Overview

After leaving rural Barbados in his teens, Irvine Weekes began an odyssey of adventurous education and employment perhaps unmatched by West Indians of the twentieth century. Armed with indefatigable optimism and faith in his survival instincts, he would serve variously as a child teacher, policeman, psychiatric nurse trainee, bond portfolio manager, MBA financial executive, corporate head of several major Caribbean brands, livestock magnate, real estate agent, taxi entrepreneur, waiter, tow-truck manager and financial adviser, among other pursuits. A man of uncommon wit, inventiveness and energy, Weekes brings to life the anti-colonial struggles waged for Caribbean nationhood, the formation of the Canadian social-democratic identity and his role at ringside (sometimes in the ring) with many of the key characters in each drama. Equal parts love story, career adventure and purpose-seeking travelogue, The King of Cane Garden is an unvarnished and raw yet thoughtful account of the West Indian experience abroad, the randomness of career achievement, the transcendent nature of lifelong learning and the universality of our chances at redemption.

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"""Irvine Weekes is truly a Caribbean renaissance man in every sense of the word. His autobiography is a fascinating read, capturing in vivid detail the experiences of his life journey over 80 years. As I read, I marveled at his engaging storytelling, involving so many people with whom he interacted, that are important in our recent Caribbean history. Thank you, Irvine, for recording your adventure-filled, slice-of-life story, for future generations of Caribbeans to read and enjoy."" Douglas Orane Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Grace Kennedy Ltd. The King of Cane Garden resonated with me in on many different levels. I was able to identify with Weekes' journey, from a poor yet happy childhood where parents stress the importance of education and how our parents used education, which they themselves lacked, to motivate their children to achieve success in our Caribbean culture. His story is of so many of us who never took the time to share ours as the author has done to encourage others who have made the journey, are en route in their journey or thinking of making that journey. The most important thing for children of immigrants to understand is why we leave our beloved countries and families behind for places that require drastic lifestyle changes. It's because we wanted so much more for ourselves and our children. This is a story about courage, resilience, hard work and, most importantly, faith. --Dionne Proulx The King of Cane Garden is simultaneously a personal and universal story of an exciting life that explores, shapes and briefly conquers the barriers of post-colonial societies that militate against further advancement. From his days as a brilliant village youth determined to go beyond the confines of his community, Weekes' odyssey is earthy yet sophisticated and unconventional, sexy yet precociously ""woke"" in its retelling of a span of history in a time of ferment. A great read by any estimation. --Dwight Bellanfante Irvine Weekes is living proof that determination, self-confidence and faith can not only move mountains, but also pulverize them! One cannot help but admire the resilience and forthrightness of this bold and brilliant young man from rural Barbados, who, in telling his story, never shied away from admitting his mistakes and, later in life - and this was so refreshing - was not afraid (as so many men apparently are) to express his love for and devotion to his beloved wife. In reading about Mr. Weekes' life, I felt as though I were watching a fast-paced adventure movie, in which the lead actor left no stone unturned in his pursuit of knowledge and success, fearlessly taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself. I held my breath each time he faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and joyously shared in his triumphs. Quite without wanting or planning to, I still find myself remembering The King of Cane Garden and feeling glad that I had a glimpse into the life of this remarkable human being. --Charmaine Limonius"

Irvine Weekes is truly a Caribbean renaissance man in every sense of the word. His autobiography is a fascinating read, capturing in vivid detail the experiences of his life journey over 80 years. As I read, I marveled at his engaging storytelling, involving so many people with whom he interacted, that are important in our recent Caribbean history. Thank you, Irvine, for recording your adventure-filled, slice-of-life story, for future generations of Caribbeans to read and enjoy. Douglas Orane Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Grace Kennedy Ltd. The King of Cane Garden resonated with me in on many different levels. I was able to identify with Weekes' journey, from a poor yet happy childhood where parents stress the importance of education and how our parents used education, which they themselves lacked, to motivate their children to achieve success in our Caribbean culture. His story is of so many of us who never took the time to share ours as the author has done to encourage others who have made the journey, are en route in their journey or thinking of making that journey. The most important thing for children of immigrants to understand is why we leave our beloved countries and families behind for places that require drastic lifestyle changes. It's because we wanted so much more for ourselves and our children. This is a story about courage, resilience, hard work and, most importantly, faith. --Dionne Proulx The King of Cane Garden is simultaneously a personal and universal story of an exciting life that explores, shapes and briefly conquers the barriers of post-colonial societies that militate against further advancement. From his days as a brilliant village youth determined to go beyond the confines of his community, Weekes' odyssey is earthy yet sophisticated and unconventional, sexy yet precociously woke in its retelling of a span of history in a time of ferment. A great read by any estimation. --Dwight Bellanfante Irvine Weekes is living proof that determination, self-confidence and faith can not only move mountains, but also pulverize them! One cannot help but admire the resilience and forthrightness of this bold and brilliant young man from rural Barbados, who, in telling his story, never shied away from admitting his mistakes and, later in life - and this was so refreshing - was not afraid (as so many men apparently are) to express his love for and devotion to his beloved wife. In reading about Mr. Weekes' life, I felt as though I were watching a fast-paced adventure movie, in which the lead actor left no stone unturned in his pursuit of knowledge and success, fearlessly taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself. I held my breath each time he faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and joyously shared in his triumphs. Quite without wanting or planning to, I still find myself remembering The King of Cane Garden and feeling glad that I had a glimpse into the life of this remarkable human being. --Charmaine Limonius

Author Information

After leaving rural Barbados in his teens, Irvine Weekes began an odyssey of adventurous education and employment perhaps unmatched by West Indians of the 20th Century. Armed with indefatigable optimism and faith in his survival instincts he would serve variously as a child teacher, policeman, psychiatric nurse trainee, research economist, bond portfolio manager, MBA financial executive, corporate head of several major Caribbean brands, livestock magnet, real estate agent, taxi entrepreneur, waiter, tow truck company owner/manager and financial adviser among other pursuits. A man of uncommon wit, inventiveness and energy, Weekes brings to life the anticolonial struggles waged for Caribbean nationhood, the formation of the Canadian social-democratic identity and his role at ringside (sometimes in the ring) with many of the key characters of each drama. Part love story, career adventure, and purpose-seeking travel log, The King of Cane Garden is an unvarnished and raw yet thoughtful account of the West Indian experience abroad, the randomness of career achievement, the transcendent nature of life long learning and the universality of our chances at redemption.

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