but be struck by the realism of the novel. The rich and smooth dialogue also deserves mention.


Bacchus succeeds in evoking an emotional response in the reader. I felt sadness at the loss of loved ones, of Sister Barbara’s dreams and Father Geoffrey Goodman’s ideals, at the “defections” of persons from the religious communities and from Mabaruma (Secondary). But I also smiled at the humor created by Sister Hazel’s assignment of false names for characters. I sensed the rapport Barbara achieved with her young students and the feeling of accomplishment at her art students’ winning performance. I experienced exasperation and anger at the sexual harassment depicted in the novel.


All in all, The Twisted Circle is an engaging read and will be enjoyed by those who appreciate historical and realistic drama. I give it a four out of five rating.




STELLA BAGOT is the author of A Troublesome Man: About the life of Dr. Ptolemy Reid, Prime Minister of Guyana (1980-1984) (USA, 2018). Born in Guyana, the former Catholic nun migrated to the United States in 1990. She lives in Maryland where she held the post of English professor at Montgomery College.



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