The Coconut Latitudes: Secrets, Storms, and Survival in the Caribbean

(Paperback, New edition)

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Every year, some 37,000 Third-Culture Kids (TCKs) or Global-Nomads have repatriated to the US after growing up abroad. (President Barack Obama is the popular example.)

There are now 81 million baby boomers in the US ranging from ages 49 to 67, many of whom are military brats or nowhere kids who are interested in themes of the family in a chaotic country, stress on parents who succumb to alcohol and domestic violence, and finding roots in their passport country (US Census Bureau)

According to the US State Department, there are between 2.2 million and 6.8 million current US expats.

According to AACAP 2011 data, there are an estimated 62+ million adult children of alcoholics in the USbetween 20% and 43% of the countrys population.

Reviews

Gardner has written a rich, haunting book that vividly captures her childhood and makes everyday turmoil vital through precise and honest prose. Publishers Weekly, July 2014 Another fine writer we can embrace as ours: an honorary Dominicana, who moves beyond borders into the wide open spaces of the heart. Julia Alvarez, author of A Wedding in Haiti, Recipient, 2013 National Medal of Arts Gardners memoir is a detailed delight. A kind of island-mindedness in her writing makes this a compelling read. Alastair Reid, Correspondent for The New Yorker, author of Inside Out In this riveting coming-of-age story, Gardner paints an exquisite portrait of her familys rupture in paradise. Julia Scheeres, author of Jesus Land and A Thousand Lives

Author Bio

Rita Gardner grew up on her expatriate familys coconut farm in the Dominican Republic during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Living in a remote coastal village, she was home-schooled and began reading, writing and painting at a young age. She returned to Florida to finish school and later moved to Northern California, where she follows her passionstrail hiking, traveling, writing, and photography. Her published essays, articles, and poems have appeared in literary journals, travel magazines, and newspapers. Her photographs show in galleries and other venues. She continues to dream in Spanish, dance the merengue, and gather inspiration from the ocean; her favorite color is Caribbean blue.