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I am a huge lover of folklore so when I saw Anthony C. Winkler’s The Duppy, I immediately added it to my pile at the library.  If you are not familiar with Caribbean folklore, duppy is another word for ghost in Jamaica and some other islands.

The Duppy is the story of Taddeus Augustus Baps, a shopkeeper who dropped dead in his own shop. He transformed into a duppy and before being led away by his guide, Hopeton, he witnessed his maid and the gardener steal his money. He is extra annoyed because he was a cheap man.

On his morbid journey, Taddeus tried to believe that Hopeton was taking him to heaven since he swore there was no such place as hell. He met other new duppies who all had guides and a similar experience. When Taddeus entered heaven, it is a village, and he goes to live with a very dominant Jamaican woman who used him to her pleasure and lent him out to her friends when she thought necessary.  Not long after, she was born again into the world and Taddeus inherited her shop. He was always a wretch so he tried to cheat his customers like he did when he was alive; only to realize that they paid him from a money tree in his backyard.

Eventually, Taddeus met God and formed an extraordinary friendship with him. He learned that nothing he’s read in the Bible was true and God is quite humble.

This book was hilarious. I enjoyed it immensely. It should not be taken seriously or be criticized for the religious inaccuracies. The Duppy kept my attention; I looked forward to the oddities that was going to transpire in this weird representation of heaven.

The book has sprinkles of adult situations but it is not explicit. It is actually a school text. I had fun reading The Duppy, I will surely look for more of Mr. Winkler’s titles.