San Salvador native and retired banker, Verna Gilbert is launching her first book 'Arise - Up From San Salvador’s Pure Gold Hill'. The author intricately weaves in her childhood while growing up on the island with the untold history of San Salvador.
Arise explores the beauty, history and mysteries of San Salvador many have no knowledge on. It also gently places a mandate on Bahamians to dive deep into the history of each island, do the research and record each detail they remember for the future generations.
Arise - Up from San Salvador’s Pure Gold Hill is now available on Amazon and Linked In.
Physical copies will be distributed in local stores in Nassau. They are: Logos Book Store, Joseph's Bookstore, Oasis Bookstore, The Department of Archives, The University of The Bahamas Library and from the Author.
Travel back in time, as Arise takes readers to the ninth century to learn of the Arawak Indians who settled on the island along with Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Insert from Arise: “Gold ingots, fine religious artifacts, and even scientific instruments have been lifted from the sea bed around The Bahamas. Some come from wrecks that divers like to explore. They include the Maravillas, which sank in 1656 off Grand Bahama Island. It was on its way from Havana to Spain laden with valuables, including a life-sized, solid gold statue of the Madonna and child”.
The unveiling of Gilbert’s life story goes beyond a simple autobiography. The author seeks to expand the knowledge of San Salvador by documenting her own experiences as a child. She uses a mixture of her knowledge and research data to present factual but personal experiences of the island.
Gilbert wants to show her children, grandchildren and all Bahamians the value of San Salvador and all it has to offer. Arise also highlights the difference between growing up on the Family Islands compared to New Providence.
“New Providence offered more opportunities educationally than the family island. However, living in New Providence, denied us as a family to live on a hilltop overlooking the Ocean, go boating on weekends and horseback riding to name a few. They were beyond our financial ability,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert wants her book to reach those that will help preserve the beauty and history San Salvador holds. Arise also mentions the reality of what San Salvador is and has turned to. Gilbert wants Bahamians to be aware of what is going on in the island to incite change.
Gilbert’s book advocates for San Salvador in a way no Bahamian has done before.
“I visit San Salvador from time to time and observe with great distress the complete demise of all of the settlements on the eastern side of the island. Most noticeable is that the majority of the younger people living on the island know very little about the history of San Salvador,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert was inspired by her late pastor, Dr. Myles Munroe, to write about her early childhood experiences for her children and grandchildren, because my children had very little experience growing up on a family Island.
Arise - Up from San Salvador’s Pure Gold Hill is available on Amazon:
Website: VernaGilbert.com
About the Author: Verna Rolle-Gilbert is a retired Associate of the Bahamas Institute of Bankers, working in the financial services for more than 25 years. She obtained certification in Creative Temperament Analysis. She holds a passion for the youth and served as youth director and Sunday School Teacher for almost 25 years. She is married to Retired Assistant Superintendent of the Bahamas Correctional facility, Lionel Gilbert, for 55 years with five children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
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